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| David “Jerry” Daly |
ASHBURN, Va., Feb. 3, 2023--Officials of DG Public Relations, LLC, today announced the death of company co-founder, David “Jerry” Daly on January 11, 2023, due to complications arising from aspiration pneumonia.
While in graduate school at Boston University,
Daly helped create the first Great American Smokeout, originally designed as a
scholarship fundraiser for a local high school before he came up with the idea
to get people to donate the price of a pack of cigarettes as the first step
toward a commitment to quit smoking.
Daly’s first job out of undergraduate school was
public relations director for the Tulsa Area Chapter of the American Red
Cross. While there he worked on a promotion that resulted in one of the
largest and most successful blood drives up until that point.
He later worked for multiple public relations agencies, including Burson-Marstellar and Harshe‐Rotman & Druck, before entering the hospitality sector with Holiday Inn and Harrah’s.
Daly founded Daly Gray Public Relations, LLC,
the predecessor of DG Public Relations, LLC, in 1987.
During his career at that company, he was
directly responsible for and/or oversaw multiple industry milestones: the first
hotel crisis communications plan; the first hotel property-level Twitter
campaign; the launch of more than a dozen hotel brands; the industry white
paper on paper clip REITs; empowering women and minorities through hiring,
mentorship and educational programs; winning more than 50 international,
national and regional awards, including the Silver Anvil and four Golden
Quills; and hosting the first world-wide employee meeting via satellite.
He also
took great pride in being named Honorary Duck Master at the Peabody Hotel and
winning a lifetime achievement award at the 20th annual Lodging
Conference in Phoenix, Ariz.
Born Feb. 3, 1944, Daly is survived by his bride
of 53 years, Katheryn; his children, Chris, Jason, Shannon, Patrick and Andrew;
and his grandchildren, Finn and Lilah.
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