Richard T. Cole
Encyclopedia
Richard T. Cole is a professor, and former chairperson, of the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Retailing at Michigan State University
. He rejoined the teaching staff in 2006 after 15 years of working in the health care profession. He is the former Senior Vice President at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of The Detroit Medical Center.
in Kalamazoo, Michigan
. Holding a PhD. in Administration & Higher Education and a M.A.
in Administration and Higher Education from Michigan State University
. He is also a graduate of the Michigan Military Academy (Michigan Air National Guard) where he was commissioned as a United States Air Force reserve officer.
. During the 1970s he served as the Majority Executive Secretary of the Michigan State Senate. During this time he also was the director of Legislation and School Law for the Michigan Department of Education. In addition, he has also served as a finance co-chair for the campaign committee of U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow
.
in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Between 1991 and 1994, Cole served as the Vice President of Corporate Communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
. In 1995, he took the position of Senior Vice President at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan until 2004. From 2004 until 2006, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of The Detroit Medical Center. Cole was the chairman of Publicom Inc., an East Lansing, Michigan based company. He is currently a member of the editorial board for the International Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications.
Board in the U.S. Department of Education. From 1998 until 2002, Cole served as the chair of the Board of Governors for the Cranbrook Institute of Science. Between 2005 and 2008, he was the Chair of the Metropolitan Detroit Division of the March of Dimes. He is also a founding board member of The Center for Michigan, a "bi-partisan economic development think and do tank" in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Center for Michigan. Web. 13 Jan. 2011. Cole was asked by the Governor Granholm to chair the departments search for an agency to handle up to $33 million in new state tourism and business-marketing contracts for the state of Michigan.
and the Michigan Political Leadership Program (East Lansing).
Radio, in Lansing, Michigan.
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. He rejoined the teaching staff in 2006 after 15 years of working in the health care profession. He is the former Senior Vice President at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of The Detroit Medical Center.
Education
Cole received his B.A. in Psychology & Speech from Western Michigan UniversityWestern Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. Holding a PhD. in Administration & Higher Education and a M.A.
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Administration and Higher Education from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. He is also a graduate of the Michigan Military Academy (Michigan Air National Guard) where he was commissioned as a United States Air Force reserve officer.
Personal Life
Cole lives with his wife Deborah, an artist, in East Lansing, Michigan; they have four grown daughters.Government service
From 1983 through 1988, Cole was the press secretary and later chief of staff for Governor James BlanchardJames Blanchard
James Johnston "Jim" Blanchard is a politician from the US state of Michigan. A Democrat, Blanchard has served in the United States House of Representatives, as the 45th Governor of Michigan, and as United States Ambassador to Canada....
. During the 1970s he served as the Majority Executive Secretary of the Michigan State Senate. During this time he also was the director of Legislation and School Law for the Michigan Department of Education. In addition, he has also served as a finance co-chair for the campaign committee of U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow
Debbie Stabenow
Deborah Ann Greer "Debbie" Stabenow is the junior United States Senator from Michigan and a member of the Democratic Party. Before her election to the U.S. Senate, she was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Michigan's 8th congressional district from 1997 to 2001...
.
Professional experience
From 1988 until 1990, he was an Associate Professor at Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Between 1991 and 1994, Cole served as the Vice President of Corporate Communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a federation of 39 separate health insurance organizations and companies in the United States. Combined, they directly or indirectly provide health insurance to over 100 million Americans. The history of Blue Cross dates back to 1929, while the history of...
. In 1995, he took the position of Senior Vice President at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan until 2004. From 2004 until 2006, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of The Detroit Medical Center. Cole was the chairman of Publicom Inc., an East Lansing, Michigan based company. He is currently a member of the editorial board for the International Journal of Integrated Marketing Communications.
Public service
In 1993, he served on the Jacob K. Javits FellowshipJacob K. Javits Fellowship
The Jacob K. Javits Fellowship program formerly provided fellowships to students of superior academic ability—selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise—to undertake study at the doctoral and Master of Fine Arts level in selected fields of arts,...
Board in the U.S. Department of Education. From 1998 until 2002, Cole served as the chair of the Board of Governors for the Cranbrook Institute of Science. Between 2005 and 2008, he was the Chair of the Metropolitan Detroit Division of the March of Dimes. He is also a founding board member of The Center for Michigan, a "bi-partisan economic development think and do tank" in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Center for Michigan. Web. 13 Jan. 2011. Cole was asked by the Governor Granholm to chair the departments search for an agency to handle up to $33 million in new state tourism and business-marketing contracts for the state of Michigan.
and the Michigan Political Leadership Program (East Lansing).
Publications
Cole is a contributing author to the Handbook of Strategic Public Relations and Integrated Marketing, McGraw-Hill, 1997. He also co-authored a chapter in the Handbook of Research on Effective Electronic Gaming in Education, Information Science Reference, along with Elizabeth Quilliam in 2008. Cole wrote “The Kids Are All Write? The Need to Strengthen College-level Writing Instruction for Future PR Pros,” Tactics, October 17, 2009. He is a monthly contributor to Dome Magazine, with is column titled Rick Cole at-large. The column often follows his weekly radio broadcast of the same title on the Walt Sorg Show on WILSWILS
WILS is a radio station located in Lansing, Michigan broadcasting a news-talk format.Until October 2006, WILS aired ABC Radio's satellite-delivered adult standards/MOR music package known as "Timeless Classics" . The station had had this format since the early 1990s and was quite successful in the...
Radio, in Lansing, Michigan.
Awards
Western Michigan Distinguished Alumni Award, 1987. In 1998, he was awarded the Executive of the Year Award from the Metropolitan Detroit Association of Health Plan Underwriters.Further reading
- Cole, Richard T, Hembroff, Larry A, Corner, Andrew D (2009) “National Assessment of the Perceived Writing Skills of Entry-Level PRPractitioners,” Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, Spring, 10-26.
- Lee, Mira, Choi, Yoon, Quilliam, Elizabeth Taylor (2009),“Playing with Food”: Content Analysis of Food Advergames. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 43, (1)
- Corner, Andy and Richard Cole (2008) “Are College Graduates Ill-Prepared for PR Writing? One PRSA Chapter Speaks.” Tactics, April, 9
- Cole, Richard T. and Andy Corner (2008) It’s Time for Some Research in Teaching Writing for Public Relations, Tactics, February, 18-20.
- Cole, Richard T. (2007). Who is the Father of Public Relations? The Paternity Case for Edward Bernays, The Strategist, Fall Issue, 24-27
- Lee, Mira, Choi, Yoon, Quilliam, Elizabeth Taylor &Cole, Richard T. (2007) Playing with Food: How Marketers Target ChildrenOnline. Proceedings of the Marketing and Public Policy Conference, American Marketing Association, 130-131
- Cole, Richard T. and Gordon Miracle (2008) A Half Century of Advertising Education at Michigan State University, in Ross, Billy I and J.Richards (Eds.), A Century of Advertising Education (pp. 125-131), American Academy of Advertising.