Joseph V. Trahan III, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA
Joseph V. Trahan III, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, is the president and CEO of Trahan & Associates and a media relations and crisis and risk Communications expert trainer.
The New Orleans native has forty years of public relations/affairs experience in governmental, association, and educational and non-profit public relations. Additionally, Trahan is also LTC(R) Joe Trahan, United States Army Reserve (USAR), former commander of the 314th Public Affairs Operations Center (PAOC) (USAR) located in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. (LTC-USAR) Trahan has successfully operated four Joint Information Bureaus (JIBs) and one Joint Information Center (JIC) from 1991 to 1994. Some of Dr. (LTC) Trahan’s JIB/JIC Assignments were: Joint Logistics over the Shore (JLOTS)-1992; Presidential Task Force Andrew-1992; the National Boy Scout Jamboree -1993 and the 50th Anniversary of Operation Overlord-1994. Since 1998, Dr. Joe Trahan has superbly trained over 3,500 people in media relations yearly in 46 US states, the United Kingdom, Norway, France, Belgium, Paraguay, Mexico and the Netherlands.
Trahan holds a BA degree from Tulane University in American military history, a MA degree in public relations from Ball State University and a Ph.D. in mass communication with an emphasis in public relations and advertising from the University of Southern Mississippi. Currently, Dr. Trahan is the past chair of the PRSA Educators Academy. Finally, Trahan is an Accredited member of Public Relations Society of America, a former National PSRA Board Director and National PRSSA Faculty Advisor. He was inducted into the Rowan University Public Relations Hall of Fame for lifetime distinguished contributions to the public relations profession in 2019. He was inducted into the Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) Hall of Fame for bringing distinction to the public relations profession in 2016. He was awarded the Lloyd B. Dennis Award by PRSA in 2009 for distinguished leadership in public affairs. He’s also a longtime fan of the world champion New Orleans Saints!