Mark A. Miner is a pioneering public relations and marketing advisor who for more than 25 years has helped craft the image of professional service firms as they increasingly become key decision-makers at the table of business and civic leadership. In 2005, he was inducted into the prestigious "Renaissance Hall of Fame" of the Public Relations Society of America, the world's largest organization for PR professionals, for his trail blazing work in the fields of law, engineering and accounting.

Miner's firm works directly with CEOs and business owners to build their differentiating brand more effectively on the web, in the news media and on paper. He also helps clients hone relationships with prospective clients and referral sources to produce sales. Above all, he is recognized for an ability to think strategically, work successfully with differing personalities, exercise sound judgment and “get things done.”

He divides his time as CEO of Mark Miner Communications and as chief marketing officer for Malin Bergquist, a Pittsburgh Business Times top 20 public accounting firm. Miner Communications clients are in the fields of law, accounting, finance and engineering as well as executive coaching and international resort development.

A Law Marketing Pioneer – For a decade, from 1991 to 2002, Miner was head of media and public relations for Pittsburgh’s Buchanan Ingersoll, one of the 100 largest law firms in the nation, during a time when the firm more than doubled in size from 200 to 450 lawyers, and quadrupled from four to 16 offices. At age 30, he was the first in-house professional in the city to specialize in law firm PR, reflecting the dramatic changes in legal marketing of the early 1990s. Many of his innovations have had lasting impact, including Pittsburgh's first law firm annual report, proactive media relations and early website initiatives.

Focus on Vision and Strategy – Miner's enduring objective is to provide the best leverage for clients' marketing investments through development of vision, effective strategic planning and sound execution. This involves carefully selecting target audiences and then determining the best way to reach them with credibility and impact. He also leads clients in personal marketing planning, helping CEOs and partners as well as up-and-comers to grow their reputations and relationships.

Media Relationship Building – Miner is a proponent of solid two-way relationships with journalists to build trust and credibility, and has been named in Fortune and People magazines for his work. He has authored a column in the National Law Journal -- the bible of the legal field -- on "Lawyers and the Press: Bitter Enemies or Friends?" He also has been featured in Law Office Administrator on "Free and Good Marketing: It's a Matter of Knowing How to Get Quoted." He has been quoted in industry publications as well as in Pittsburgh's major newspaper, radio and TV media.

On a national scale, he has placed articles in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and Business Week and produced major news coverage as a law firm opened offices in New York, London and Washington, D.C.; won the nation's first Y2K trial decision; and represented a major U.S. railroad in its $10.5 billion hostile takeover battle. Miner has planned and executed concurrent media relations programs for headquarters and regional offices; handled hundreds of interviews; positioned practice leaders as “go-to” media experts; and advised clients on how to respond to dicey press inquiries.

Major Sponsorships - With his guidance, several clients sponsor the German American Business Circle as well as the Pittsburgh Business Times' "Pittsburgh 100" and "Diamond Awards" programs. In 2008, he helped drive Malin Bergquist's sponsorship of the Pittsburgh G-20 Summit Partnership, including creation of a website in German and English to tout the importance of German industry in the region and contribute to economic development initiatives of the Allegheny Conference/Pittsburgh Regional Alliance.

Annual Reports and High Quality Publications – Miner develops high quality printed literature for a number of clients, including annual reports for law and accounting firms, a commercial bank and an educational trust. He has authored or edited more than 2,000 biographical and niche practice profiles and understands how they collectively can define an organization's unique personality. Buchanan Ingersoll's groundbreaking Annual Report, which Miner helped create and write for nine years, has been widely followed by competitors and called "unusually instructive" by The Insider's Guide to Law Firms. He was a co-editor of the Buchanan Ingersoll's reports to the Mayor of Pittsburgh, spelling out the urban planning justification for keeping the Pirates in Pittsburgh and selecting the future site of PNC Park.

Web Development Expertise – An early advocate for a strong Internet presence, Miner has helped build and manage 20 websites during his career, and is an active webmaster for several client sites. In 1996, he led the development of Buchanan Ingersoll's inaugural site, and in 1999 a second generation site, praised by a leading legal industry publication as "aesthetically pleasing, easy to navigate and loaded with content." 

Awards for Clients – With Miner as a nominator, clients have received major, prestigious awards that set them apart in their fields. These have included the National Law Journal's "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America," the Pittsburgh Business Times' "Fast Tracker" and "CFO of the Year," and Ernst & Young's "Entrepreneur of the Year," among others.

Earlier Accomplishments – From 1985 to 1991, Miner was a PR executive with Michael Baker Corporation, a nationally known, publicly traded engineering and energy firm that, under employee control, was rebounding from near bankruptcy. He helped place a Wall Street Journal feature on Baker's ESOP and national trade magazine cover articles about the Pittsburgh International Airport and Philadelphia's Vine Street Expressway. He was editor of the Baker Magazine, a client focused publication with a circulation of 13,000. At age 25, he was tapped to serve on the board of the United Way of Beaver County, a role he held for three years.

A Passion for Professional Leadership and Community Service – Active in the community, Miner is chairman of the board of trustees of the Beaver Area Heritage Museum, president of the board of directors of Malin Bergquist Charities Inc., and a board director of the American Cancer Society Pittsburgh unit and the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation.  He annually lectures on marketing at the West Virginia University's College of Business and Economics.

In 2008, Miner led two organizations in Pittsburgh 250 in celebrating the city's 250th birthday. He has been a Judge for Pittsburgh Magazine's "40 Under 40" awards and the PR Society of America Renaissance Awards; chaired Rotary District 7300's PR Committee serving 1,500 members in 51 clubs; and is a former president of the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation and former trustee of the Beaver Area Education Foundation. In 2005, he was honored as "Rotarian of the Year" for all of Western Pennsylvania. His pioneering genealogy site, Minerd.com, twice has been named one of the “Top 10 Family Websites” in the nation by Family Tree Magazine. He is a member of Seven Oaks Country Club.

Photo by the late William J. Boyd - Pittsburgh Photo Source