With heavy hearts, the members of PRSA-LA mourn the passage of Ron Rogers — PR industry luminary and founder of The Rogers Group, after a long illness. The firm Rogers founded, which merged in 2011 with Finn Partners to become Rogers Finn Partners, was dedicated to corporate brand building, marketing, social causes and crisis management.
Rogers Finn developed strategic marketing and communication programs for some of the world’s most important companies, including Dole, Bosch, Whole Foods Market, Raytheon and The Jim Henson Company. Non-profit organizations and government entities such as the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and California’s ScholarShare 529 were also Rogers Finn clients.
Rogers was personally active in the political process, supporting many elected officials or those seeking office, and frequently taking a leadership role in legislative and regulatory issues. He shined as a respected liaison between key public officials and corporate decision makers.
Remembered by colleague Peter Finn as a “wonderful, genuine and caring person,” Rogers was deeply enmeshed in local civic and philanthropic work. Rogers served for more than 33 years on the board of the Rape Treatment Center at UCLA-Santa Monica Hospital, and was a founding board member of the Los Angeles Police Foundation and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. He served as vice chair of the board of the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, a board member of the LA Chamber of Commerce, and was a founding board member of the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research. He previously served on the boards of Community Advocates, CORO, Outward Bound and others.
When not investing his heart and time in service to Greater Los Angeles, Rogers enjoyed spending time with family on his cattle ranch in Colorado. Rogers is survived by his wife Lisa Specht, a partner in the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP.
