“Gramercy Communications: The series of polls conducted on the mayor’s race by the guys from Gramercy were dead on straight through. They first predicted Mantello would crush Campana by some 20 points, then it found she was beating Rosamalia by 7 when he first got in and then found the race was neck-and-neck. The final poll, released the Sunday before Election, had her down by 10.9 points. Everyone kind of questioned that one, but like the others it was dead on.”

During his remarks, Tom brought our two fall interns, Mike and Nolan, up with him for recognition. Over the past five years, Gramercy Communications has invested more than $100,000 in our internship program. We have helped students from a wide variety of colleges and universities gather invaluable hands-on public relations experience.

Below is a short video from the PRSA Capital Region Empire Awards event:

Modern Mix Marketing created and posted this video of Tom’s presentation.

by Mike Bohne (Fall 2011 Intern)

I was born with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP); a genetic eye condition that leads to incurable blindness. I was diagnosed at an early age, have been legally blind since before my teen years and have learned to cope with this condition my entire life.  The level of degeneration of eyesight varies for every person and RP can cause severe night blindness.

This past May, I graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and then began working as a part-time intern at Gramercy Communications in July.  Every morning when I leave for Gramercy before the sun comes up, I open the door and can barely see a foot in front of me as I cautiously walk to the bus stop.  This is one of the many obstacles I deal with daily.

My first day was challenging and I knew I had to find a way to adapt to the new situations ahead of me, or else fitting in at Gramercy would be impossible.  Ask yourself, how do you work in the fast paced office environment of a public relations firm when you’re legally blind and can’t see well enough to read the newspaper or even online media? Most Capital Region media does not offer accessibility options for visually impaired individuals on their websites, a stunning fact considering that a majority of people in the world get their news online.

I did not expect a PR firm to slow down just for me; a PR firm does not slow down for anyone.  Dealing with daily tasks such as writing a press release, scanning the news for articles related to our clients and even meeting new clients are a current challenge for me to overcome.  Communicating with clients can be difficult with a visual impairment such as mine, as non-verbal communication is very important to a conversation.

When reading the news or writing a press release, I adapt to the situation by using handheld magnification devices and computer software designed for people with visual impairments.  My visual impairment can make normal tasks more time consuming, but it only encourages me to work harder and faster.  I do not see my disability as a weakness, rather as a source of motivation to push myself and to be persistent.  I don’t let Retinitis Pigmentosa get in the way of my goals in life or affect my quality of work.

I have had great experiences at Gramercy in my short time here.  I have learned that Gramercy Communications and I share several qualities, the most important is that we both are committed to working harder.  With RP – I have to. At Gramercy Communications, it’s a commitment to our clients that drives us.

The full Gramercy Communications team recently attended the Public Relations Society of America Capital Region Chapter 2011 Empire Awards, where we left as winners and Tom was awarded Public Relations Practitioner of The Year.  Tom explained that everyone at Gramercy played a role in its success, and took the time in his speech to recognize me and my writing skills.  Even as a new member of the team I was able to find my place at Gramercy, it’s nice to be appreciated.

I was looking for a job when I graduated college, but I found something more – an opportunity.  I am enjoying my time here and look forward to the future.  The field of Public Relations is always changing and I am eager to never stop learning. I look forward to my next challenge.

At noon, former President Bill Clinton spoke. From the Times Union, “Clinton said government is not the problem. He said a strong economy requires an effective government that will ‘ask the right questions’ about using local assets to invigorate business.”

From SEDC:

The panel will look at how social media is impacting our business environment and how the tools can be effective for marketing, public relations & communications. The panel will also explore how to get started and how to effectively maintain your presence in social media as well as the legal considerations that a business or individual should consider. 

Learn how to effectively use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, blogger relations and more.

Influencers will discuss best practices and issues and concerns about how to effectively use Social Media to market yourself and your business and effectively use tools for public relations and external communications. 

Members may register for the event by visiting the chamber’s website or calling 584-3255.

We are pleased to announce that Tom Nardacci, founder & principal of Gramercy Communications, has been appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to serve as a member of the New York State Heritage Areas Advisory Council.

The New York State Heritage Areas Advisory Council advises the Governor, the Legislature, and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on state heritage area policies and programs aimed to develop, preserve, and promote the state’s historic, cultural and natural resources.

New York State has twenty designated Heritage Areas, a system of state-local partnerships established to preserve and develop areas that have special significance. From the Great Lakes, all across Upstate, to the eastern tip of Long Island, the Heritage Areas encompass some of the New York’s most significant resources.

We wanted to share with you the recent ad we placed in the New York Real Estate Journal. The edition focused on activities in Upstate New York. It’s actually pretty impressive how much is happening around New York given the sluggish national economy.

One of Gramercy’s strongest niches is in providing public relations and strategic communications counsel in the field of economic development. Our roster of clients has over $2 billion in active economic development projects in New York State. Our experience runs the gamut from healthcare to energy to manufacturing to high tech to tourism to retail and restaurants. We work with our clients to build and maintain credibility for them and their projects.

We are encouraged by the pick-up of economic activity over the past year. I would expect that to continue to trend upward in New York State under the leadership and focus of Governor Cuomo and his economic team.

To see our ad in the virtual edition, click here.