JJ McKay
JJ McKay[1] is a business consultant, society host[2] public speaker, and a member of corporate and philanthropic boards.
McKay is most noted for being a connector and giving parties in a variety of cities to bring together business leaders, politicians, socialites, artists, tech and thought leaders. With his dinner parities touted as a mingling of guests with a variety of backgrounds, ages and interests, the Seattle Times referred to McKay as a modern-day Perle Mesta.[3]
McKay was a lead host of a major Sundance party that received coverage from the media including the New York Times. McKay has been referred to in the press as a socialite. Born in Kaneohe, Hawaii to a Marine Officer father and Southern mother roughly one year after the death of his infant sister, McKay's father was killed the day he was born in Vietnam. Following these tragedies, he was reared by his mother in her family’s hometown on the Gulf Coast.
His first job was for the Pensacola Escambia Sports Organizing Committee organizing a three-week-long Sports festival modeled on the Olympics. Afterwards he worked with U.S. Olympic wrestling, baseball, and volleyball teams along with the Soviet Wrestling and volleyball teams. After graduation, McKay worked in community relations. In the 90s McKay moved to Panama City, Florida where he continued to work and build organizations and companies. During his time in Florida, McKay was a television regular with cooking segments and appearances on regional talk shows.
Currently he is a consultant focused on partnerships, business strategy, and business development. He has a track record of success on the local, regional and national level. Some clients have included Fisher Companies, butter London, 206, and Cardiac Science. As a company advisor or advisory board member he has been active with Internmatch/ Looksharp, Toy Talk, U-Trip and Daily Beast. He currently serves on the board of US Bank for Washington.
McKay serves as board chairman of Mary’s Place and is also the chair of EYE TO HEART, the Middle East/ North Africa International Human Rights Film Festival held in Cario, Egypt and Tunis, Tunisia. Active in high school and college in fundraising and charitable causes, McKay joined the Florida Junior Miss board shortly have graduation. Still in his early 20s, McKay chaired the Pensacola/Escambia Memorial Day committee, a major event in Pensacola as home of US Naval Aviation. He working closely with the CO and XO of the USS Lexington and afterwards helped in a fundraising drive to build a smaller version of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Pensacola. McKay served on the board of Seattle Opera for 10 years chairing the Opera Gala twice. He is a past board member of the Pilchuck School of Glass having served as their governance chair. In 2012, McKay was the chairman of Seattle Center’s Big Birthday Bash celebrating their 50th Anniversary. This one day event had over 20,000 attendees on the ground of the former site of a 1962 World’s Fair. He continues to be active in a variety of galas and charity organizations like Ellen’s Run in the Hamptons.
Currently McKay resides in Seattle, Washington.
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