OREANDA-NEWS. June 14, 2016. Burson-Marsteller, a leading strategic communications and global public relations firm, and its partner The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF), a nonprofit organization that aims to address the lack of diversity in the advertising, marketing and public relations fields, are pleased to welcome three talented ethnic minority students interested in careers in public relations into the 2016 U.S. Harold Burson Summer Internship Program (HBSI). The U.S. HBSI Program provides college seniors, recent graduates and graduate students with valuable, real-world agency experience as they work closely with seasoned public relations professionals in practice groups and client teams across the Burson-Marsteller network.

Burson-Marsteller is a long-time supporter of TLF. In 2011, the Foundation partnered with Burson-Marsteller to establish the Harold Burson Fellowship Program to develop future ethnic minority leaders in the public relations industry. Each year, the Foundation selects candidates to work at one of the firm’s offices full-time for a period of four weeks, where they participate in various career development exercises, assist with client work and meet with top PR industry leaders.

Burson-Marsteller selected Cecilia Arteaga, Daisy Jimenez and London Coleman-Williams for the TLF-affiliated HBSI internship positions:

  • Cecilia Arteaga will join the U.S. Public Affairs & Crisis practice in Burson-Marsteller’s Washington, D.C. office. Arteaga is a junior at Pepperdine University, where she is currently pursuing a B.A. in advertising.
  • Daisy Jimenez recently graduated with a B.A. in communication studies from University of California, Los Angeles and will work in the Healthcare practice in Burson-Marsteller’s Chicago office.
  • London Coleman-Williams will join the New York office as a member of the Corporate and Financial Communications practice. Coleman-Williams is a 2016 graduate of Hampton University, where she earned a B.A. in strategic communications with a minor in marketing.

“We are very proud to support The LAGRANT Foundation’s important mission to broaden diversity across the advertising, marketing and public relations industries so that we can be representative of the audiences most important to our clients,” said Don Baer, Worldwide Chair and CEO, Burson-Marsteller. “We welcome Cecilia, London and Daisy to Burson-Marsteller and are excited they chose to launch their careers at our firm.”

Arteaga, Jimenez and Coleman-Williams, along with 33 other HBSI interns, will begin their internship on June 6, 2016. The entire 2016 HBSI class will work across 14 practice and specialty groups throughout eight Burson-Marsteller U.S. offices.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with TLF and welcome Cecilia, London and Daisy into the 2016 Harold Burson Summer Internship program,” said Patrick Ford, Worldwide Vice Chair and Chief Client Officer, Burson-Marsteller. “We are excited to play a critical role in educating the next generation of public relations professionals, and look forward to the fresh ideas and perspectives the interns will bring to their practices and to our clients.”

Click here to learn more about the Harold Burson Summer Internship Program.

About The LAGRANT Foundation
Since its inception in 1998, The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) has provided \\$1.98 million in scholarships to 372 students to continue its mission to increase the number of ethnic minorities in the fields of advertising, marketing and public relations. With the generous support of its major donors and supporters, TLF provides students with career & professional development workshops, scholarships, internships, entry-level positions and mentors to African American/Black, Alaska Native/Native American, Asian American/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino undergraduate and graduate students.

About Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller, established in 1953, is a leading global strategic communications and public relations firm. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, reputation and crisis management, advertising and digital strategies. The firm’s seamless worldwide network consists of 73 offices and 85 affiliate offices, together operating in 110 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a part of Young & Rubicam Group, a subsidiary of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY), the world’s leader in communications services. For more information, please visit www.burson-marsteller.com.