MICHAEL LADERMAN
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Michael Laderman, with an extensive successful background in communications, marketing, advertising, and special events – including eight (8) years as an award-winning editor and columnist, with part-time stints on television and radio – has a 29-year diverse professional career that is highly uncommon to find in PR professionals. It is that in-depth experience that has led to increased visibility for each organization he has represented – including Nova Southeastern University, Barry University, Clemson University, and the Orlando Museum of Art.
Representing diverse institutions has been Laderman’s passion throughout his career. In just 15 months with the Orlando Museum of Art [as Director of External Affairs/Director of Marketing & Public Relations], his efforts: more than doubled attendance for many of OMA’s main events; brought never-before-seen diverse audiences to OMA’s events/activities; almost doubled OMA’s Twitter and Facebook audiences in just 14 months; raised more than $65,000 in sponsorship and/or in-kind donations; led the two largest one-day membership campaigns in OMA history; more than doubled media coverage of top OMA exhibitions; and produced OMA’s new brand from top to bottom.
In his time at Clemson University [the highest-ranked public university in South Carolina], he was initially charged with promoting all undergraduate and graduate programs as CU’s Director of Academic Communications. His successes of garnering story placement in local, regional and national media outlets quickly led to a promotion to Clemson’s Office of the President – as Clemson’s Director of Executive Communications. There, he was charged with the creation and implementation of a new position that focused on the communications and community relations of President James P. Clements.
As Barry University’s Assistant Vice President for Communications and Marketing, in one of the largest media markets in the nation, Laderman managed a $1.8 million budget and a team of 11 communications professionals. In his leadership role of directing all media relations, crisis communications, brand management and publications, he was charged with promoting BU’s nine academic schools and colleges. While directing Barry University’s advertising, publications and overall brand, he led a complete university-wide “refreshed brand” initiative, and created award-winning strategic, specific and targeted image and enrollment advertising campaigns and publications. And unlike most other PR professionals, he also has experience in the classroom, having taught a summer graduate-level media relations class at Barry for six consecutive years.
His experience in media and community relations began in the mid-1990s, when he was Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information at Nova Southeastern University, Assistant Sports Information Director for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, and Director of Media Relations and Communications for the 1996 CARQUEST Bowl. He was promoted in 1999 and named NSU’s Associate Director of Public Affairs, Marketing, and Advertising, charged with leading all university-wide media relations.
He began his career as a nine-time Florida Press Association award-winning reporter, editor and columnist with the now-defunct Community News (Hollywood, FL) from 1987-95, while also representing The Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel, and Sun-Tattler.