About Jay
Jay Winuk is a nationally recognized inspirational speaker and award-winning public relations executive whose journey to overcome personal tragedy to achieve monumental success in the service sector has resulted in millions of acts of kindness throughout the United States for people and communities in need.
As a primary force behind the establishment of the anniversary of 9/11 as federally designated “National Day of Service and Remembrance” (“9/11 Day”) and its growth into America's largest annual day of charitable engagement, Jay, a 9/11 family member, is one of the nation’s leading voices for volunteerism and charitable activity. His work, commentary and personal story have been featured in hundreds of news media reports throughout the nation and world, as well as in several books, documentaries and videos.
On September 11, 2001, Jay lost his younger brother Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney and volunteer firefighter/EMT, who ran from a position of safety into the WTC South Tower. When that tower collapsed, Glenn died in the line of duty as a rescuer. In Glenn’s honor, and with colleague and friend David Paine, Jay co-founded and serves as executive vice president and is on the board of directors of 9/11 Day, the highly regarded national nonprofit organization that successfully advocated for the anniversary of September 11 to be designated as an annual “National Day of Service and Remembrance,” passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009. Jay and David were among those in attendance at the presidential signing ceremony.
“ENORMOUS thanks to you for investing so much of yourself and your time in our ServiceWorks AmeriCorps VISTAs. Having you come out to the summit at Citi Foundation was such a valuable experience for the 75+ VISTA members who attended, as well as for all of us at Points of Light. Many of these volunteers cited our conversation and training at Citi as their favorite part of the weekend. Our VISTA volunteers were so moved by your inspirational story and candor. It was awesome for them to meet such incredible service leaders, and to hear and learn from your practical—and humorous—advice! Thank you for an outstanding and memorable presentation.”
Georgia Gillette, Points of Light
Now, as a direct result of David’s and Jay’s work and vision, millions of people throughout the United States mark each September 11 by contributing their time, expertise, resources and compassion to make life better for those in need. With tens of millions of people participating annually, the observance Jay co-created and still co-leads is the largest annual day of charitable engagement in U.S. history.
Jay has delivered inspirational remarks and shared his expertise before dozens of audiences – including on Capitol Hill and at national conferences, corporate and annual meetings, press conferences with members of Congress, charitable events, universities and high schools, faith-based organizational events and more. Among many other noteworthy presentations, Jay was a featured speaker at the nationally televised ServiceNation “Presidential Candidates Forum” at Columbia University, delivering his remarks just prior to those of candidates Barack Obama and John McCain.
Jay and his wife Carolyn were among a select group of 9/11 family members invited by The White House to meet privately with President Obama during his visit to New York and Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of the killing of terrorist Osama Bin Laden.
In recognition of his groundbreaking work in the national service sector, Jay was invited by U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to be her sole guest at President George W. Bush’s final “State of the Union” address. A years-long supporter of 9/11 Day, Secretary Clinton has spoken at the organization’s events and, in 2021, interviewed Jay for her podcast, “You and Me Both.”
Over the course of five years, Jay fought the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in defense of his brother’s honor. The DOJ repeatedly denied recognizing Glenn, a 20-year volunteer firefighter and EMT, as a line of duty death. This, even though Glenn’s fire department, the FDNY, the New York State legislature, NY State Governor George Pataki and numerous other entities and officials formally recognized Glenn’s heroic actions. On June 20, 2007, in a much-publicized landmark decision, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, DC, overwhelmingly ruled against the DOJ in Glenn’s favor.
Public Relations Career
In addition to his leadership role for 9/11 Day, Jay serves as president of Winuk Communications, Inc., the public relations agency he founded in 1994. He has provided PR support to many of the nation’s leading corporations, nonprofits and other organizations. Previously, Jay managed client accounts at Burson-Marsteller and Golin/Harris, two of the nation’s top 10 PR firms, and served as director of public relations for Radio City Productions, the nation’s leading live entertainment company. He also was a partner and managing director of PR at Dirty Water Integrated, a branding/advertising/PR agency. Jay began his career in the nonprofit sector, serving as the director of public relations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.
Over the years, Jay’s clients have included the NFL Alumni Association, The Coca-Cola Company, General Foods, the City of Berlin (Germany), Pfizer, Kreindler & Kreindler LLP, a Journey for 9/11, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Citibank, Clear Channel Entertainment, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Tomorrows Children’s Fund, Chautauqua Institution, Alzheimer's Association of Hudson Valley, Maker's Mark Distillery and many others. He has won numerous national and international awards for his work in the public relations field.
Jay earned his M.S. degree in public relations from Boston University and his B.A. degree in communications from the State University of New York at Oneonta.
“Today we remember the lives we lost on 9/11. Even the smallest act of service is a way to honor them. And just like Jay Winuk, we can honor their memories through service.”
Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America
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Jay is a highly sought-after speaker who has inspired thousands of individuals through his compelling presentations to companies, nonprofits, associations, students and others.