David L. Mona
David L. Mona (born July 4, 1943) is an American public relations executive, community and business leader, and award-winning sports journalist and writer. He co-founded the Midwestern public relations firm Mona Meyer McGrath and Gavin, reported for WCCO-TV and The Minneapolis Tribune, and as of April 2020 has hosted the Sports Huddle radio program on WCCO-AM every Sunday Morning for 40 years.
Background and early career[edit]
A Minnesota native, Mona grew up in South Minneapolis where he lettered in basketball and baseball at Minneapolis Roosevelt High School and was selected into the Roosevelt High School Hall of Fame in 2017. He attended the University of Minnesota (B.A. Journalism 1965) where he graduated cum laude and was sports editor of the Minnesota Daily collegiate newspaper.[1]
WCCO-TV and Minneapolis Tribune[edit]
Mona began his career in 1962 as a reporter for Dave Moore’s Bedtime Nooz. In 1965 he joined the staff of The Minneapolis Tribune, where he worked as a reporter and editor for five years, winning regional and national awards for his feature and sports writing. He was the beat writer covering Minnesota Twins baseball during the 1968 and 1969 seasons.[2]
Corporate and agency public relations[edit]
Mona worked for 10 years in corporate public relations, first as director of public relations for International Multifoods Corp.[3] and then as vice president–communications for The Toro Company.[3]
In 1981 Mona founded David L. Mona & Associates, later becoming Mona Meyer McGrath & Gavin (MMM&G) a Twin Cities public relations agency that grew to 65 employees in seven years.[2] Mona was named “Small Business Person of the Year” by the suburban Minneapolis city of Bloomington in 1987. That year the agency was named to the Inc. 500, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. MMM&G appeared on the list again in 1988, the same year the firm was acquired by London-based Shandwick.[4] Today, Weber Shandwick has offices in 79 cities and is the second largest public relations agency in the world.[5] Upon his retirement in 2013 he was selected into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame.[2]
Community involvement[edit]
Mona has been active in many high-profile regional events. He was instrumental in bringing the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four basketball tournament to Minnesota in 1992[2] serving on the executive committees for both efforts. He was the Minnesota state chairman of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Torch Relay. Mona and his wife, Linda, co-chaired the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open golf championship at Interlachen Country Club[1] in suburban Minneapolis and he served as co-chair of the 2015 National Senior Games[2] in Minnesota.
Business and board leadership[edit]
Mona served as the national president of the Council of Growing Companies and was the 1995 recipient of the council's prestigious "Bootstrap Award" for his contributions to entrepreneurism. In 1999 he served as the national president of the 60,000-member University of Minnesota Alumni Association.[1] In 2000 he was board chair of the Greater Minneapolis Area Chamber of Commerce[1] and chaired the board of Meet Minneapolis, the region’s convention and visitor’s bureau, from 2005-2007.[6] Mona also chaired the board of the Minnesota Vikings Children’s Fund from 2000 to 2019.[2] In recognition of all he has done for the business, sports and non-profit communities, Mona was selected for the Minneapolis. St.Paul Magazine “Twin Cities Volunteer Hall of Fame” in 2006.
He currently chairs the board of VocalEssence,[2] the Twin Cities Dunkers breakfast club, and the Twin Cities Communications Council. Mona serves on the boards of the Minnesota State Fair Foundation[7] and the Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau. [8] In 2019, he received the “Going Viking Award” from Minnesota-based Norway House.[9]
Radio host, sports announcer and author[edit]
For the past 39 years Mona has co-hosted the WCCO Radio "Sports Huddle," the top-rated sports talk show in the region. In 2005 he received both the Associated Press and Edward R. Murrow Awards for his work as 14-year color analyst on WCCO Radio broadcasts of University of Minnesota football games.[1] Mona’s book, “Beyond the Sports Huddle: Mona on Minnesota,” became a regional best seller in 2008.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 pcstumpf (2017-08-28). "Dave and Linda Mona to be 2017 U of M Homecoming Grand Marshals". University Relations. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Dave Mona". Twin Cities Business. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "David L. Mona | University Awards and Honors". uawards.umn.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ↑ "Sara Gavin". Twin Cities Business. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ↑ "Weber Shandwick PR Company Profile - PR News". Everything-PR: Public Relations, Marketing and Social Media News. 2018-06-06. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ↑ "Dave Mona: The PR "gold standard"". Bizjournals. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ↑ "Foundation Board". Minnesota State Fair Foundation. 2014-02-05. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ↑ "About the Bloomington, Minnesota Convention and Visitors Bureau". www.bloomingtonmn.org. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ↑ "Going Viking Award". Norway House. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
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