Paine in front of his wall of memorabilia at his home office in Newport Beach, Calif Photo by Kendrick Brinson
A Q& A WITH DAVID PAINE ’75, PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER OF 9/11 DAY By Carol Visnapuu
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fter the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, David Paine was inspired by the extraordinary spirit of unity and togetherness that emerged both in New York City and around the nation. With this in mind, he founded the nonprofit 9/11 Day in 2002 with his friend, Jay Winuk, who lost his brother, Glenn, an attorney in New York City and a 32
Berkshire Bulletin
volunteer firefighter and EMT, in the line of duty during the rescue efforts. “We wanted to ensure that something good would come from the attacks, and that those responsible wouldn’t have the last word,” Paine said. The nonprofit was instrumental in establishing September 11 as a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance, which invites Americans to do one good deed on
the anniversary of the attacks in honor of those lives lost or injured, and to keep the promise to “never forget.” Under Paine’s leadership, 9/11 Day has become the nation’s largest annual day of charitable engagement. Before launching 9/11 Day, Paine founded the public relations agency PainePR. During his 23-year tenure, the company won over 100 public relations awards, and he was recognized for his innovative humanistic philosophies in the workplace, creating a peoplefriendly culture. Paine lives in Southern California with his wife, Laney, and their 12-year old son, Ryan. They also have three adult children, Matthew, Eric, and Alyssa.
