JMS Alumni Impact Award
Scott Pansky
Scott is very honored to accept the Outstanding Alumni Award. Scott is a JMS alumnus from 1991 and credits his career to Glen Broom, who introduced him to The Gable Group. After graduation, there was recession and he could not find job. Former San Diego Congresswoman, Susan Davis, hired Scott and others to help launch the Aaron Price Fellows, a nonprofit helping high school students learn about world around them and prepare for college. During one of their many corporate and civic visits, Scott met a Public Information Officer from the City of San Diego’s Waste Management Department. He shared a project he had done for this department while he was in college, and he was offered an internship. Where he could get more real-world experience.
Several months later, he heard from Dr. Broom. Glen told him The Gable Group was looking for an account coordinator and Scott went into interview with several SDSU Alums including Teresa Villa and founder, Tom Gable, a previous Outstanding Alumni recipient. However, he also met his new supervisor and now longtime partner, Scott Allison. The two Scotts worked together at the agency for almost eight years when Allison was recruited to join Connors Communications. Later, Allison recruited Scott to open Connor’s Los Angeles’ office in the fall of 1999. The two, along with their third partner, Andy Hardie Brown, launched Allison+Partners a week before September 11, 2001. Over the past 25 years, they helped the company grow to become Allison Worldwide, a global public relations and marketing agency.
Pansky became a nationally recognized leader in cause-related marketing and purpose-based work even teaching courses through the UCLA Extension Program. With more than 30 years of experience working with brands on corporate social responsibility and thought leadership programs, he has developed internal communication strategies, community outreach programs and national branding and partnership programs that have increased both revenues and reputation for his clients. Throughout his experience developing best-of-class cause-related campaigns, he has created proprietary methodologies to help corporations find the best possible focus for their cause-related efforts. His many clients throughout his career include Partnership with Native Americans, Smile Train, Stand Up to Cancer, Lymphoma Research Foundation, the ALS Therapy Development Institute, GoGo squeeZ, the Open Hearts Foundation, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the County of Los Angeles Public Works, the state of California’s Anti-Tobacco program, First 5 California, Hasbro, Hyundai, YouTube and MySpace.
From working on the Ice Bucket Challenge to helping develop award winning campaigns for Mrs. Field’s Cookies, Scott has consulted with on cause-related marketing campaigns for brands that include the NBC daytime drama Days of Our Lives, Mrs. Fields Cookies, HomeGoods, Boost Mobile, Career Education Corporation, Southwest Airlines, Vitamin Shoppe, Microsoft, Toyota, Aramark, Best Western Hotels, and Chevy’s. Other clients over the years include the Arthritis Foundation, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Angel Flight, USO, Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Daniel Pearl Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Give Kids the World, United Cerebral Palsy, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, Goodwill Industries, and Campfire Boys and Girls.
A frequent speaker and passionate educator, Scott received the David Ferguson Award for Education and was inducted into the PRSSA Hall of Fame. He currently serves on the boards of PRSA LA, the Lymphoma Research Foundation, and the Center for Nonprofit Management. He is on the advisory boards for Kids in the Spotlight and the City Scholars Foundation. He sits on the LAUSD Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee. He now speaks nationally on the importance of building teams and relationships in building the culture of a company, helping students network and nonprofit organizations to raise funds using his children’s book, Playing Together in the Sandbox. He is married to Yovita whom he met at San Diego State and is the proud father of three daughters, Samantha, Becca and Jessica-Belle who is attending San Diego State.
Pansky helped launch and chairs the Journalism and Media Studies Advisory Board at San Diego State University. Where he and fellow alum help raise funds, mentor students and develop programs that will help start careers. He is an original donor to the Broom Center and hosts its students annually and started the Glen Broom Award in which students around the country can nominate professors who had a significant impact on their lives.