Riding a Roller-Coaster, Pat Philbin Style

From the Intended Director of National Intelligence to Unemployed By Jesse Hong

For someone who dedicated his life to the field of public relations, John Pat Philbin, Ph.D., APR is mostly remembered for a mistake rather than his many contributions. I was always interested in serving the public, Pat said, and he indeed devoted his career for his country. He served more than 21 years in the U.S. Coast Guard and retired as the chief of public affairs.

Who is Pat Philbin?

Pat's Educational Background

Bachelor of Science in Government U.S. Coast Guard Academy Master of Science in Public Relations Syracuse University

Doctorate in Communication
University of Maryland

Master of science in Business Administration

George Mason University

He then moved on to more difficult challenge. Known for its lack of funds and personnel, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had been criticized for being incapable of handling disasters effectively. It [FEMA] was getting beat up by Congress, the administration, more importantly for me, it was the disaster victims who were criticizing the agency. That is why I went to FEMA to help people, Pat said. Pat was brought in improve FEMAs reputation, when it had been scrutinized and heavily criticized by the public for multiple cases, the most defining one being Hurricane Katrina. Pat gave his best to transform its image and to foolproof its past mistakes. He worked on prominent cases such as the space shuttle Challenger disaster, the Gulf of Mexico disaster and the TWA Flight 800 and Alaska Air, and he handled them well. In fact, so well he was offered to be the

director of national intelligence. Then the press conference regarding the California wildfires came on Oct. 23, 2007. It didnt take long for Pat to realize something was wrong. There were no reporters at the press conference. By the time I figured out there were no media there nor were media able to ask or answer question on the phone, Pat said. The next day, Pat spoke with The Washington Post reporter Spence Hsu, and told him, I didnt orchestrate this, this is not how I do business. I would not condone or authorize it, but at the end of the day, I was the guy in charge and I regret that it happened. With that little conversation with the Washington Post

I am a firm believer in ethical behavior

Reporter, Pat became the headline and classic case study in textbooks. Pat also found out that he was no longer wanted in the Department of Homeland Security. Does he regret for taking the responsibility in hindsight? I am a firm believer in ethical behavior, because I think that is all you have in this business, your credibility, which is particularly troubling to me because thats what has been called into question, Pat said. This much-talked-about phony conference had been investigated thoroughly, and it really was not Pat who decided to proceed with the conference without reporters. He just happened to be in charge. Pat admitted that he really thought he could no longer
Pat Philbin, the President of Crisis1 1, LLC

practice public relations. But he never gave up. After a brief

hiatus, on Jan. 16, 2008, Pat came right back to the field, as the Senior Vice President of PIER Systems, Inc., a technology-focused crisis communication company. And now, he is the president of his own company, Crisis1, LLC, doing what he does best, crisis communication and still serving the public as a government contractor. It would not be an exaggeration to label Pats career as a roller-coaster ride; he soared to the top and crashed down dramatically. Nevertheless, it seems like the ride is far from over.

Pats Advice to Public Relations Students Bad news does not get better with age. Do not hesitate to stand up and rectify things immediately. Be aggressive about getting the entire story out!

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