Lisa Van Hook, MA, APR

Describe a favorite client project:

The 50th anniversary celebration at their manufacturing facility in Indiana for Toyota Material Handling was one of my favorite projects. The project involved two areas of PR practice that I love - special events and media relations. We flew in industry journalists from North America for a day-long celebration that included a gold forklift, plant tours, media reception, sit-down luncheon with Toyota dignitaries from Japan, and forklift Lego sets as promotional giveaways. We got so much quality time to tell the client's story with journalists, which ultimately yielded some incredible media coverage, including the gold Toyota forklift featured on the cover of an industry magazine.

What have you learned from a client recently?

If you build your business model around always doing what is right for the customer and the employees, you will create a great company.

How would you describe your team’s strengths?

PR ninjas; 5-star client service; dedicated to excellence; exceptional client service delivery; results-driven; innovative; creative thinkers...and they are good humans, good people who care about each other and work exceptionally well in a team-setting

What adjectives would you use to describe your childhood? Why?

Interesting, international, adventurous, migratory (we moved a lot), cool (until my status as an only child was interrupted), horsey.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A veterinarian.

What would people you know find surprising about you as a teen?

That I was a rebellious hellion who got suspended from school once. And was the only girl my bus driver ever paddled – he was way more upset about it than I was.

What was your college major and why did you choose it?

Undergrad: Radio, TV, and Film – I wanted to be a producer.

Graduate degree: Interpersonal and Organizational Communication – because I am a scholar of communication I’m fascinated with theory and application.