Gwendolyn Quinn Company: The African-American Public Relations Collective (AAPRC) Location: New York, NY Website: www.theaaprc.com

Biography:
How fitting that the offices of veteran publicist Gwendolyn Quinn are located on Broadway in midtown Manhattan, at the music industry hub. Music has been an integral part of her career as a publicist and public relations executive for over 15 years, and she has been in entertainment for over two decades. With tenures at Capitol Records, Arista, Island, Flavor Unit Entertainment, Mercury/PolyGram, and ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), Quinn has directed press campaigns on behalf of a who's who of popular music Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, Sean "P. Diddy", Prince, the Isley Brothers, and countless others.

GQ Media & Public Relations, Inc.

In 2002, Quinn founded GQ Media & Public Relations, Inc. a full-service publicity and marketing firm that specializes in developing stratagem and coordinating special events and brand development for clients who span the worlds of music, performing arts (theatre), corporate, not-for-profit, faith-based, and the visual/fine arts. A team of experienced, highly skilled professionals, Quinn and her principles have a combined 50+ years of experience in corporate and entertainment marketing.


The African-American Public Relations Collective (AAPRC)

In addition to her work with GQ Media & Public Relations, Quinn and fellow media specialist Marlynn Snyder looking to fill the gap in the networking potential among African-American public relations and media specialists discussed the idea of forming a listserv of African-Americans working in the communications field to fulfill that particular need. In 2001, Quinn initiated, developed and founded the African-American Public Relations Collective (AAPRC). The AAPRC is a national and international organization of more than 1,000 public relations and communications specialists that provide professional support to their peers in the communications industry. The AAPRC shares special event information, employment leads, career development resources, and vital links to media opportunities.

The AAPRC associates are represented in a wide range of fields including music, television, film, performing arts (theater and dance), fine/visual arts (painters, sculptors, etc.), sports, brand development, book and magazine publishing, fashion and beauty, corporate, education, community relations/affairs, health care, government, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, special events, politics, independent public relations firms and other specialized areas.

Global Communicator

As a brand extension of the AAPRC, Quinn also launched The AAPRC Monthly (now titled) Global Communicator in February 2004, an e-publication for African-American public relations, marketing, journalists and communications professionals). Global Communicator has featured some of the most accomplished professionals in the field of communications. For a complete list of interviewees, please visit www.theaapr.com or
www.myspace.com/globalcommunicator.


Mighty Quinn Management, Inc.

In August 2007, Quinn also launched Mighty Quinn Management, a talent management firm representating book authors and recording artists. Mighty Quinn Management signed debut authors, Jacqueline Rhinehart (MY ORGANIC SOUL: From Plato to Creflo, Emerson to MLK, Jesus to Jay-Z: A Journal to Help You Discover Yourself Through Words of Wisdom from Visionaries Past and Present) and Kerika Fields (HE’S GONE YOU’RE BACK: The Right Way To Get Over Mr. Wrong). Quinn also represents singer/songwriter Jessica Labus (www.myspace.com/jessicalabus) and gospel recording artist Shari Addison (www.myspace.com/shariaddison).

The Songwriting Series

The Songwriting Series is a program offered to songwriters, producers and music enthusiasts. The series is designed and created to provide a hands-on and practical approach to songwriting. Participants of the series have the opportunity to learn the art and business of songwriting from multi-platinum-selling songwriters and producers. The program focuses on R&B, pop, Gospel, rap/hip hop, reggae and world music, movie soundtracks and television theme songs. The series was launched on June 5, 2005 during Black Music Month. For more information on the Songwriting Series, please visit www.myspace.com/thesongwritingseries.

Record Label History

Prior to founding GQ Media & Public Relations and A Queen Production, Quinn had served as Vice President of Publicity at Capitol Records since June 2000. Based in New York, she was responsible for developing and implementing overall media strategies for the R&B and urban artists at Capitol and its family of labels. The artists she worked with included CeCe Winans, Rachelle Ferrell, Oscar De La Hoya and Dave Koz, as well as soundtrack projects like Girlfight (Screen Gems Pictures, 2000) and Boycott (HBO Films, 2001).

Quinn went to Capitol from Arista Records, where she had been Senior Director of Publicity since 1997. Learning from music industry giant and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Clive Davis, Quinn worked on campaigns for many of Arista's superstar artists including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Monica, Deborah Cox, Prince, Kenny G, Carlos Santana and Lisa Stansfield. Quinn also created and launched media campaigns for Bad Boy Entertainment/Arista joint venture artists including Puff Daddy (a.k.a. P. Diddy), Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, and Mase. In addition, she handled media and press activities for a variety of LaFace/Arista artists, then headed by Antonio LA Reid and Kenneth Babyface Edmonds.

Prior to Arista, Quinn spent a year as Senior Director of Publicity at Island Records, working with Hiriam Hicks and another famed music man, Chris Blackwell, as well as the Isley Brothers both Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Quinn's experience at Island also included work with hot R&B act Dru Hill and other new and developing artists.

In 1995, Quinn was named National Director of Publicity & Media Relations at Capitol Records this was her first stint at Capitol, where she would return five years later, after working at Island and Arista. During this tenure with Capitol she worked with BeBe & CeCe Winans, The Whispers, Tracie Spencer and others.

She had come to Capitol from the Jersey City-based Flavor Unit Entertainment conglomerate, headed by Sha-Kim Compere and Queen Latifah. As National Director of Publicity for Flavor Unit's Records and Management division for three years, she formulated campaigns for a full roster of urban music artists and executives. Among them were Naughty By Nature, Zhane and Queen Latifah. Quinn would become the exclusive publicity coordinator for all of Latifah's music, television, film and corporate affairs.

Quinn's first position at a record company came in 1991 when she became Publicity Coordinator at Mercury/PolyGram in New York. In her first twelve months at the label, she handled every aspect of tour and local press coverage focusing on print and local television for a wide variety of artists including hitmakers such as Vanessa Williams, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Oleta Adams, Brian McKnight, Jon Lucien, Angela Winbush, and Third World, among others.


More About Gwendolyn Quinn

Quinn is a BMI writer and publisher. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, the National Black Public Relations Society, the Greater New York Black Public Relations Society, the Museum of Television and Radio, the Museum of the Moving Image, the National Association of Black Journalists, a voting member of NARAS (the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) and others. Quinn is featured on the CD recording TOTAL PRAISE LIVE (2002), and is a former choir member with Total Praise of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Brooklyn, New York. She is the recipient of the National Black Public Relations Society Network Award (2007). In 2006, she was honored by then Council Member Yvette D. Clarke (Brooklyn, New York) and the entire Council of the City of New York for her efforts on behalf of the African-American Public Relations Collective. In 2004, Quinn was also honored on Capitol Hill by Congressman Gregory W. Meeks and the men of SOULS OF MY BROTHERS (book) for their Celebration of Black Fatherhood event. She is a contributor to SOULS REVEALED (Souls of My Sisters/Kensington) in stores now. She is also featured in the forthcoming book, HANDLE YOUR ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS due in stores April 2009 (Grand Central/Warner Publishing).

Taking full advantage of her twenty years as a communications professional, and of a broad and wide-reaching network of contacts throughout the media including writers and editors, producers and talent bookers, broadcast personalities and senior management executives Gwendolyn Quinn has forged her own path and become a recognized leader in the publicity and public relations field.

Availability:
Available as a Public Relations speaker to students and organizations.