Tonight I learned that a mentor from early on in my career passed away.
Peter A. Morrissey, president and CEO of Morrissey & Company Public Relations in Boston, was a well-respected PR counselor in the Greater Boston area. His name carries weight in town and especially in the PR world.
I was employee number six of Morrissey & Company. It was during the dotcom phase when securing media coverage was as easy as a quick phone call (ad revenue was aplenty back then) and the web was exploding.
We had some great clients and some dog clients. Regardless, we treated each of the accounts with the utmost care and dedication because that's what Peter asked of us.
Peter shared his knowledge of the business with us everyday. He taught me a ton about reputation management, crisis public relations and media strategy.
While he was brilliant and witty, he also had a fantastic sense of humor. He was always telling stories and jokes. Most of the time, he'd share a story that was relevant to a business or personal situation. You never knew where the hell he was going with it, but a few minutes after you've sat on it, the point slapped you in the forehead.
He's going to be missed. His memorial service will be packed because he knew a ton of people in this business and in Boston.
Peter was one of a kind and a great mentor. I mentor others because of his influence on me.
Peter, thank you for helping shape my career. I will forever be grateful.
RIP.