Mark Kotzin, Professional Communicator

A Communicator's Story...

Mark Kotzin started the journey toward his career as a professional communicator while still in high school, when he volunteered to manage publicity for the school musical. His impressive press kit for that production caught the attention of an editor at Metroland Magazine, an alternative newsweekly in Albany, NY, who promptly offered him an internship. During that time he put his naturally ingrained spelling and grammar skills to good use, gaining a great deal of experience with proofreading, editing and layout/design, as well as being given the responsibility for tabulating the magazine's first annual readers' survey.

Four years later, while completing his bachelor's degree in Rhetoric and Communication at the University at Albany, Mark embarked on yet another internship, this time with the Communications Department of CSEA, a statewide non-profit membership association of public sector workers. Working on the association's bi-weekly newspaper "The Public Sector," Mark quickly became skilled as an interviewer, news and feature writer, photojournalist and editorial assistant. He regularly contributed articles and photos to the paper, as well as working in all facets of production, from proofreading and editing to mock-up/paste-up. During that time he also took over as project manager for a corporate informational kiosk (an interactive touch-screen computer system), which was an early precursor to the organization's current web presence, which he has also helped design.

Impressed with his creativity, performance and enthusiasm, CSEA hired Mark on as their full-time Communications Specialist for the association’s Central Region, headquartered in East Syracuse, in October 1989, a position he continues to enjoy and grow in today.

Throughout the past 19 years Mark has directed all facets of the Region’s internal and external communications and public relations programming, covering 45,000 association members in 20 counties across Central New York, including four larger media markets (Syracuse, Watertown, Utica, Binghamton). His primary duties have included media relations (including staging press events, developing releases, pitching stories, and serving as on-camera spokesperson), working as an ad agency liaison; strategic campaign development, leadership/executive advisement, newsletter and web page production, event management, and photojournalism for the union's monthly newspaper, The Workforce. Several industry trade groups have recognized his photos and articles with awards. His photos and articles have also appeared in numerous other newspapers and magazines throughout New York and nationally.

During his tenure Mark has enhanced and sharpened his skills as a professional communicator, and grown in his areas of responsibility. He has become an accomplished editor, desktop publisher, speechwriter, public speaker, a trusted strategist and advisor to his Region's executive leadership, a web designer/content developer and a technology guru for his entire office. He regularly seeks new opportunities to enhance the organization's abilities to communicate through new initiatives and the use of emerging technologies. As his boss said in his most recent evaluation, "In many ways, Mark is a trend-setter within the Communications Department with a consistent and practical quest for new ideas and tools to boost effectiveness and productivity."

His many accomplishments to date included: spearheading the association's participation in the annual New York State Fair (a visibility opportunity with nearly 1 million visitors per year); leading the communications component of several successful community service programs (raising tens of thousands of dollars for charity causes); teaching across the state as an instructor/facilitator in numerous trainings (some of which he developed), including “PR in Strategic Campaigns,” several newsletter “how-to” workshops, and “Public Relations 101”; creating a website content template that set the standard for the entire organization; and creating a staff intranet. He was also first in the association to develop issue-based web sites to be used as tactics for strategic campaigns.

Mark is or has been a member of several trade groups for communications professionals, including the Syracuse Press Club, the Public Relations Society of America (he's currently serving as chapter treasurer), the International Labor Communications Association, and the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. He is also active in his community, participating in community fund-raisers and volunteering at community events, and is proud to be a 8 + gallon "Champion for Life" blood donor and Cub Scout committee chair. He lives in Upstate New York and is currently looking to expand his horizons out of the snow belt and into a warmer climate.

Mark's Top Personal Qualities

Detail Oriented:
Mark is a stickler for getting things right the first time, and won't let the 'little things' slide. How your communications look is just as important as what they say, so detail counts.

Multi-tasker:
If juggling multiple priorities is called for, Mark's got it covered. He regularly works on multiple campaigns at the same time and serves multiple clients with overlapping priorities.

Good listener:
One of the most important skills to learn as a communicator is how to listen. If you can't hear what your audience is saying, you can't accurately gauge the success of your efforts. Mark practices the art of active listening to ensure his messages are effective.

Innovator:
Settling for the status quo just isn't in Mark's DNA. He's always striving to find better ways to get the job done and integrating new technology into his tactics as a professional communicator.

Straight Shooter:
Mark won't tell you what you want to hear... he tells it like he sees it. He's great to bounce ideas off, because he'll give you his honest opinion without sugarcoating his answers to please the asker.

Dedicated:
Mark has spent 18 years with the same non-profit membership association, crafting messages and offering strategic advisement. Loyalty is important to him.

Ethical:
As an active member of the Public Relations Society of America, Mark maintains the highest ethical approach in dealing with stakeholders. He realizes that communicating with integrity is vital to reputation management.

Creative:
Whatever the communications need, Mark always uses his creativity to craft a unique message that will resonate with those he's communicating with.