Local Resident, Jay Winuk, to Recieve SUNY Oneonta Distinguished Alumnus Award

ONEONTA, NY (03/01/2012)(readMedia)-- Jay S. Winuk of Mahopac, N.Y., has been selected to receive SUNY Oneonta's 2012 Distinguished Alumnus Award in recognition of his professional accomplishments and his outstanding efforts to promote volunteerism and charitable service. He will receive the award in a ceremony Saturday, June 2, during the college's annual Reunion Weekend.

Winuk, a 1980 SUNY Oneonta graduate, is the president/founder of the public relations firm Winuk Communications, Inc. and the co-founder and vice president of the nonprofit MyGoodDeed (MGD), which started as a grassroots initiative soon after 9/11 and has since successfully advocated for September 11 to be federally designated as a "National Day of Service and Remembrance."

Winuk co-founded the MyGoodDeed organization with his friend and colleague David Paine in honor of Winuk's late brother, volunteer firefighter and attorney Glenn J. Winuk '83, who died in the line of duty on 9/11. MGD's goal is to establish both an appropriate recognition of the tragic 9/11 events and a productive way forward for future generations. Under Winuk and his colleagues' leadership, the 10th anniversary of 9/11 was the largest day of service in the nation's history, with a projected 30+ million Americans participating. In recognition of Winuk's and Paine's efforts, the White House invited them to attend President Barack Obama's signing of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009, which included the 9/11 service provision. Winuk and his wife, Carolyn, were among the 9/11 family members who subsequently met privately with President Obama in NYC in May 2011, just days after the United States captured and killed Osama Bin Laden.

For his pro bono work as a national leader on service issues, Winuk was honored in 2008 by the White House with the President's Call to Service Award. In 2011, he was awarded the Teammates in the Community Award by the NY Mets Alumni Association and Citi Foundation, and with the Daily Point of Light Award by the Points of Light Institute. He was also recognized as the 2011 Most Inspiring Person of the Year by Beliefnet, a comprehensive, multi-faith online resource for inspiration and spirituality.

As a career public relations professional, Winuk has been a leader on numerous charitable and cause-related projects. These include Young Audiences New York, Unmet Needs,