Jerry Swerling has more than 30 years of experience as a senior-level communications professional and educator. Today he serves in two capacities.
He is the Principal of Swerling & Associates, a consultancy he formed in 1996 that specializes in the management of agency reviews, the optimization of agency/client relationships, the evaluation of communications programs and the resolution of PR organizational issues. His consulting clients have included (among others) General Motors, Cisco Systems, Home Depot, Silicon Graphics, Toyota Motors, State Farm Insurance, Intuit, the American Cancer Society National Office, Honda North America, Symantec, Dairy Management, Inc., and Kinko’s.
He also serves as Director of Public Relations Studies at the USC Annenberg School of Journalism. At USC he is responsible for the management of both the undergraduate and graduate programs in public relations, including curriculum development and the recruitment of faculty and students. At USC he also serves as Director of the USC Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center, the mission of which is to conduct applied research aimed at advancing the study, practice and value of PR. He also teaches at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
Jerry previously headed the California operations of Porter/Novelli, one of the nation’s leading public relations agencies. Under his eight-year leadership, P/N’s West Coast organization grew from a small, little known presence to one of the strongest and most respected firms in the state, with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Irvine, and a staff of 55. Among the clients won and served by Porter/Novelli under Jerry’s stewardship were McDonald’s, Oral-B Labs, Nissan Motors North America, Iomega, Hewlett Packard’s Hard Copy Division, Baskin-Robbins United States, Kia Motors America, Allergan, Inc., the California Department of Health Services Breast Cancer Early Detection Program, Southern California Gas Company, Household Credit Services, the California Kiwifruit Commission, Motel 6, Kubota Tractor Company, and Sun-Maid Growers.
Before moving to Los Angeles from Boston to join Porter/Novelli, Jerry served as Senior Vice President/Director of the Public Relations Division of Ingalls, Quinn & Johnson. At IQ&J, which at that time was one of the largest integrated marketing firms in New England, he built a highly regarded 40 person public relations function. Clients won and served under his leadership included NEC Information Systems (US introduction), Steinway Pianos, T.J. Maxx Stores (national introduction and roll-out), the Massachusetts Department of Tourism, BayBanks, Bank of Boston, Friendly Family Restaurants and the Wm. Cabot Children’s Apparel Company.
He began his career with one of the nation’s largest automobile associations, where he served as Director of Public Relations.
Jerry holds a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts and an MS in Communication from Boston University. He is past president of the Counselors Section of PRSA-LA and also served for many years as a board member of both PRSA-LA and the Counselors Section. He was honored as the ‘PR Professional of the Year 2000’ by PRSA/LA.
