Public Relations Contributors

Jay Rockey

The Washington State University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter is named after Jay Rockey who is the acknowledged "father of public relations" in the Northwest. Rockey, a 1950 graduate of the Department of Speech Communication at Washington State University, began his career serving as public relations and advertising director for the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle. After the success of the World's Fair, Rockey opened the doors to his own Seattle firm Jay Rockey Public Relations, later named The Rockey Company. Rockey later expanded his firm into a regional leader, adding offices in Portland, Ore. and Spokane, Wash. Over the years the firm grew, serving local, national and global clients. In 2000, public relations firm Hill and Knowlton acquired Rockey's regional firm. The Northwest division is now known as Rockey Hill and Knowlton. In 2002, the Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) established the Jay Rockey Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of his commitment to the profession. Rockey served as president of the national PRSA chapter in 1976 and continues to serve as a member of the WSU Edward R. Murrow College of Communication Advisory Board.

Dave Sharp

Dave Sharp's background includes work on the client-side with Caterpillar and Armstrong; as well as Senior Management positions in major advertising agencies (Kraft Smith, Sharp Hartwig, Cf2GS, Bozell Worldwide and FCB); and, executive marketing positions with media companies including Aptimus and BELO Northwest. Sharp has a 30-year track record of helping corporations, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations that are involved in complex and sometimes high profile public policy issues and public engagement campaigns. He also has extensive experience in strategic marketing communications planning in both the public and private sectors. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer recognized Dave as one of the top Cause Marketing matchmakers in the region for his ability to connect not-for-profits and government agencies to the corporate world. Additionally, Sharp has helped plan and implement some of the regions most successful fundraising and capital campaigns for the Seattle Art Museum, Woodland Park Zoo, Pacific Science Center and Seattle Children's. Dave is currently a marketing communications, strategic partnership, social media marketing consultant in Kirkland Washington.