Outstanding Alumnus 2004 – 2005: Jeff Hunt
BA, Journalism, with honors
President and Chief Executive Officer
GCI Read-Poland
University of Texas alumnus and international public relations executive Jeff Hunt has been selected as the 2004-2005 College of Communication Outstanding Alumnus.
Hunt, who serves as president and chief executive officer of GCI Read-Poland, one of the largest public relations firms in the world, will be recognized during a reception at 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 21 at The University of Texas Club.
"Jeff's energy in support of the college is unmatched," said Dr. Roderick P. Hart, interim dean of the College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin. "He has leveraged his professional success to benefit the college -- from teaching classes as an adjunct professor, to helping the college make industry connections, to establishing an innovative matching gift program within the college that has spawned a total of $600,000 to date."
One of the special guests scheduled to attend the reception in Hunt's honor is his Sam Houston High School (Houston) journalism teacher, Nancy Barton, who also served as the faculty advisor on The Aegis, the oldest high school newspaper in the state. According to Hunt, it was Barton who inspired him to study journalism at The University of Texas, which eventually led to his career in international public relations.
"I am extremely honored and humbled by this award because I know the caliber of people who have received it before me. Throughout my career, these leaders have inspired me, and I feel a tremendous sense of obligation to do the same for those who will follow me," said Hunt.
Each year, the Outstanding Alumnus Award is given to a College of Communication graduate who has made outstanding contributions not only to their profession, but also to society as a whole. Past recipients include Lady Bird Johnson and Wall Street Journal publisher Karen Elliot House.
Having lived and worked in every major region of the world, Hunt is an experienced international marketing and communication executive. While with Burson-Marsteller, he worked in London as chief operating officer for Europe with responsibility for 16 offices throughout the continent and served both in London and for two years in New York as vice chairman of Client Services Worldwide. Rapidly ascending the ranks, he established the firm's presence in Korea and Mexico, later running the entire Latin America region.
He has counseled numerous multinational clients, including IBM, DuPont, AT&T, Dell, ATP, Motorola, Coca-Cola and McDonald's. In addition to serving as president and chief executive officer of GCI Read-Poland, Hunt is a member of the GCI Global Board where he directs a broad spectrum of company operations, including development of the firm's presence in Latin America.
Hunt earned a Bachelor of Journalism, with honors, from The University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves as chairman of the College of Communication Advisory Board, as well as an adjunct professor. He is an advisor and major contributor to the University of Texas athletic program and is a board member of Ballet Austin. In addition, he is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and serves on the board of the Texas Public Relations Association. He lives with his wife and two children in Austin.
