Diane Hurd

Diane Hurd serves as senior vice president at Inspire and is a leader within the firm as well as being a trusted counselor to many Inspire clients. With nearly two decades of agency experience, she leads account teams serving major U.S. food companies and restaurants, state and national agriculture organizations, corporations and nonprofits. Her results-oriented approach and deep experience driving strategic media relations, advertising and marketing, and issues management initiatives serves Inspire’s clients well. Hurd is a trusted crisis communications advisor and regularly speaks at conferences across the country on a variety of topics – from crisis preparedness to best practices for effectively communicating organizations’ stories.

Before joining Inspire, Hurd led several account teams and award-winning projects at PR and communications agencies in Columbus, Ohio, focusing on sectors including healthcare, social services, financial and banking, food and agriculture, and hospitality.

Hurd is passionate about giving back to her community. She previously served as president for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Central Ohio Chapter and as board chair for Columbus Speech & Hearing. She is a proud member of the 2020 Leadership Columbus class and was named to Columbus Business First's 40 Under 40 Class in 2024.

Hurd earned her master’s degree in business administration from Franklin University and a bachelor's degree in public relations and organizational communication with a specialization in marketing from Capital University.

When she isn't chasing after her three boys, Diane enjoys volunteering with local community organizations and finding her next half marathon to run.