BATON ROUGE — The LSU Manship School of Mass Communication inducted four leaders in media, corporate affairs and civic leadership into its Hall of Fame during its annual gala Thursday evening. 

The honorees joined a roster of more than 145 professionals recognized since 1975 for advancing mass communication and demonstrating outstanding public service, leadership and integrity.

This year’s induction class features:

- Rebecca Bentley (LSU ’96): Vice president of corporate affairs for Dow. A member of Dow's enterprise leadership team, Bentley oversees global government affairs, policy, brand strategy and enterprise risks for the materials science company, which employs nearly 35,000 workers across 29 countries. Her 30-year career in corporate communications and reputation leadership also includes roles with Georgia Gulf Corporation and International Paper Company.

- Jerry Ceppos (in memoriam): Former dean and William B. Dickinson Distinguished Professor of Journalism at the Manship School. During his deanship from 2011 to 2018, Ceppos launched the LSU Manship Washington Program, the Statehouse Bureau and the Social Media Analysis and Creation Lab, while creating the nation’s first endowed chair in race, media and cultural literacy. Before entering academia, Ceppos spent over 40 years in newsroom leadership, guiding two Pulitzer Prize-winning newsrooms at the San Jose Mercury News and serving as a senior executive at Knight Ridder. He passed away in July 2022.

- Todd Schexnayder (LSU ’81): Board member at Fidelity Bank and retired senior vice president and human resources director. With more than three decades in corporate leadership, human resources and communications, Schexnayder serves as president of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge and sits on the LSU Foundation Advisory Board and the national board of Volunteers of America Puerto Rico. He was inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction in 2021.

- John Snow (LSU ’07, ’10): Partner at management consulting firm Emergent Method and current president of the Manship School Dean’s Advisory Council. Snow advises higher education institutions, Fortune 500 corporations and public agencies on strategic initiatives, organizational transformation and communications. He holds both an undergraduate degree from the Manship School and an MBA from LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business.

The induction ceremony took place at the Shaw Center for the Arts in downtown Baton Rouge.