John Knapp

May 15, 2003
Commencement Speech
Kennesaw State University

Speaker: John Knapp
President, Southern Institute for Business and Professional Ethics

Knapp lecture

John Knapp biography

John C. Knapp, Ph.D., founder and president of the Southern Institute for Business and Professional Ethics, is a nationally known expert in organizational ethics, crisis management and corporate reputation.

A frequent speaker and seminar leader for business and professional organizations, Knapp has been a consultant to leading corporations, professional firms, academic institutions and medical providers.

Prior to joining the institute, he served for 15 years as president of Knapp Inc., a corporate communication management firm. During this time, he was twice recognized by Atlanta Business Chronicle as the region's leading crisis management consultant, by Business Atlanta (Georgia Trend) as one of the region's "Top 40" executives under age 40 and by Outstanding Atlanta Foundation as one of the 10 Outstanding Young People of Atlanta. Knapp Inc. was ranked second among 50 firms in Atlanta Business Chronicle's rating of the region's best public relations firms. It was rated No. 1 in the South and 17th in the nation among independent firms in Inside PR magazine's annual Agency Report Card issue.

Knapp was a co-author of Life Together in the Community of Faith: Ethical Standards for Ministry, an official policy document of the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is also co-author of the forthcoming book How Money Undermines Ministry: The Growing Ethical Challenge to the Church.

He is a member of the advisory boards of Clemson University's Robert J. Rutland Center for Ethics and Kennesaw State University's Center for Leadership, Ethics and Character. An active community volunteer, he is a graduate of Leadership Atlanta, Leadership Georgia and the Regional Leadership Institute. His work in raising community consciousness of ethics was recognized in 2001 with the Georgia Governor's Award in the Humanities and in 1996 with the Public Relations Society of America's George Goodwin Award for Public Service. He currently serves on the boards of Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau; Life Enrichment Services; and Georgia Cooperative Services for the Blind, among others.

He earned the doctor of philosophy degree at the University of Wales, United Kingdom. He holds a master of arts degree from Columbia Theological Seminary and a bachelor's degree from Georgia State University.

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