Gary Sheffer

Gary Sheffer is the Sandra A. Frazier Professor of Public Relations. In 2021, Sheffer received the Becker Family Teacher of the Year Award in the College of Communication.

Prior to BU, Sheffer was the chief communications officer at General Electric, a position he held for 13 years. After earning a BA in English Literature at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. Sheffer began his career as a journalist at several small- medium-size newspapers.

He later became a press officer to two New York governors and led communication for several statewide political campaigns.

While at GE, Sheffer was elected as chairman of the board of the Arthur W. Page Society, the premiere organization for senior communicators in Fortune 200 companies, agency heads, and leading academics. Sheffer also serves on the board of the Arthur W Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication.

Sheffer writes and speaks about public relations, authoring chapters and forewords in several academic textbooks. He has lectured at many colleges and universities on communication and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He has been recognized for his work, being named to the PRWeek and PR News halls of fame. He is the recipient of the Jack Felton Medal for Lifetime Achievement for Excellence in Public Relations from the Institute for Public Relations. 

Sheffer is known for his expertise in building strong corporate communications teams, crisis and issues management, the relationship of culture and reputation, and strategic communication counsel.

Sheffer likes to lead classroom discussions on how businesses and other organizations can thrive in an era of pervasive reputation risk.