For almost 19 years, Gary Honnert masterfully masterminded Sinclair Community College’s external image as executive director of public relations and director of public information. He did such a good job that last November, he was promoted to director of internal college communications and now spends his time advising the president on how to improve communication among internal college constituents.

His friends and colleagues agree that his quick wit, his ability to remain cool under pressure, his emphasis on teamwork, and his knack for building solid relationships with the news media have been the keys to his success.

In all that he does, Honnert’s number one goal is to get positive coverage for Sinclair. And although he works in the background, he’s made sure that Sinclair takes center stage in the local community and on the regional and national fronts.

Examples of his success abound. There was the 1998 mill levy election, approved by a whopping 73 percent of voters, in spite of the fact that taxes would increase because of updated property assessments. Honnert kept his ear to the ground to pick up on any negative press that might have arisen. None ever did.

Then there were two presidential transitions – one in 1997 and another in 2003. Again, Honnert stayed close to members of the media to inform them of the process, make timely announcements, and personally introduce the new presidents to the media and the community.

Since 1989, Sinclair has been a member of the League for Innovation in the Community College. With this comes the distinction of being among the top 20 community colleges in the nation. Honnert has parlayed this into positive press coverage with a long reach regionally and nationally. The word “quality” has become synonymous with Sinclair and an integral part of the college’s strategic marketing plan.

In 2006, Sinclair sociology professor Kathy Rowell was honored as the National Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Honnert once again turned that single story into a year’s worth of positive press coverage. Among those picking up the story: the Washington Post, New York Times, Chronicle for Higher Education and The Associated Press.

Honnert’s reach has extended far beyond the college. He is a tireless community volunteer who has lent his expertise to such organizations as the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Volunteers!, Downtown Dayton Partnership, CityFolk and Dayton Chamber of Commerce.

His accomplishments haven’t gone unnoticed. For his work with Sinclair’s Alumni Association, which is one of the most active among two-year colleges in the nation, he received the Honorary Alumnus of the Year Award in 2000. That same year, the Dayton chapter of the Public Relations Society of America honored him with the Smitty Award, the highest honor presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in the field of PR. The next year, he was named Communicator of the Year for NCMPR’s District 3. Over the years, he and his staff have won numerous NCMPR district Medallion awards and national Paragon awards.

Before joining Sinclair, Honnert enjoyed career success in many other capacities – as director of communications at the Diocese in Memphis, Tenn.; as editor of broadcast services for Ohio State University in Columbus; as field producer and talent for George Schlatter Productions in Los Angeles, Calif; as a news reporter for WLWT in Cincinnati; as a news photographer/editor for WTOL TV in Toledo, Ohio; and as a news photographer and editor for WCPO TV in Cincinnati. With 35 years in the field of communications, he shows no signs of letting up.

The D. Richard Petrizzo Award for Career Achievement honors a professional for career accomplishments in community college marketing and public relations. It is named after the award's first recipient, a former NCMPR president who helped shape the organization it its early years.