Author, professor taps military experiences to launch PR Delaware.

In the field of public relations, life experience goes a long way in establishing common ground with various publics, generating creative ideas and forming a bond between diverse groups and individuals.

Luckily for David Skocik, 61, life experience is something he has in spades and this experience provided him with a wealth of knowledge about PR. In fact, he wrote the book on it, literally. His book, "Practical Public Relations for the Small Business: tools and tactics for competitive advantage," was just released in March.

Skocik is the owner of PR Delaware LLC, a public relations agency specializing in both corporate and personal comprehensive PR practices. The bulk of his experience came from time served in the military.

After 11 years of active duty in the Air Force working in air freight and air traffic control and two years in the Air Force Reserve working in maintenance, Skocik eventually served in the Delaware National Guard and Navy Reserve, finding his niche in public affairs.

"As a Navy Reservist, I was called to active duty at the National Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., in March 2003," Skocik said, recalling a particularly stirring experience. "I was privileged to work with pairing battle-injured Marines with the media for the first three months of a 10-month tour. That experience had a more profound effect on me than 18 months in Vietnam. There are more heroes among us than the public will ever know."

Between his service in the Air Force Reserve and the Delaware National Guard, Skocik earned a bachelor’s degree in communication in 1984 from Wilmington College, a master’s degree in communications in 1986 from Temple University, and his accreditation in public relations in 1992. After leaving active duty in 1997, he spent 11 years in academics before taking the leap by opening his agency in 2008.

Like any business endeavor, Skocik knew the risks associated with opening a PR firm.

"(The initial concern was) securing sufficient clients to make a living while my wife, who is a nurse, kept the

 household bills paid," he said. "Many small-business people don’t really understand the value of public relations planning."

Skocik said he was drawn to his field by the prospect of expressing creativity. He enjoys working with creative professionals and with various types of businesses to generate visibility for them.

"The key to success in my business is constant contact with and for clients," Skocik said. "It’s keeping your

 head up for your clients and watching for unexpected opportunity… The aspect I enjoy most about being a public relations consultant is setting my own schedule, which allows me to teach a course or two per semester at the local university."

While Skocik doesn’t necessarily believe he learned all he needs to know about public relations from his military experience, he doesn’t downplay the effect his service had on shaping one of his career philosophies.

"A long time ago I learned that there are a lot of people with good ideas who will take all the free advice you are willing to give, but either never follow through or don’t have the funds to pay for your services," he said. "Be wary of giving your expertise away."

Skocik has packed a century’s worth of experience into his 61 years of life. A few highlights include authoring/co-authoring two books, moderating political debates, emceeing parades and serving as the inaugural parade announcer for the Presidential Reviewing Booth at the White House for the 2005 inauguration of former President George W. Bush. He also earned two Air Force Commendation Medals and a Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

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