Icon Agency's Joanne Painter has been appointed to The PR Trust Board of Trustees of the US-based global entity, The Future Communicators Foundation (FCF). The Icon Co-founder and Managing Director is the first Australian PR industry leader to join the US-based global Foundation.

The FCF provides scholarships, learning opportunities, and outreach programs that foster communication skills around sustainability, climate science, and social justice, focussing on developing countries and underserved communities.

Icon Agency will sponsor two annual academic scholarships at AU$2500 each over four years, with one offered to a First Nations Australian student, and the second open to post-graduate students in the communications and digital media fields.

Joanne said Icon has a long history of partnering with academic institutions to foster the next generation of communications professionals: “Our decision to join FCF’s Scholarship program is an extension of Icon’s social responsibility program and my own experience advising and mentoring students over the past decade. I’ve spent many years sitting on university advisory boards, so I see first-hand the importance of strengthening links between industry and academia.

“We firmly believe that every business, large or small, has a moral obligation to contribute to human progress and the protection of the planet. Whether it’s sponsoring gender equality research or donating time to university boards, we’re big believers in getting involved and giving back to our industry.”