Belhaven University’s Bill Moak Named to Southern Public Relations Hall of Fame

BOSSIER CITY, La. (October 30, 2025)– Belhaven University’s Chair and Assistant Professor of Communication, Bill Moak, APR, Fellow PRSA, has been named to the Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors for public relations professionals and educators in the Southeast.

Moak was honored alongside three other distinguished public relations professionals—Lisa Darnell Frazier, APR; Mara Hartmann, APR; and Tracy R. Sims, APR—during the 2025 SPRF Conference held in Bossier City, Louisiana.

Moak was recognized for more than 40 years of service in public relations, consumer advocacy, and higher education. As Chair and Associate Professor of Communication at Belhaven University, he expanded and strengthened the university’s public relations program while mentoring hundreds of students. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to ethics, transparency, and public trust.

The Southern Public Relations Hall of Fame, co-sponsored by SPRF and the Mississippi State University Department of Communication, Media, and Theatre, honors practitioners and educators whose careers have advanced the profession across the Southeast.

“Being named to the SPRF Hall of Fame is a unique honor bestowed on only a few,” Moak said. “The Hall of Fame includes some of the most influential public relations practitioners in the Southeast and nationwide, so being counted among this group has been a dream of mine since I started my career four decades ago. I am so grateful to the SPRF board, the selection committee, and those from my home organization, PRAM Central, who compiled and submitted my nomination.”

“Bill’s leadership and dedication to his students exemplify Belhaven University’s mission of service and excellence,” said Dr. Audrey Kelleher, Belhaven’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We are proud to see his decades of influence and integrity honored by his peers across the Southeast.”