John Guilfoil

John Guilfoil is the founder and principal of JGPR, a public relations agency created in 2013 to strengthen communications strategy for police and fire departments, public schools and other government agencies. He is also a former Boston Globe staff reporter and later served as deputy press secretary to the late former Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

John has been recognized nationally for his public affairs and crisis management work, and he has conducted public relations and media relations training for clients in more than 45 states.

In 2015 and 2016, John was named the National Public Affairs Professional of the Year by PR News. The same organization also named him the 2016 National Crisis Manager of the Year. In 2017, he was named one of the 50 national Game Changers of Public Relations by PR News and in 2022 and 2023 he was named one of the national PR People of the Year by PR News.

He has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and criminal justice from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in journalism from Emerson College.

He has been a guest lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and has taught journalism and public relations at the collegiate level since 2010 at Newbury College, Lasell University and Northeastern University.

He serves on the board of directors of the Public Relations Club of New England and lives north of Boston.