On the Ithaca College campus, Anthony Hopson is the recently appointed assistant vice president of community and government relations. He spoke Wednesday about what it means to be a community relations expert.

The International Association of Business Communicators invited Hopson to speak. IABC is an international network of professionals in the business community and wants students to learn about all the careers associated within the field.

The network focuses on communication in business, which includes advertising, public relations, graphic design and human relations, Daniel Haack, president of IABC, said.

“The position doesn’t get a lot of attention and it brings an interesting perspective to future careers,” Haack said.

Hopson works closely with President Tom Rochon and is on the President’s Council.   He began working in the capacity of assistant vice president of community and government relations on June 15, 2009. The main focus since then has been to begin the process of creating long lasting relationships with the city of Ithaca, Hopson said.

“I’m doing for the institution what I would do for myself,” Hopson said.

Joyeta Basu, an integrated marketing communication major and treasurer of IABC, said it was important for students to understand the effort relationship building requires.

“Many people think communications is one-dimensional but it involves so much dialogue and interaction, it is not a one-on-one profession,” Basu said.

Hopson cited three main components of community relations in his talk titled “Expanding Footprints: The Essence of Community Relations.”

Hopson spoke about building relationships between the college and businesses, service organizations and industries, specifically the Cayuga Medical Center the Red Cross and Ithaca City School District.

Hopson said the Ithaca City School District came to the college with the hope that health science majors would help middle and high school students lead a healthier lifestyle.

This led him to his second point of how the college can provide student expertise to the community.

“We share a name with a community,” Hopson said. “Ithaca sees us as their college.”

Hopson also has to deal with faulty information that is circulated about the college. Hopson said truth control is important.

“We need to get out in front of the issue and listen to what the problem might be,” Hopson said.

Junior Chelsea Crawford is a music major who is interested in government relations. Currently she is a communication management and design minor hoping to make it her major.

“[Hopson] gave a good picture of what his job entails,” Crawford said.   “It wasn’t just a list of his duties which is unusual.”

One of the positive aspects of Hopson’s job is working with elected officials on the city, state and federal level.

At the city level, Hopson meets with the mayor, the common council and other neighborhood associations.

When meeting with the South Hill Civic Association one morning, Hopson came across a story about how four students helped their neighbors, an elderly couple that recently became sick.

“The couple has lived in Ithaca for forty years and without the help of their neighbors who are physical therapy students at the college, they wouldn’t have been able to stay in their house after they fell ill,” Hopson said.

At the state level, Hopson is focusing on how to promote the college’s strong points.

“We need to figure out how to tell our story and expand on a long-term level,” Hopson said.

Hopson hopes the country turns to the college as a national expert on sustainability after he and Rochon went to Washington, D.C., a few weeks ago to discuss new energy initiatives. The college is the only campus in the country to have two platinum certified sustainable buildings: the Peggy Ryan Williams Center and the School for Business. Hopson wants this to be part of the story the college tells to its prospective students and families.

Hopson has a strong commitment to the college and believes in the quality of the students.

“Ithaca College is a resource to the community,” Hopson said. “We need to tell that story.”