CEO / President
Being part of the Hermanoff team is like being with family. Each team member brings a fresh perspective to the client.
Sandy is recognized for her development and execution of innovative, successful and creative strategies. She has superb media contacts locally, nationally and internationally, and has developed many long-term relationships with members of political, business and community power structures.
Sandy opened her firm in 1985. She has extensive PR experience with radio and television; corporate, retail, government, healthcare, real estate and financial sectors; major fund-raising and political campaigns; and employee communications programs in the United States and Canada. A frequent speaker and lecturer, Sandy has published various articles on public relations and marketing.
In 1994, Sandy was named a member of the College of Fellows, the highest honor in the Public Relations Society of America and in the profession. In April 2009, Sandy was inducted into the PRSA Hall of Fame, which reflects a candidate’s significant contribution to the profession, to the PRSA Detroit Chapter and the community. She is a past member board member of the Council of PR Firms and currently sits on the Worldcom board heading up professional development. She is an accredited member of PRSA and an active member of the Counselors Academy, where she has served on the board in various capacities since 1996. In 2000, she chaired “The Changing Dynamics of Leadership” Conference in Tucson, Arizona.
In 2007 she was named one of the 11 Sages in the country by the Counselors Academy. She is a past president of Detroit Counselors Academy and a past vice president/public relations of Women In Communications. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Economic Club of Detroit and serves on the scholarship committee; she has also chaired sustaining membership.
Sandy is a board member of Arise Detroit, The Detroit College Promise and on the board of the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit where she serves on the executive committee. A past president of Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit, she also is a former board member of Music Hall, and the board of advisors of University of Detroit/Mercy College of Business Administration.
Her honors include the 2012 Women Officials Network Foundation’s Wonder Woman Distinguished Public Service Award; the 2012 Distinguished Service Award for Women and Leadership in the Workplace presented by the Michigan Business & Professional Association; and the Top 10 1998 Women Business Owners of Distinction Award presented by the National Association of Women Business Owners, Greater Detroit Chapter. She received the Athena Award in 1996, which is presented annually by the Farmington/Farmington Hills Chamber of Commerce in recognition of business, professional and community services. She is the creator of the I’m a Believer Campaign that is changing the minds and hearts of thousands of metro Detroiters to volunteer and make Detroit a great city again, working with dozens of community leaders. The Campaign won Best of Show (1,000 entries from 21 countries) at the Mercury Awards in New York City, March 2012.
Sandy graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor¹s degree in journalism, specializing in public relations. She has also earned a certificate from the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University, completing a course in strategic leadership for public relations executives. An avid Buckeye fan, she is past Chair of the OSU Presidents Club, and was recently given the honorary title of Director Emeritus of the Presidents Club Advisory Board. Sandy is recipient of the coveted Gerlach Award, the highest recognition of volunteerism at the University. She is a past member of the Board of Directors, The Ohio State University Alumni Association.
Sandy and her husband Michael have a son Jeff, daughter-in-law Jungwon, grandson Aaron and dachshund named Bertie.