Arhlene A. Flowers joined Ithaca College in 2006 as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 2012. She teaches in the Integrated Marketing Communications Program in the Department of Strategic Communication.
She has extensive public relations and marketing experience on both the agency and corporate sides. She can help students learn how to help organizations launch new products and services, revitalize existing ones, reach new markets, overcome crises and marketing challenges, and enhance awareness among shareholders. She has held senior management positions at leading New York City agencies, including Ruder Finn, Hill and Knowlton and Middleton & Gendron.
Throughout her career as a practitioner, Arhlene has represented a wide range of public and private companies, government organizations and nonprofits, such as airlines (Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways), destinations (Bermuda, Catskill Region, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia), economic development (Hartford, Conn.; Indonesia), hotel companies (Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Marriott Resorts, Regent International Hotels), publishers (Lonely Planet), real estate (Four Seasons Clubs; Palm Coast, Fla.), beverages (Mount Gay Rum, Robert Mondavi) and art organizations (Byrdcliffe Arts Colony).
On the client side, she served as corporate public relations director worldwide at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, based in its corporate headquarters in Toronto. At Four Seasons, she managed the corporate PR department and directed PR agencies in the U.S. and Europe for this publicly held company and its portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts on six continents, as well as its real estate developments. She also represented the hotel company as a client at two public relations agencies.
In the crisis communications arena, she has dealt with crime, terrorism, airline hijackings, accidents, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, labor disputes, boycotts and food poisonings.
Born in Hawaii and raised in New York, Arhlene holds a Bachelor of Arts from New York University and a Master of Professional Studies from the New School. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, National Communication Association, International Communication Association and the North American Airlines Public Relations Association (former chairman). She also serves as the faculty advisor to Ithaca College's Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.
Arhlene has represented clients on six continents and has traveled throughout five continents – and hopes to visit Australia and Antarctica in the future.
Courses Taught at IC: Public Relations; Writing for PR; PR Lab; and Meeting and Event Management.
Faculty Advisor for Student Awards:
PR Week Student of the Year Award finalist (student Charlotte Hyman '11; PR Lab, Fall 2010)
Public Relations Student Society of America Bateman Competition, Honorable Mention (students Mandy Kessler '08, Rebecca Levitt '09, Liz Marmo '08, Colleen Shea '09, and Jeremy Tagliaferre; PR Lab, Spring 2008)
Direct Marketing Educational Foundation Collegiate ECHO Competition, Bronze Award (students Lisa Voyticki '07 and So Hyeon Park; PR Lab, Spring 2007)