Gary Sheffer is the Sandra R. Frazier Professor of Public Relations at Boston University. Prior to BU, Sheffer was the Chief Communications officer at General Electric, a position he held for 13 years. After earning a B.A. in English Literature at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. Sheffer began his career as a journalist.
He later became a press officer to two New York governors and led communication for statewide political campaigns.
While at GE, Sheffer was elected as chairman of the board of the Arthur W. Page Society, the premiere organization for senior communicators from Fortune 200 companies, agency heads, and leading academics. Sheffer also serves on the boards of the Arthur W Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication and the Institute for Public Relations.
Sheffer writes and speaks about public relations, authoring chapters and forewords in several academic textbooks. He has lectured at many colleges and universities on communication and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He has been recognized for his work, being named to the PRWeek and PR News halls of Fame. He is the recipient of the Jack Felton Medal for Lifetime Achievement for Excellence in Public Relations from the Institute for Public Relations. In 2010, Sheffer was named American Speechwriter of the Year for his work at GE.
Sheffer is known for his expertise in building strong corporate communications teams, crisis and issues management, the relationship of culture and reputation, and strategic communication counsel.
Sheffer likes to lead classroom discussions on how businesses and other organizations can thrive in an era of pervasive reputation risk, using communication to achieve their overall aspirations.
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