John Della Contrada

Experience

• 

  Utica Observer Dispatch, Manchester Newspapers, Troy Record

  Aug 1986 - Apr 1992

  Reporter

  Covered news, local politics and sports.

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  Hudson Valley Community College

  Oct 1989 - Mar 1995

  Assistant Director of Public Relations/Director of Sports Information

  Planned and implemented media relations and public relations strategies for a State University of New York college, enrollment 10,000. Edited weekly college internal newsletter and quarterly alumni newsletter. Served as the college's first director of sports information.

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  Gehrung Associates

  Mar 1995 - Sept 1996

  PR Consultant

  Served as communications and media relations consultant for colleges and universities nationwide, including The Ohio State University, Texas A&M, Drake University, Hampden-Sydney College, Franklin Pierce Law School and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

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  University at Buffalo

  Sept 1996 - now

  Chief marketing and communications officer for NYS’s flagship university. I lead and direct all major communications and marketing strategies/initiatives for the university as a member of the university’s senior leadership team. Responsible for the university's brand strategy, issues management, media relations, internal communications, social media, trademarks and licensing and crisis communications. I also lead and coordinate a network of senior communicators in schools and administrative units across the university. Show less Led a team of communications professionals engaged in media relations, internal communications, issues management, crisis communications and social media for a major research university. Developed and implemented media relations strategies that increased news coverage of university research and thought leaders by over 500%. Served as university spokesman and crisis communications lead. Member of a leadership team engaged in development and implementation of a new brand strategy for the university. Show less

  • Vice President for Communications

    Sept 2018 - now

  • Associate Vice President for Media Relations and Stakeholder Communications

    Oct 2014 - Sept 2018

  • Assistant Vice President for Media Relations

    Jul 2008 - Oct 2014

  • Director of National Media Relations

    Apr 2002 - Jul 2008

  • Director of Communications, School of Management

    Sept 1996 - Mar 2002