Founder, President/Chief Executive Officer

Bill Southard is founder and CEO of Southard Communications, a firm he
founded in 1994. Over the last decade, Southard has grown the agency from a
pure start-up to a full-service agency with billings of approximately $3
million and 15 account staff, and boasts a client roster that includes the
U.S. Military Academy At West Point, Disney Publishing/Family Fun Magazine,
Toys “R” Us and Emerson Consumer Electronics. With more than 25 years of
communications experience, Southard has counseled some of the country’s
leading Fortune 500 firms.  Before founding Southard Communications,
Southard was president of Earle Palmer Brown Public Relations, a 75+ person,
$10.0 million public relations agency.  In addition, Southard held the title
of president of Earle Palmer Brown/New York, a 100+ million dollar, 80
person integrated marketing communications operation, overseeing public
relations, advertising and direct marketing in the New York office.
Southard joined EPB in 1992 after 10 years at Dorf & Stanton Communications,
a top 15 national public relations agency.

Since its founding, Southard Communications has become a premier creative,
brand building public relations firm. The agency has won several
distinguished awards for its work on behalf of the U.S. Military Academy at
West Point (for which the agency coordinated its 200th Anniversary
celebration in 2002), LeapFrog and Toymax International. The firm is
routinely recognized for its outstanding creative program development as
well as for maintaining one of the best staff and client retention records
in the public relations industry.

His experience in corporate public relations covers accounts with several
Fortune 500 companies, including CB Richard Ellis, American Express,
Monsanto, Guinness, Ford, Rhone-Poulenc, Pitney Bowes, and Chase Manhattan
Bank.  In the public affairs area, his experience runs the gamut from
designing crisis management programs for clients under fire, to preventing
conflicts through counseling.  When the EPA attacked one of Monsanto’s
leading herbicides and then raised concern with a pesticide from
Rhone-Poulenc, Southard was actively involved in creating effective
communications plans for both of these major clients.  He also actively
counseled El Al Israel Airlines during the Persian Gulf War Crisis.

Southard also worked on the client side of public relations.  Prior to
joining Dorf & Stanton in 1982, he was public relations manager with Apollo
Technologies, handling all internal and external company communications.

Southard graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism
from Seton Hall University.  He is a member of the Public Relations Society
of America, The Counsel of Public Relations Firms and is a frequent
lecturer.