User:Grandone/Jim Grandone

Behind many news stories are the invisible public relations staff who have prepared a message, rehearesed it, tested it, worked on the story with a reporter and prepared the spokesperson well in advance of news getting aired. Jim Grandone has been practicing professional public relations for more than 30 years. He is such an invisible man (The Telegraph, 2/21/98)."Much like a lawyer represents a client's interest before the bar, so does a public relations man - only in PR, cases play out in the court of public opinion." (Ibid.) Grandone has been practicing public relations since serving as a member of the Carter-Mondale Presidential Staff in 1976 as a student at Southern Illinois University. During his career, two major events stand out; the successful effort to save Scott Air Force Base from closure by the U.S. Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 1995 (The Telegraph 9/19/99), and the East County camppaign for the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois; an effort to bring together leaders from Illinois and Missouri in the St. Louis Metropolitan region. In addition to those accomplishments, Grandone served as press secretary for a 1982 congressional campaign in Peoria, IL, is past president of the St. Louis Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (1991-92),served a graduate Fellowship with the Coro Leadrship Center,and is a former reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat. He currently owns Grandone Public Relations. Grandone is a graduate of the University of Illinois Springfield. He lives in Edwardsville, Ill. with his wife, Mary Peters-Grandone, and their son, James J. Grandone II, named after his Grandfather, the late Col. James J. Grandone (Air Force Ret.)