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Joseph A. Brennan, PhD, APR, Fellow PRSA
Dr. Joseph A. Brennan has over 30 years of experience as an executive, author, speaker, mentor, and consultant in the field of higher education communications and marketing. He is known for his innovative thinking, exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, and collaborative leadership style. A strategic thinker and a pragmatic doer, he solves problems, drives growth, reduces costs and improves productivity for employers and clients.
As a chief communications and marketing officer and a consultant, Brennan has designed and directed highly-successful marketing and public relations programs, has won national awards, and has guided communications in dozens of crises and critical incidents. He has developed and implemented comprehensive strategies to enhance a university’s brand, community engagement, impact, and reputation, and his work has contributed to significant revenue growth.
Over a distinguished career he has risen from a public relations director at a community college to a vice president at three national universities. Brennan has overseen all aspects of messaging, branding, advertising, public and media relations, publications and creative services, digital and social media strategies, and high-risk communications. He has counseled more than a dozen presidents or chancellors and also served as a cabinet member. Together with other senior administrators, Brennan has shared broad leadership responsibilities and helped to advance the mission, finances and reputation of several well-regarded institutions.
Brennan is published author and conference presenter who focuses on emergency communications, crisis leadership and services marketing, as well as the design, measurement and leadership of the communications function. His publications appear in both professional and peer-reviewed journals, and he is a reviewer for the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management.
As a seasoned media spokesperson and public speaker, Brennan has given more than 100 news media interviews to television, radio and print journalists at the local, regional and national levels, including the New York Times, the Washington Post and National Public Radio.
Brennan is a collaborative and empowering leader who has mentored many direct reports and colleagues to bring out the best in their performance and engage them in the organization’s mission and values. He maintains a network of more than 3,000 professional contacts and is frequently sought-out for advice on difficult and complex situations.
Brennan believes in giving back to his profession and his community. He has served on national boards and committees for the Public Relations Society of America and the American Marketing Association. He deployed to Puerto Rico with the American Red Cross to provide humanitarian aid after a devastating hurricane, and he helped a community-based non-profit establish a community health center for persons with developmental disabilities. He currently volunteers with St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown, NJ, as a lector, meditation group leader and adult education committee co-chair.
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