by Alex Boesch, Student Public Relations Writer
The Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) has presented Cedarville University’s Mark D. Weinstein, executive director of public relations, with a Staff Excellence Award for September 2022. 
The award is reserved for university-nominated staff members who demonstrate excellence in student success, service, and assessment. Weinstein is among six September honorees.
SOCHE commended Weinstein for his ability to develop relationships that foster goodwill with local, state, and national leaders and organizations, and for leading Cedarville's public relations in a strategic way.
“It’s an honor to serve at Cedarville University in a way that allows us to have a voice in society on key topics and situations,” said Weinstein. “I am blessed to be in a position where I can share the transformational stories that take place at Cedarville, as well as work with so many gifted faculty and staff who share their expertise through media interviews. I believe our work in PR has strengthened Cedarville's reputation as a leader in Christian higher education.”
Gaining a larger university profile is a primary focus of Cedarville’s public relations team. In addition to Weinstein serving on local boards and participating in area organizations to accomplish this goal, Cedarville also strategically uses social media, the Cedarville Magazine, media relations, and the Cedarville Stories podcast to communicate to its core constituents and community.
Cedarville faculty are consistently interviewed by media outlets across the country on current events. In fact, the PR team generated 1,244 news stories during the 2021-22 academic year, which includes more than 600 stories about Cedarville's academic programs, its faculty, students, and alumni.
“When the media reach out to Mark, they know they will connect with a PR leader who truly desires to serve them and who will go not just the extra mile, but the extra two and three miles, to find the sources to help them meet their deadlines,” added Dr. Janice Supplee, vice president for marketing and communications. “And in so doing, the excellent work and insight of our faculty, staff, and students are featured locally, regionally, nationally, and around the globe.”
Weinstein has served as executive director of public relations since 2013. During this period, Cedarville has developed a campus television newsroom that produces live and recorded media radio and television interviews, implemented the Campus Today digital newsletter, and launched the Cedarville Stories Podcast. The podcast has reached more than 37,000 listeners and produced over 150 programs since its inception in 2019. Under Weinstein’s leadership, Cedarville has seen its annual exposure from media interviews increase from 187.4 million in 2013 to 9.3 billion this past year. Data is provided by Meltwater analytics, which is a third-party organization based in San Francisco, California that captures brand performance across media channels, customer sentiment, and return on investment.
Weinstein is a past president of the Greater Dayton Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and an active member of the Xenia Chamber of Commerce and the Beavercreek Rotary Club.
SOCHE advances regional higher education through various collaborative initiatives and recognizes 48 faculty and staff members each year from its 21 member institutions.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,715 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 175 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.