Join us to celebrate the class of 2025. Find info, watch the web stream and read about the student and faculty award winners of 2025.

Date and Time

Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026

2:00 — 3:30 pm ET

Location

Cabral Center in the John D. O'Bryant African-American Institute

Admission

Free

Reserve Tickets

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What does it take to shape organizational reputation, navigate a crisis, or turn a nonprofit’s mission into a movement? Find out from CAMD alumni at the forefront of the public relations field.

Join us for an insider conversation with three Northeastern PR professionals whose careers span agency leadership, public affairs, and mission-driven storytelling. Steve Cody (Journalism, ’77) founded and led Peppercomm for 30 years, earning recognition as one of Northeastern’s 100 most successful alumni. John Guilfoil (Journalism, ’07) launched his own firm just six years after graduating and has since been named U.S. National Crisis Manager of the Year and one of PR’s 50 Game Changers. Jennifer Seabolt (Communication, ’20) has quickly built a reputation as a go-to communications strategist championing social impact organizations in Boston through strategic media relations and thought leadership.

Whether you’re exploring the Public Relations BA or looking to sharpen your professional edge, this panel offers real-world insight into brand promotion, crisis communication, data-driven storytelling, and what it really takes to launch and grow a career in strategic communication.

Panelists

Steve Cody (B.A., Journalism, ’77)
Founder & Former CEO, Peppercomm
Senior Executive Advisor, Ruder Finn

Steve Cody is a comedian, climber and communicator (though not necessarily in that order). He is the founder and former CEO of Peppercomm, the strategic communications firm he led for 30 years, building it into an award-winning agency known for its comedy-infused culture and innovative storytelling approach.

Today, Steve serves as a Senior Executive Advisor at Ruder Finn, where he provides senior counsel on communications strategy, business growth, leadership and culture. He has held leadership roles with the Institute for Public Relations, the Page Society, The PR Council and PRSA’s Counselors Academy, and was named one of Northeastern University’s 100 most successful alumni.

Steve is the co-author of The ROI of LOL (HarperCollins, 2025) and What’s Keeping Your Customer Up at Night? (McGraw-Hill, 2003). He has also raised more than $100,000 for charity through annual stand-up comedy fundraisers.

 

Jennifer Seabolt (B.A., Communication, ’20)
Assistant Account Manager, Teak Media + Communication

Jennifer Seabolt is a public relations professional at Teak Media + Communication, where she partners with mission-driven organizations to translate impact into compelling stories that drive awareness, influence, and change. She specializes in media relations, thought leadership, executive positioning, event management, and strategic messaging for nonprofits working across education, environment, workforce equity, housing, health, and social impact.

Since joining Teak in 2023, she has led communications efforts for organizations including the New England Aquarium, Roxbury Community College, and The Boston Women’s Workforce Council. She is especially passionate about helping leaders articulate not just what they do, but why it matters, grounding every story in measurable impact.

Prior to Teak, Jennifer supported communications initiatives across the education and technology sectors, with experience at Inkhouse, iRobot, Wayfair, and early-stage startups. She holds a BA in Communication Studies from Northeastern University (’20) and an MS in Public Relations from Syracuse University (’21).

 

John Guilfoil, APIO (B.A., Journalism, ’07)
Founder & Owner, John Guilfoil Public Relations

John Guilfoil is the Founder and Owner of JGPR, a public relations firm he launched in 2013 specializing in crisis communications for public safety agencies. Over time, JGPR has expanded to serve school districts, public health agencies, municipal governments, nonprofits, and select business clients.

John has earned significant recognition for his work. PR News named him U.S. National Public Affairs Professional of the Year in both 2015 and 2016, National Crisis Manager of the Year in 2016, and one of the industry’s 50 Game Changers of Public Relations in 2017. He was also named a PR Person of the Year in 2020 and 2023. In 2023, JGPR won the ICCO Global Award for Crisis and Issues Management for its work helping a municipal police department navigate a serious misconduct case and rebuild public trust.

John holds two bachelor’s degrees: in journalism (B.A.) and criminal justice (B.S.) with a concentration in policing studies, both from Northeastern University, and he has a Master of Arts Degree in Journalism from Emerson College.