Date: October 17, 2012
Author: Lynne Sallot
Contact: Lynne Sallot, sallot@uga.edu

Grady students learned about public relations for the financial service industry recently from the newest recipient of the highest individual award from the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Judy DeRango Wicks, APR, will be inducted into the Order of the Phoenix at PRSA Georgia's awards gala in Atlanta on Nov. 8 by chapter president Julie Davis, after which Grady Dean Cully Clark will unveil a portrait of Wicks to be displayed in the Georgia PRSA PR Hall of Fame housed in College.

On Sept. 27, Wicks met with 34 undergraduate PR majors from Barry Jones' public relations administration class who joined 17 master's students in Lynne Sallot's public relations theory class to mark her achievement and hear highlights of her 26-year-career.

During a reception for students and faculty to honor Wicks, Dean Clark noted the College is named for Henry W. Grady, whose vision for the New South foresaw that "Atlanta would rise from the ashes like a Phoenix.

"We are proud to have our association with Georgia PRSA's Order of the Phoenix," Clark said.

Dean Cully Clark welcomes Judy Wicks to the Grady College.

As vice president of corporate communications at Fiserv, a global provider of information management and electronic commerce systems, Wicks has spent the last decade guiding consumer behavior in new directions, including the widespread adoption of online banking and bill payment.

"I used my master's thesis research studying attitudes toward productivity to figure out how to promote ATMs," said Wicks, who earned her M.A. at the University of Florida in 1984. She received her B.A. from Stetson

Wicks is currently leading PR efforts for Popmoney, the Fiserv product that gives clients of 1,700 banks the capability of emailing or texting money from their accounts to whomever they wish.

"For that, we're drawing on the Jackson, Jackson and Wagner Behavioral model, identifying the incurrence of late fees as a deprecatory event and then turning to personal influencers such as trusted personal finance reporters to help us spread the message that paying bills online is secure, safe, guaranteed and helps the environment," Wicks said.

Prior to her work at Fiserv, Wicks served as the vice president of Ketchum Crescent, where she oversaw the IBM software group account, Cox Interactive Media and helped Nokia launch its Nokia Sugar Bowl. Before that, she worked at PR firms in Florida, leveraging spring break for campaigns and working on the sports marketing that brought Orlando its Magic NBA franchise.

Judy Wicks visits the Georgia PRSA PR Hall of Fame where her portrait will be added after Nov. 8.

Weaving titles of books she recommended the students read — such as Five Patterns of Extraordinary Careers, Crossing the Chasm, Blink and The Art of Choosing — among career advice, Wicks encouraged them to start their careers working for an agency.

"Corporations typically won't hire you without the kind of experience you will get working at an agency," she advised, and explained how she works with numerous agencies serving Fiserv domestically and internationally.

Wicks stressed the value of developing and maintaining positive relationships with colleagues to establish lasting professional networks.

"Never burn a bridge — you never know when you will need it," she said, noting her current position grew out of a referral from a former co-worker.

Her final piece of advice to the students was to "protect your brand," adding "You each are unique. When you know who you are, you'll be able to go far."