PRSA Dayton Selects Cedarville's PR Leader as its Communications Professional of the Year
Mark D. Weinstein, an experienced public relations professional, has been named the recipient of the 2023 Communicator of the Year Award by the Dayton chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). He will be presented his award at the Gem City PR Awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 24, at the Top of the Market in Dayton.
Weinstein, who has worked in higher education since 1988, including the past 11 years as executive director of public relations at Cedarville University, is a former president of the Dayton PRSA chapter and is heavily involved in his community.
Before beginning his career in higher education, Weinstein worked as a sports writer and editor for a regional newspaper in northern Indiana. Throughout his career, he has used his media skills to help create stronger brand awareness for each university where he has worked. He has also been a leader in crisis and internal communication.
Weinstein is known for his commitment to serving the media, going the extra mile to provide sources and information to journalists in all mediums -- TV, radio, print, and online -- with kindness, humility, and professionalism. These qualities have made him a beloved figure in the industry.
Clem Boyd, director of public relations with Infinity Concepts, a Pittsburgh-based brand communications firm, who nominated Weinstein, spoke highly of his former colleague's work ethic and character. Boyd is a member of Dayton’s PRSA chapter as he works remotely for Infinity Concepts.
"Mark and I worked alongside each other the last five years, not so much as a boss and employee, but as two colleagues learning and growing together,” said Boyd. “Through our time together, his input in my life, and watching the way he carried out his craft, I grew and developed, and was ready for a next-level role as director of public relations.”
Weinstein's career in higher education includes working in public relations and marketing for Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Mount Vernon, Ohio), Geneva College (Beaver Falls, PA), Robert Morris University (Pittsburgh, PA), and Maryville University (St. Louis, MO). He also served as Dean of enrollment and marketing for his alma mater, Grace College (Winona Lake, IN), prior to coming to Cedarville University.
During his tenure at Cedarville, Weinstein and the public relations team have been awarded numerous awards from PRSA.
Cedarville’s PR team received a PRism award in 2021 for its Campus Today internal newsletter, which was initiated by Weinstein. Another new venture, the Cedarville Stories Podcast, which has generated more than 55,000 downloads since its beginning, received an Award of Merit.
Two years earlier, Weinstein was the recipient of a Diamond Award in Media Relations from PRSA East Central District, for the development and implementation of Cedarville University’s campus newsroom that allows faculty to participate in live interviews with media throughout the nation. PRSA’s East Central District represents chapters in Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
In that same year, Dayton’s PRSA chapter awarded Weinstein a PRism award and the Best in Show honor for the newsroom initiative. He was also awarded a PRism for Cedarville’s Ben Carson Presidential Campaign media event, and the development of “The Buzz” internal newsletter—both in 2016.
Weinstein earned a master's degree in organizational leadership from Geneva College and a B.S. in Communication and Journalism from Grace College. As a community leader, Weinstein serves on the Board of Directors for the PRSA East Central District, the executive board of the Xenia Area Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the Beavercreek Rotary Club. He is also a member of Patterson Park Church in Beavercreek.
Gem City Awards
Dayton PRSA’s Gem City Awards is the largest PR awards program in the Miami Valley region. PR professionals with award-winning work from non-profit, for-profit, large communication agencies, and small firms, are honored for their PR and marketing campaigns.
Weinstein's award is a testament to his commitment to his craft and his community and serves as an inspiration to all those working in the PR industry.
About PRSA Dayton
The Dayton Area Chapter of PRSA consists of public relations professionals representing all facets of the industry, including corporate, non-profit, agency, higher education, and independent practitioners.
The chapter offers numerous benefits to its members. Our monthly meetings feature local and national speakers addressing both strategic and tactical public relations topics. The chapter sponsors an annual professional development workshop, a Media Day event to network with local media and holds awards events honoring the area's best communicators (Smitty Award) and their work (PRism Awards). Also, as a service to members, the chapter provides job postings listing current public relations openings, an online membership directory, and free monthly networking opportunities.
The Public Relations Society of America, headquartered in New York City, is the world's largest professional organization for public relations professionals, with nearly 20,000 members, organized into 117 Chapters nationwide, who represent business and industry, counseling firms, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms, and nonprofit organizations. The Dayton Area Chapter is part of the East Central District, which represents 15 chapters concentrated in six states. Our chapter has a relationship with a PRSSA chapter (the PRSA branch focused on students) at the University of Dayton.
