Marc C. Whitt is an award-winning public relations professional, bestselling author, and student-focused educator with four decades of experience. He has held senior leadership and teaching positions at public and private colleges and universities in Kentucky, while consulting for numerous corporate and nonprofit organizations across the U.S. His in-person and virtual speaking engagements have taken him throughout the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. He recently joined Strategic Magazine, a global platform for communication industry leaders, as a columnist.

​

Marc currently serves at the University of Kentucky on the senior leadership team of the Office of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, and is a part-time instructor where he teaches PR classes in the UK College of Communication & Information's Department of Integrated Strategic Communication.

​

His third book, 'TAKEAWAYS: Ideas, Strategies and Encouragement for the Nonprofit Public Relations Professional' (Cherrymoon Media, Sept. 8, 2025), features a foreword by Morgan Roth, Chief Marketing Officer of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The book offers practical strategies and leadership insights drawn from Marc’s extensive work in nonprofit communications.

 

His second book, 'When In Doubt, Make Applesauce! Core Habits of the Masterful Public Relations Professional' (Cherrymoon Media, 2022), became a #1 Amazon New Release in Public Relations and later an Amazon Best Seller. It was a 2023 finalist in the Goody Business Book Awards (“Business: Marketing & Advertising”) and a 2024 finalist in the International Book Awards. BookAuthority ranked it #11 on its list of the “100 Best Public Relations Books of All Time” and #10 among the “Best New Public Relations Books to Read.”

 

Marc’s debut book, 'PR Lessons Learned Along the Way: Strategies, Tips & Advice for the Higher Ed and Nonprofit Public Relations Professional' (Cherrymoon Media, 2020), was Amazon’s #1 New PR Book Release and has earned 10 BookAuthority recognitions. These include #4 on the “100 Best PR Books of All Time” and the #1 “Best PR Book for Beginners” in both 2023 and 2024. The book was also named a “recommended read” by the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) and features a foreword by respected higher education journalist Melissa Ezarik.

 

In 2024, Marc was honored with the “PRSA East Central District Platinum Award,” recognizing his distinguished service and leadership in the profession at the national, regional, and local levels. Other honors include the “James C. Bowling Excellence in Public Relations Award,” presented by the University of Kentucky Journalism Alumni Association and UK Department of Integrated Strategic Communication to "an outstanding public relations practitioner with ties to Kentucky,” the “Distinguished Alumnus Award” from Eastern Kentucky University’s Department of Communication, the “EKU Golden Apple Award for Teaching,” and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Kentucky’s “Beth K. Fields Service Award for Leadership in Advancement.”

 

A member of Phi Kappa Phi, Marc has been recognized as a “Social Impact Author” for his contributions to public relations education and thought leadership.

 

He is a former longtime columnist for University Business magazine and has served in numerous leadership roles. These include national chair of the Association of American Colleges & Universities Advisory Council on Communications and Public Affairs, the CASE District III Board, the PRCA International University Advisory Council, and the International Town & Gown Association Board. He currently serves on the boards of the PRSA Thoroughbred Chapter, the Christian Appalachian Project, and the Kentucky Baptist Foundation.

​

An avid supporter of the arts, Marc is a founding member of the 80-member Madison Community Band and currently serves as president of its nonprofit support organization -Friends of the Madison Community Band. In recognition of his service to the performing arts and music education, the Kentucky Music Educators Association District 11 presented him with its "Distinguished Service Award."

​

Marc proudly and gratefully serves on the boards of the PRSA Thoroughbred Chapter, Christian Appalachian Project, and the Kentucky Baptist Foundation.

​​

A proud son of Paintsville - a small town located in the heart of Kentucky's Appalachian region - Marc and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Richmond, Kentucky. They are the parents of three children, Emily (Mark Fields), Elizabeth (Christian Muncie), and Jacob (Ashton Jernigan), the grandparents of four grandblessings - Annaleigh, Aubrey, Hayden, and Sarah - and three granddogs, Ella Beth, Teddy, and Whiskey. .