ABOUT
J. Roderick Public Relations
J. Roderick Public Relations is a strategic communications firm that creates campaigns to help large corporations clearly communicate nuanced, complex messages to targeted business audiences.
Specialists in translating clients’ intangible assets into tangible media influence, our greatest strength is our ability to sculpt and deliver company news and ideologies in a package that complements the media zeitgeist. This journalistic approach to branding allows clients to promote their key messages in the press while also building a platform of thought leadership on issues critical to their businesses.
Leveraging a multi-media mix of traditional and unconventional communications tools, our simple mission is to develop, package, and tell great stories. Whether it's crafting a timely pitch, ghost-writing an incisive op-ed, commissioning a big data analysis, choreographing a social media campaign, or even creating our own news outlet, we help brands articulate their strengths while building engagement with key stakeholders.
Our Team
John Roderick, President
john@jroderick.com | Phone: 631.584.2200
Brian Erni, Vice President
brian@jroderick.com | Phone: 631.584.2200
John Roderick founded the firm in 2003 on the simple philosophy that great content begets great headlines. Since then, J. Roderick Public Relations has become the go-to shop for top tier business media influence, with an A-list roster of clients and entrenched relationships with media contacts around the world.
Having done everything from hiring the World's Strongest Man for a publicity stunt to ghost-writing op-eds for The New York Times,The Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times, Roderick prides himself on finding the right angle for any story.
Prior to founding J.Roderick, Roderick was Vice President at The Rosen Group, where he oversaw the mid-sized PR firm’s business-to-business practice. Roderick graduated cum laude with a BA in English from Providence College.
Brian Erni joined J. Roderick in 2008 and quickly became an integral component in client campaign development and execution. With deep experience on both sides of the editorial wall, Erni also serves as lead writer for SNYNets.com and a contributor to Islanders Point Blank.
Prior to joining J. Roderick, Erni was an Assistant Relocation Director at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty. Erni graduated with honors with a BA in both Media and Communications and American Studies from SUNY Old Westbury, and earned an MA with distinction in Communication Arts from New York Institute of Technology .
David Wilkins, Thought Leadership Content Strategist
Phone: 734.223.3269
Brian Jaklitsch joined J. Roderick in 2014, rapidly establishing himself as the resident detail maven. Able to spot a typo at 50 paces and find data anomalies in PhD-level research using nothing but the calculator function on his iPhone, Jaklitsch has helped to elevate the firm's focus on quality to a new level.
Prior to J. Roderick, Jaklitsch dabbled in a few different fields on his way to living up to the promise he made to his high school guidance counselor that he was going to pursue everything from sitcom screenwriting to surgery. Thankfully, he hasn't operated on anyone yet. He holds a BA in History from Binghamton University.
Dave Wilkins joined J. Roderick in 2018 following two decades directing strategic communications for Thomson Reuters, Chrysler and the University of Michigan Health System. Before that, he was a reporter for Gannett and Newhouse newspapers.
Wilkins’ experience cuts across industry sectors and communications roles. At the University of Michigan, he managed media relations for the medical center, medical school and health research. At Chrysler, he was responsible for safety and regulatory public affairs. At software-and-information provider Thomson Reuters, in a succession of roles, he led thought leadership content strategy for the legal sector and directed corporate communications for the company’s healthcare, IP & science, and tax & accounting businesses.
Wilkins has a BFA in journalism and English from Central Michigan University. He is based in Ann Arbor.