Michael Kornfeld is an award-winning public relations strategist and writer, with extensive professional management experience in the public and private sectors. He has been engaged in community, government and media relations; corporate communications; events and communications planning; issues and crisis management; philanthropy and cause-related marketing; niche and online promotion; social media and Web 2.0, and website content management.
Prior to launching his own public relations and strategic communications practice, Michael held various communications and PR management positions within the telecommunications industry and directed the national media relations efforts for a major corporate foundation. He also has worked for elected officials and served as press secretary for Steve Levy in his initial successful race for Suffolk County Executive. He served as a press chief for the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games and has provided PR counsel and services for various nonprofit organizations, professional services firms, and a regional hospital.
A frequent public speaker on PR and communications topics, Michael also has taught in New York University's Public Relations and Corporate Communications certificate program. He is a past president of both the Public Relations Professionals of Long Island (PRPLI) and the New York chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). He has received several NY/IABC Awards for Communications Excellence and four APEX Awards of Excellence from the editors of Writing That Works: The Business Communications Report.
A former contributing writer for The New York Times, Mike was an executive board member of The Deadline Club in New York City and served on the board of the Press Club of Long Island for 15 years. Both clubs are chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists. Mike is also the editor and publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com, an online publication that he launched in January 2007 to provide news and commentary for the folk, roots and singer-songwriter communities.
Passionate about acoustic music, Michael currently provides PR counsel and services to a number of independent recording artists. He also promoted the Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival, the 2008 Long Island Bluegrass Festival, and "Just Wild About Harry" Chapin and "Westchester's Greatest Hits" tribute concerts. He hosts a popular Midnight Hoot and late-night showcases during the annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) conference in New York's Catskill Mountains, where he also has moderated and served on panels on public relations, social media and other topics. Michael is an elected member of the board of directors of Folk Alliance International and NERFA. He is president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington, a nonprofit presenting organization on Long Island; coordinates the annual Huntington Folk Festival in conjunction with the Huntington Arts Council, and launched a locally heralded partnership with the Cinema Arts Centre. Michael also hosts late-night song swaps at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference.
Active with a number of nonprofit organizations over the years, Michael has provided communications and public relations counsel and assistance to the Foundation for Sight & Sound and the Long Island Works Coalition.
Michael Kornfeld is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stony Brook University and a recipient of its Distinguished Community Service Award.
