"Reasonable voice in the room..."
"Reasonable voice in the room..."
Michael Meath
Educator – Business Consultant – Community Leader
Over the last forty years, in business and as an educator, Michael has helped hundreds of leading organizations throughout the United States navigate sensitive and confidential situations. CEOs, boards of directors and legal counsel from the energy, education, healthcare, financial services, high-tech and defense industries have sought out Michael for his strategic insight and practical, down-to-earth business sense.
Academia
Michael served as the Interim Chair of Public Relations & Professor at the prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, as well as an adjunct at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON. He has taught courses in business ethics, public relations management, crisis communications and communications law. In addition, he has worked with MBA students at SU’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management, and is a guest lecturer at the Maxwell School in the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Michael also has presented regularly to programs developed through SU’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and economics from the State University of New York, and a master’s degree in communications management from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
Business
Prior to starting Fallingbrook Associates, Michael spent more than a decade developing and leading Strategic Communications, LLC, a highly-respected public relations, government relations, crisis communications and strategic planning firm with offices in Syracuse, NY and Washington, DC.
He served as vice president of business development and public affairs for Agway Energy Products, where he managed all public relations, legislative, regulatory, legal, and communications issues for the company’s 2,300 employees and 500,000 customers. He also served as Agway’s corporate director of health and safety and director of government, regulatory, and legal affairs. Before joining Agway, he spent more than a dozen years in the private healthcare and insurance sectors focused on risk management. He has been a registered lobbyist, and is a published author of articles, testimony, and position papers on a wide variety of topics. He has advised a long list of prominent organization leaders in media relations.
Community Leadership
Michael has served in leadership roles with multiple boards, including St. Joseph’s Health, Catholic Charities of Onondaga County, the Public Broadcasting Council of Central New York (CNY), Countryside Federal Credit Union, and Leadership Greater Syracuse. He is a former president of the board of directors for the Food Bank of CNY as well as president of the board of trustees for the Safety Council of CNY. In addition, Michael previously volunteered in a leadership role with the American Red Cross in providing disaster relief services during emergencies and crises.
He is an FAA certified private pilot and an avid kayaker.
