As Ohio University President Roderick McDavis recited a speech to a capacity crowd, a lawyer from Columbus lurked in the shadows outside the ballroom talking incessantly into his smart phone.
Mark Weaver, a communications consultant and former assistant attorney general, helped write that speech, along with 15 other people ' depending on the account.
Though in the past Weaver has charged a fee for his campus work, this time he did not. Still, he has made nearly $7,200 from university work this year.
It's common practice in the world of public relations and marketing that you engage outside counsel
said Joe Brennan, executive director of University Communications and Marketing. It helps to have another set of eyes ' a fresh perspective.
Through the Columbus-based Communications Counsel, Inc., Weaver has been contracting with the university for months, running everything from open records seminars to coaching Communications and Marketing about handling the media.
He charged $4,200 to prepare curriculum create teaching materials and travel to Athens to speak with communications and marketing staff for a daylong seminar in early August.
He said he also often talks with Brennan about staffing issues. When Brennan had to fill a vacant senior director position, Weaver said he was consulted. Sally Linder was eventually hired to fill that void.
Joe and I probably talk once a week or so about staffing questions Weaver said.
In January, Weaver led a seminar in open records laws for university personnel, including college deans. He was paid $2,000.
He was paid $1,000 for a staff seminar in November.
This is not the first time that Brennan and Weaver have worked together. They met about 4 hours north on the campus of the University of Toledo.
Then-Toledo University President Vik J. Kapoor hired Weaver to teach his staff how to deal with the media and open records lawsuits. Weaver said at the time Toledo was dealing with an excited and angry The Blade in Toledo.
Brennan was on the president's staff. After the work, they parted ways and years later Brennan contacted Weaver to do similar work at Ohio University, Weaver said.
Weaver was an assistant to former attorney general Betty Montgomery and Ohio Republican consultant.
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Sean Gaffney
