About Gordon Hesse

Ironically, I became a writer and public relations consultant by studying to be an architect. After five semesters of physics and calculus, I realized that writing had a stronger allure, and I went on to earn my degree in English and Fine Arts from Clemson University. Those lessons in Design have proven helpful in my later work.

In my mind, I needed to experience some excellent adventures to become a writer, so I set off in search of a few. And I found them by hitchhiking across the country, surfing in Hawaii, getting shaken in earthquakes, dashing through the surf as a lifeguard, bartending, working on fishing vessels, and even living in a communist prison for a few months.

Once I had my fill of that life, I lived out one of my fantasies of becoming a sort of “gumshoe,” conducting pre-sentence investigations for the judicial system. I became good at speaking with people from all walks of life, uncovering crucial information that wasn’t in plain sight, and assembling the elements into a cohesive report. I also wanted to contribute to society, and ran a Big Brothers-type program for three years.

When an entry-level public relations position opened up at the United Methodist Homes of New Jersey requiring a generalist—someone who was comfortable as a writer, publication designer, photographer, and communicator—I jumped at the opportunity. I had an excellent mentor who impressed upon me the importance of ethics in public relations work. That job started me on the career path I still travel. In 1986, after passing extensive written and oral testing, and receiving high recommendations, I was accredited by the Public Relations Society of America.

I’ve been active in the non-profit, academic, medical, public, and private arenas for more than 30 years, working collaboratively with diverse clients. I’m proud that this career has allowed me to serve a number of organizations that strive to make our society and our world a better place—most notably the public library system and the YMCA.

In my spare time, I wrote All Summer Long: Tales and Lore of Lifeguarding on the Atlantic, a product of interviews with East Coast lifeguards from the last 70 years. It was published by Jersey Shore Publications in 2004.

I’m now pursuing the quest of getting my second book, Cuban Blues: A Memoir of Captivity and Resurrection published and a historical screenplay, Children of the Sky—The Odyssey of Cabeza de Vaca, produced.