Gail L. Moaney
Executive Vice President, Director Travel and Economic Development
Ruder Finn
New York City
The daughter of a merchant marine, Gail L. Moaney seemed destined to travel the globe. From New York to the Caribbean, Europe and Africa; from network, cable and public-broadcasting television studios to Ruder Finn’s executive management team, this Bronx, N.Y., native always writes her own ticket. “I want my life to be measured, not by my possessions, but by my actions,” says Moaney.
Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Howard University, Moaney took a secretarial job with WRC-TV, the NBC-owned and operated station in Washington, D.C. She moved quickly through the administrative ranks to land a production assistant position, ultimately becoming executive producer for several regional and national television stations.
Named chief of communications for Ohio’s Department of Economic Development, she directed media relations for the state’s international trade, tourism, technology and business-development divisions. At Mount Carmel Health, also in Ohio, she managed a $1.6 million budget for the hospital’s communications and fund development efforts. Today, she is executive vice president and director of Ruder Finn’s Travel and Economic Development practice, overseeing a client roster that includes airlines, destinations, hotels, resorts and online travel-related services.
Moaney is driven by a single mantra: Opportunities are in the eyes of the beholder. Her awards include the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Emmy Award, the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals’ MarCom Creative Award and several Adrian Awards sponsored by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. Moaney sits on the boards of The New York Urban League, The American Foundation for The University of The West Indies Partnership, The Caribbean Media Exchange, Counterpart International and Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America.
She holds a master’s degree in broadcasting production and management from American University and is an adjunct professor at New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
