Page Center names public relations leader as chair of advisory board

Former corporate vice president of public affairs at Johnson & Johnson Willard “Bill” Nielsen was selected to chair the advisory board of the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication. He succeeds Marie Hardin, who served as board chair since 2012.

During his 18 years at Johnson & Johnson, Nielsen built a reputation as an ethical and innovative leader in the public relations industry. He specialized in organizational vision, values and corporate communications. Nielsen succeeded Larry Foster at Johnson & Johnson and retired in 2004 to become a management communications consultant. Foster was the first chair of the Page Center advisory board.

“The Page Center takes up the most difficult and challenging issues, informs current practices and stimulates the growth and development of future leaders of the field,” Nielsen said. “I look forward to helping the Center continue to fulfill this important mission.”

He will lead the advisory board of the Page Center, a research center at Penn State’s College of Communications dedicated to the study and advancement of ethics and responsibility in public communication. Nielsen has been a member of the Page Center’s advisory board since its founding in 2004.

“Bill brings a deep understanding of our mission and vision,” said Denise Bortree, Center director and associate professor of advertising and public relations. “His passion for the Center will help us raise its profile to a new level. I look forward to working with him in the coming years.”

A native of Sacramento, Calif., Nielsen is an expert in public relations, public affairs and corporate coaching. The board unanimously voted Nielsen in as chair at its annual meeting on Nov. 23. He replaces Hardin, professor of journalism, who became the dean of Penn State’s College of Communications in 2014. Hardin served as director of the Center for four years before Bortree took the reins last year.

Over his distinguished career, Nielsen has been a pillar in the public relations and corporate communications communities. He served two terms as president of the Arthur W. Page Society and was inducted into the organization’s hall of fame. He has served on many non-profit organization boards including the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the Global Public Affairs Institute. He currently serves as a trustee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He chaired The Seminar and the board of the Institute for Public Relations and continues as an emeritus director. He is also a member of The Public Relations Society of America.

“Bill’s work in the public relations and corporate communications fields is legendary,” Hardin said. “Plus, his work with the Page Center goes back to its beginnings. He knows the mission well, and he understands its potential. With Bill at the helm, I look forward to seeing more great research from our Center’s scholars.”

In addition to research, the Page Center features an oral history collection, which includes interviews with prominent professionals from the corporate communications field. Nielsen is featured in one of the oral history videos, in which his predecessor, Hardin, interviews him on a range of topics.

The Page Center is named for the man who is considered the world’s pioneer in corporate public relations. Arthur W. Page joined AT&T in 1924 and became widely known for setting high standards for ethical communication. The legacy of Robert Wood Johnson also is a vital part of the Page Center. Like Page, Johnson was a strong and visible advocate of responsible corporate behavior. Recipients of Page Center grants are known as Page/Johnson Legacy Scholars.