About Us
The Gentles Agency specializes in building mutually beneficial relationships between your company and your consumers. We drive growth through our experience delivering successful public relations, communications, event production, government relations, and corporate social responsibility strategies. We succeed, we innovate, and we are relentlessly responsive. It's just what we do. With more than 30 years of client and corporate success we understand how to work with you as an outside agency or strategic corporate partner to fulfill your corporate public relations requirements. That means we bring the capabilities to fully manage your in house communications and public relations line of business that drives results and tell your story.
We work with a number of strategic partners to deliver our full suite of services, all lead by the principles of The Gentles Agency.
Meet The Principals
Karl Gentles, APR, MBA
PARTNER
Karl Gentles is a seasoned public relations executive with over 30 years of experience in public relations, government relations, and communication strategy. He is a partner at The Gentles Agency, a firm that specializes in strategic communications and government relations. His business, political, and nonprofit experience includes prior executive leadership roles with several iconic companies, such as USAA, Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), and Bank One. Gentles began his career as a staff assistant for U.S. Senator John McCain. Gentles also served as the executive director of the nonprofit Back to School Clothing Drive.
The Gentles Agency, with nearly two decades of experience, has offered clients a broad array of public relations strategies across various industries and regions. Notable clients include HelloFresh, Factor_75, Orion Marine Group, Balsz Elementary School District, University of Phoenix, Nightlight Pediatric Urgent Care, Mayo Clinic/Coalition of Blacks Against Breast Cancer, Community Partners Integrated Healthcare, Recovery Empowerment Network, Paradigm Technology, Arizona Commerce Authority, and others. The agency has received awards for its work with Nightlight Pediatric Urgent Care and Community Partners Integrated Healthcare.
A proud two-time Sun Devil, Gentles earned his Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication from Arizona State University. He completed executive leadership courses in nonprofit management at the Georgetown University Center for Nonprofit and Civic Leadership and obtained a certificate in social entrepreneurship from the INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau, France. Gentles holds accreditation in public relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America.
Current and past community involvement includes the Foresight Foundation for Economic Equity, the Black Philanthropy Initiative at the Arizona Community Foundation, the Arizona Corporation Commission, the Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee, the Arizona Venture Development Corporation, and the ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy. Gentles is a member of Sigma Pi Phi, the nation’s oldest Black-Greek letter graduate-level fraternity, where he has held various leadership positions.
Karl is married to Carla Wright Gentles, a 29-year veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves (Ret.) and a partner at The Gentles Agency. Additionally, Carla serves as an adjunct professor of Business at Grand Canyon University's Colangelo School of Business, where she earned her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. They have a son named Jordan, a grandson named Jordan Jr., and a Shih Poo named Ever. Karl enjoys sports of all kinds, chess, golf, fine wine, and teaming up with his wife to play Spades.
Carla Gentles, MBA, EdD
PARTNER
Carla Wright Gentles, EdD, Partner at The Gentles Agency, is an accomplished leader who combines relationship building and problem-solving to optimize sustainable client success. Uniquely talented at driving a culture of innovation through community engagement and creative collaboration, Carla connects the client's vision to the agency's service delivery. She has trained and led military instruction for over 20 years in leadership and skills training, providing strong project management and leadership for the agency's clients.
Gentles leads the agency in client services, operations, client needs, opportunities, and event production. She focuses the agency’s services on its clients’ visions and effectively applies the agency’s skills for strategic and optimal impact. The Gentles Agency created and produced the Phoenix Famtastical Festival in downtown Phoenix and was nominated for the 2017 Arizona Zonie Award. It drew over 22,000 attendees during its second year, thanks to collaborative partnerships with sponsors, corporate and community stakeholders, and the City of Phoenix. Some of her notable event productions include the University of Phoenix, the Coalition of Blacks Against Breast Cancer-Mayo Clinic initiative, Back-to-School Clothing Drive, and capital campaign initiatives for the historic George Washington Carver Museum.
Professional and civic involvement stems from intellectual curiosity and the continuous pursuit and creation of knowledge. She studied fashion, which sparked a passion for learning, ultimately resulting in a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s degree in business. Her doctoral studies in Organizational Leadership at Grand Canyon University focused on cultivating philanthropic knowledge. Research supports the case for philanthropic academic programming that enhances career readiness and fosters transformative, sustainable societal outcomes.
A strong passion for service, representation, and community building fuels her 29-year military career. Gentles retired as a Master Sergeant and Course Manager, earning the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and a Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award nomination. She is an adjunct faculty member at Grand Canyon University in the Colangelo College of Business, where she teaches entrepreneurship. She is a co-chair of the Black Philanthropic Initiative at the Arizona Community Foundation and a board member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Past affiliations include an executive leadership role and sustaining membership with the Junior League of Phoenix, the Arizona Costume Institute, Top Ladies of Distinction, and the Metropolitan Arts Council of South Carolina.
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