Expertise:
Corporate communications; Media relations
Major Product/SVS:
Public and media relations
Education Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts in Communications, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Magna Cum Laude (2001)
Affiliations Awards:
Commissioner, Gubernatorial Appointment, State of Michigan, Women’s Commission (2006- 2011); ACLU of Michigan (2006); State of Michigan, Gubernatorial Appointment, Council on Arab and Chaldean American Affairs (2004–2007); Honorary Member, University of Michigan Musical Society, Arab World Festival Series (2004); Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes (2004–2008); President, Arab American Women Advocating for Resources and Empowerment (2004–2008); Detroit Arab American Study, University of Michigan (2003–2008); Detroit Public Television (2002–2010); President, Arab Student Union, University of Michigan (1997-2000)
Number Of Years In Profession:
12
Number Of Years In Current Position:
4
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
She attributes her success to her passion for work.
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
She became involved in her profession because she understands the value of a strong public image for any individual or company.
Extended Bio Profile:
Rana Abbas has more than 12 years of solid work experience in public relations, spanning various industries, including nonprofit, government and the private sector. Her extensive background has allowed her to develop, implement and lead PR strategies for varied clients, ranging from 1-2 person-owned companies, to major corporations, employing more than 10,000 employees worldwide.
As a founding partner of VITA Consulting, an independent, women-owned public relations agency that provides personalized service and accountability, Rana is committed to meeting the needs and expectations of her clients and offering them the highest quality professional PR services.
Ms. Abbas began her career with the public affairs department at the Ford world headquarters in Dearborn, MI. From there, she went on to explore broadcast media through an opportunity to work in the production department with America’s Voice, a former national political cable network, broadcasting from Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. She turned to the nonprofit sector in 2001 and served as the public affairs director and spokesperson for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) in Michigan, the premier organization for Arab American civil rights in the US. She quickly moved into the position of deputy director of the organization and through targeted fundraising, media and PR campaigns, helped grow the organization into one of the largest and most effective Arab American nonprofit groups in the region.
Her most recent work is focused on the government sector, where she serves as the director of corporate communications for Global Linguist Solutions (GLS), one of the largest linguist contractors for the U.S. Department of Defense. In her capacity as the head of corporate communications, she developed an effective corporate communications program from the ground up and has managed all communications activities across the company’s worldwide operations. She has led and managed all media relations, community outreach, advertising/marketing campaigns, crisis management situations and overall internal and external company communications. Her work to develop and grow GLS’s corporate communications department has earned her continuous praise and appreciation from the company’s senior most leadership and recently garnered national recognition for GLS when the company’s newsletter was recognized by Communications Concepts for Publication Excellence in 2011
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Advertising; Marketing; Overseeing public and media relations for the company throughout the U.S. and in the Middle East
Education Certifications:
Certification in Political Journalism, Fund for American Studies at Georgetown University (2000)
Where Will You Be In 5 Years:
In five years, Ms. Abbas hopes for continued growth in the field.