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Harrington School of Communication and Media

Advisory Board

John J. Palumbo, Sr.

Owner & Publisher, RI Monthly
Providence, RI

John Palumbo, a native Rhode Islander, has spent his entire professional career in the state in the marketing, communications and media fields. He grew up in Barrington, RI where he also attended the high school.

He is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island (B.A. in Journalism, minor in Marketing). He has been an adjunct faculty member at Rhode Island College and Rhode Island School of Design, teaching business communications, public relations, and advertising. He is also a past member of the URI College of Arts & Sciences Advisory Committee, and the URI Marketing/Communications Committee. He currently serves as a member of the Journalism Department's Advisory Committee, is an Emeritus member of the President's Council of Providence College, and is also a trustee of the URI Foundation. He is currently chair of Rhode Island College's School of Management Advisory Board. He has received an honorary doctorate for public service from Rhode Island College. He was a past member of Roger Williams University's Gabelli School of Business Advisory Board.

Palumbo began his career at the Providence-based advertising/public relations agency, Duffy & Shanley, Inc., where he served in various roles, including production manager and advertising/public relations account executive, serving mostly consumer-based accounts and hospitality financial services and media. Palumbo has also worked in various capacities (sales promotion manager, director of broadcast advertising/retail sales promotion) for CVS Corporation, a Rhode Island drug store chain.

His media experience began at The Providence Journal Company. There he served as promotion manager, director of promotions and public affairs, and director of marketing communications. His responsibilities included sales promotion, public relations programs, community relations programs, telemarketing, in-house printing and database marketing. He has been President and Publisher of Rhode Island Monthly Communications, Inc. (Rhode Island Monthly magazine and its sister publications and contract businesses) since early 1997. During that time the business has grown three-fold. He purchased the business in 2009 from the A.H. Belo Corporation, and is now the sole stockholder.

His professional affiliations include Past President of the Rhode Island Advertising Club, Vice-President of the International Newspaper Marketing Association, and President of the Newspaper Association of America's Market Development Federation. He has served as board member, Secretary/Treasurer, Annual Conference Chair, and Past President of the City & Regional Magazine Association, a trade association representing almost 100 magazines throughout North America. He has spoken at national magazine conferences such as CRMA and Folio. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Press Association and is on their Hall of Fame selection committee. He is a former trustee of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and now serves on their board of directors.

Active in the community, he is the Past Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Rhode Island Zoological Society (Roger Williams Park Zoo/seven years) and in recognition of his service, the zoo has named their brand new veterinary hospital after him. He is the founding chairperson of WaterFire Providence, a Providence-based arts installation, and past board member of organizations such as First Night Providence, Leadership Rhode Island (class of '93), and the Rhode Island Infantile Paralysis Association.

He is currently a board trustee of Trinity Repertory Company (executive committee member). He serves as chairman of the Greater Providence/Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he has been responsible for achieving accreditation, and has also chaired their sports marketing, governance, and community relations committees. He is a member of the Rhode Island Statehouse Restoration Society Board and Celebrate Rhode Island Board (both gubernatorial appointments). He is also a member of the corporation of Butler Hospital. He is a member of the Rhode Island Foundation/Rhode Island Advertising Club Scholarship Selection Committee.

Awards and recognition include: Rhode Island Advertising Club "Person of the Year" Award; Bellringer Awards (3); Publicity Club of New England (excellence in public relations); Rhode Island Hospitality & Tourism Association Mary Brennan Award (an annual award personifying the spirit of tourism in the state); the Rhode Island Anti-Drug Coalition David Henderson Award for excellence in communications; the Governor's Award for support of tourism industry; the Greater Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau-Ambassador Award (2); first inductee into the Greater Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau Hall of Fame; Association of Fundraising Professional Awards; Partner in Philanthropy Awards (2); Rhode Island International Film Festival Producer Award; Arts & Business Council Encore Award (for small business support of the arts); and National Philanthropy Day Small Business Award (outstanding philanthropic small business).

He is frequently called upon to chair significant events in the community and has served on the steering committee for the National Governors Association Annual Conference since 2001. He also served as co-chair of the NCAA Frozen Four (Men's NCAA Men's Ice Hockey championship) Committee and he chaired the organizing committee for the Triple A (Minor League baseball) All Star Game in 2004. He is a member of the Rhode Island Commodores, a business advocacy group for State economic development (gubernatorial appointment). He served on the Committee for the Statehouse Centennial Celebration Committee, the grand opening committee for Providence Place Mall, and has twice chaired URI's Big Chill Alumni weekend.