Jay Winuk

Jay S. Winuk is co-founder and executive vice president of 9/11 Day, the nonprofit organization that began and annually organizes the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

On September 11, 2001, Jay’s brother Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney, volunteer firefighter and EMT, was killed in the line of duty at the World Trade Center. Inspired by his brother’s lifelong devotion to community service and courageous actions, Jay joined David Paine in 2002 as co-founder in helping to build and lead the 9/11 Day observance.

Jay is a frequent public speaker and a leading national voice about volunteerism, charitable service, terrorism, individual empowerment and his own experience as the brother of a murdered 9/11 first responder. His work, commentary and personal story have been featured in major news media reports, documentaries and books throughout the nation and world. Jay was a featured speaker at the nationally televised ServiceNation “Presidential Candidates Forum” at Columbia University, representing the 9/11 family community and delivering his remarks just prior to those of candidates U.S. Senators Barack Obama and John McCain.

Jay’s story and work have been featured in media outlets such as The Washington Post, NBC “Today Show,” Associated Press, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, Newsday, FOX News, NPR, ABC News, Cheddar News, CBS “Morning Show,” The Los Angeles Times, PR News, WCBS News Radio, PR Daily, Bostonia Magazine, Reader’s Digest, MLB Network and many other domestic and international media outlets.

Since co-founding the nonprofit 9/11 Day organization with David Paine, Jay has spoken about charitable service and volunteerism before dozens of audiences – including at national conferences, corporate and annual meetings, press conferences with national legislative leaders, charitable events, on Capitol Hill, at colleges and high schools and more. Opinion pieces and articles Jay has written have been published by numerous media outlets and organizations, including CNN, Yahoo News, the National Constitution Center, Gannett Newspapers, McClatchy, the HandsOn Network, The Record and the United States Department of State, which invited Jay to write for its publication, “Resilience After Terrorism,” which was distributed to all U.S. embassies around the world.

Jay is the recipient of numerous awards, including the “Daily Point of Light Award” from President George H.W. Bush and the Points of Light Institute for “creating meaningful change in communities across America” and “helping to shape a better tomorrow for our nation;” the “President’s Call to Service Award” from The White House, one of the nation’s highest civilian service honors; the “Most Inspiring Person of the Year” Award” from Beliefnet, an online resource for inspiration and spirituality; the “Teammates in the Community Award” from the New York Mets and the Citi Foundation; and the “2024 Legacy Award” from Voices Center for Resilience, among many other honors.

In recognition of his work in the national service sector, and as a tribute to his late brother Glenn, Jay was invited by U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to be her sole guest at President George W. Bush’s final “State of the Union” address in 2008. Upon the killing of terrorist Osama Bin Laden by the U.S. military in May 2011, Jay and his wife Carolyn Winuk were invited by The White House to be among a select group of 9/11 family members to meet privately with President Barack Obama.

In association with his late brother’s law firm, Holland & Knight, Jay helped establish and lead the Glenn J. Winuk Humanitarian Fund, which provided scholarships to college students demonstrating a record of community service and other charitable grants.

In addition to his leadership role for 9/11 Day, Jay serves as president of Winuk Communications, Inc., the public relations agency he founded in 1994. He and his firm have won numerous national public relations awards, including multiple Silver and Bronze Anvils from the Public Relations Society of America, the industry’s highest honors.  In this capacity Jay has provided PR support to many of the nation’s leading corporations, nonprofits and other organizations. Previously, Jay held various positions at Burson-Marsteller and Golin/Harris, two of the nation’s leading PR firms, and served as director of public relations for Radio City Productions, one of the nation’s leading live entertainment companies. He also was a partner and managing director of Dirty Water Integrated, a branding/advertising/PR agency in New York City.

Over the years, Jay’s clients have included the NFL Alumni Association, The Coca-Cola Company, General Foods, the City of West Berlin (Germany), Pfizer, Kreindler & Kreindler, a Journey for 9/11, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Citibank, Clear Channel Entertainment, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and many others. Jay began his career in the nonprofit sector, leading public relations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston. He earned a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University and a B.A. degree in communications from the State University of New York at Oneonta.