Left arm outstretched, steadying my grip on a Louisville Slugger angled a bit toward the sky. Definitely toward Fenway’s center field bleachers, at least. Targeting my next homer or thinking about my first at bat? I don’t know. I’ve played in a lot of games. For many teams, including my team of one for a few years.
When I was a rookie PR wannabe, just out of the University of Maryland’s College of Journalism (Fear the Turtle!), I had a grassroots job with the American Heart Association (AHA). I pounded the pavement, building local volunteer groups, organizing fundraisers and working hard to hit my weekly targets. It was a grind. But at one point, I was exposed to Larry Joyce, a great American and then the communications director in the AHA national office. The Voice of Larry! He had a strategy and deep knowledge. Listening to him, I knew I really wanted to have a job like that.
My work ethic, professionalism and contacts paid off. Three years post-college, I was settling into a job in the national office of the National Kidney Foundation in NYC. Then I moved to a position in the American Lung Association’s national office.
And in both jobs, I learned how change is made. On the ground, state-by-state and in DC. And I had incredibly gratifying experiences. I take great pride in whatever small part I played, working on teams where we checked egos at the door, valued the expertise and talent each brought to the table. Pushed each other and caught each other. High-fived and hung our heads together a time or two. Like Word Series champs, though, these teams kept grinding, focused on fearless ideas.
Clean indoor air laws. Remember smoke-filled restaurants, offices, planes and baseball parks? A load of sate and federal advocacy and communication changed our exposure to cancer-causing secondhand smoke. Thank you, American Lung Association of California, for showing the rest of us the way! A daily air quality report as part of the weather forecast? That was the result of passionate scientists, public health pros and communicators determined to protect you and me from toxins in the air. And prevent asthma attacks, heart attacks, death. Thank you, American Lung Association. Organ donor awareness. Can you even remember when you weren’t asked about becoming an organ donor when you got a new license? Thank the National Kidney Foundation and sister organizations. Advocacy, communications, testimonials from surgeons, nurses, transplant recipients and donor families made that happen.
Part of me today considers myself the “luckiest man on the face of the earth” for being one of the many cogs in so many pieces of machinery. But unlike the amazing Joltin’ Joe, I fortunately am still swinging. And looking for the next shot into the bleachers.
PR around the horn 