Order of the Phoenix
PRSA Georgia’s highest honor, induction into the Order of the Phoenix, was created in 1986 to honor distinguished public relations professionals for their career achievements, significant contributions in the field of public relations and exemplary community service. Chapter members inducted into the Order of the Phoenix also enter the Georgia PRSA Hall of Fame, created in 1988 by the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at The University of Georgia in cooperation with PRSA Georgia.
The award is intended for a PRSA Georgia member who has had a remarkable public relations career of more than 20 years and has been an outstanding member of the Chapter and community. The Order of the Phoenix program honors long-practicing public relations professionals for exemplary careers and dedication to the Chapter.
Announcing our 2023 Order of the Phoenix Inductee:
Our 2023 Order of the Phoenix inductee is Robert E. (Bob) Hope, president and co-owner of Hope-Beckham, an independent communications agency based in Atlanta. Hope and longtime friend Paul Beckham started Hope-Beckham nearly 30 years ago.
Clients have included Chick-fil-A Foundation, Turner Broadcasting, Belk, The Coca-Cola Company, Southern Company, Home Depot, Comcast and a variety of sports teams and leagues as well as non-profit organizations.
Hope has spent his life on a marvelous curb observing remarkable people and events. He started working for the Atlanta Braves while in college and became the team’s director of public relations and promotions at age 24. He managed the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at age 25. And he was with Hank Aaron during the chase to break the all-time home run record of Babe Ruth.
When Ted Turner bought the team, he was promoted to vice president at age 29 and worked not only for the Braves but also the Turner-owned Atlanta Hawks and for Turner’s TV station, handling marketing for the Braves and the TV station.
He left Turner to work on sports, particularly the Olympics, for The Coca-Cola Company and then decided to go into the public relations agency business so he could work for both Coke and Turner, which led to a career in New York in a top job of the world’s largest public relations firm. From there, Beckham and Hope opened the Hope-Beckham agency doors in 1994.