Gladstone International
OverviewExpertiseClientsCase StudiesTeamPublic SpeakingContact UsCommitted to public relations excellence

Bio


Joan Gladstone is president and CEO of Gladstone International, one of Southern California’s most respected issues management and crisis communications firms.

Joan is perhaps best known for managing intense media coverage of the County of Orange bankruptcy in 1994, the largest municipal bankruptcy in the history of the U.S. Since then, Joan has managed national media relations and stakeholder communications related to labor strikes, environmental issues, political protests, regulatory agency investigations, property rights disputes, executive transitions and more.

Joan founded Gladstone International in 1989 and has more than 30 years of corporate, agency and government public relations experience. One of Joan’s key areas of expertise is helping landowners and developers to achieve community support of complex and often controversial coastal, infill and redevelopment projects.

In 2007, Joan was elected to the prestigious Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) College of Fellows. Entry to the College of Fellows, based on lifetime achievement, is a professional honor awarded to senior practitioners and educators. College of Fellows members have at least 20 years’ experience, demonstrate superior capabilities, and have exhibited personal and professional qualities that serve as a role model to others in the profession.

In 1997, Joan received the Orange County Business Journal’s prestigious Women in Business Award for her business achievements and community service. The previous year, she won the national Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) highest honor, a Silver Anvil award, for community relations excellence.

Joan frequently conducts workshops and seminars on crisis communications and media relations for professional organizations, companies, cities and counties. Over the course of her career, she has taught more than 3,000 people how to manage the media with confidence. Her workshop, “Trial by Media: How to Manage Media Coverage of Your Case” is accredited by the California Bar Association.
Joan Gladstone

Joan is chair of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Orange County District Council, one of the largest district councils in the world. ULI is a nonprofit education and institute dedicated to providing leadership in the responsible use of land. She also serves on the board of The Laguna Playhouse. Joan is an adjunct faculty member at Chapman University.

Joan fulfilled a goal to assist entrepreneurs in getting a successful start when she authored a best selling book, “Starting and Growing Your Own PR Firm,” PRSA in 1998. The second edition was published in 2006.

Joan majored in public relations at Boston University’s College of Communication and graduated summa cum laude. She received her Accreditation (APR) from PRSA in 1983. She and her husband Ed Gillow live in Laguna Beach.