The University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information hosted the 26th James C. Bowling Executive-in-Residence Lecture Series to inspire the next generation of public relations officials. 

The keynote speaker for this year’s event at the Gatton Student Center on Nov. 4 was Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association and an advocate for Kentucky’s bourbon and whiskey industries.

College of CI Dean Jennifer Greer delivered a speech on the lecture’s purpose and the college’s history of hosting it since 2000.

“The lecture honors Bowling’s legacy by bringing nationally recognized public relations leaders to the University of Kentucky to mentor our students,” Greer said. “The lecture series stands as one of our college’s most valued programs.”

In addition to Gregory’s speech, three scholarships were given to students in the Department of Integrated Strategic Communication at the event.

Gregory discussed his career in the communication field, from his work at the Kentucky Kernel to his role as KDA president.

“I had finished a disastrous year as a computer science major at UK, which made me realize I cannot do math,” Gregory said. “I went and stumbled down to the Graham Building, the Kentucky Kernel, and I walked in and met Jay Blanton.”

Gregory said he worked with Kentucky legislation to strengthen the bond between the state government and the bourbon industry, which has become the image of Kentucky across the nation.

“We started immediately with an economic impact study by Dr. Paul Combs to prove that bourbon wasn’t just a drink,” Gregory said. “It was jobs, an investment in tourism, and things like that. We started helping. I wrote a press release for anything that went out, showing what bourbon was worth.”

The lecture concluded with Gregory offering words of encouragement and advice for students entering the communications workforce. 

He said the way to stand out to employers is the ability to write well.

“It’s kind of a lost art, I think … if I see that resume come through with a powerful cover letter that’s not AI written, that breaks through all the other clutter,” Gregory said. “It’s an art form, but I think it’s what people these days are looking for.”

Gregory said his experience switching career paths after establishing himself as a credible journalist and the difficulty of making that decision led him to his current position.

“Don’t be afraid to take chances. I started my career as a reporter, and to us, public relations was the dark side,” Gregory said. “I took a pay cut to leave newspapers, believe it or not, reporters don’t make much money either. But again, I knew that if I was going to further my career or reinvent myself or try something different, I had to learn those skills.”