Penske Media Vice Chairman Gerry Byrne Receives U.S. Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award
Penske Media Vice Chairman Gerry Byrne received the U.S. Navy’s top civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Award, on Friday in New York City, in a ceremony attended by Byrne’s colleagues, friends and fellow veterans. He was also joined by his wife, Liz, and his daughter Megan, an actor currently appearing on Broadway in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
While presenting Byrne with the award, Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, hailed the media executive as “an extraordinary human being” and praised him for “his philanthropic work, his energy [and] his passion.”
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Byrne, who served as a Marine officer in Vietnam and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat V, has found myriad ways to give back to the community. At PMC, he helped establish the Salute to Service events at Variety and Rolling Stone, that highlights the contributions of veterans and military families, while helping to launch an affinity group for veterans. He has also served on the boards of numerous not-for-profits including Fisher House, the Intrepid Museum and the Bob Woodruff Foundation.
Byrne said that his experience in the Marines and his Jesuit education at Fordham University helped shape his values, as well as his desire to make a difference. That belief system led, Byrne said, to his role at PMC, which he helped guide during its two-decade-long history.
“When I [sat down] for a small dinner in Los Angeles with [PMC founder] Jay Penske…he was searching for what he really wanted to do, and he had this vision to create this media company,” Byrne remembered. “Our conversation was all about integrity and leadership…Those are unique words and assets to find in the environment that we live in.”
Byrne’s career in media has included stints as the publisher of Variety and Crain’s New York Business, along with leadership roles at organizations such as Norman Lear’s ACT III Communications. In addition to creating shows such as “Happy Days” and “All in the Family,” Lear flew 52 combat missions as a gunner during World War II. Their shared military service gave Lear and Byrne a special connection. Byrne said he once asked Lear how he managed to balance his busy professional life with his philanthropic work for organizations like People for the American Way, a left-leaning non-profit that the TV guru founded.
“He said, ‘Gerry, life is not a rehearsal,'” Byrne remembered. “When you think about it, the moment that we’re sharing today…This ain’t gonna happen again. It’s this moment. So just think about the opportunities that each and every one of you have to make a difference.”
Established in 1951, the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award is presented by the U.S. Secretary of the Navy to civilians for specific courageous or heroic acts or exceptionally outstanding service of substantial and long-term benefit to the Navy, Marine Corps or Department of the Navy as a whole. It is the highest recognition that the Secretary of the Navy can pay to a civilian not employed by the Department of the Navy.
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