Being a proud UConn alum is not enough for Fran Onofrio ’81 (CLAS). Serving as a mentor for a current UConn student, sitting on the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors, and sharing his knowledge as part of the Association’s membership and marketing committee, Onofrio is eager to offer his professional expertise as a way to give back to the University.

“If people want my counsel or energy or a set of hands,  I’m here to do that,” says Onofrio, president of Mason Inc., a Bethany, Conn., brand development and marketing communications firm. “I’m doing it because I’ve just been so impressed with the changes at UConn—not just the physical changes, but  the success of the sports, the academic successes. I’m proud  to be a graduate of UConn.”

With more than 25 years of expertise in public relations and communications, including 13 years at Mason, Onofrio is a valuable resource and has the kind of knowledge that also serves him well in the business world. At Mason, he guides clients of all sizes and across many different industries in discovering how to showcase their greatest strengths to their customers.

“You hear the word ‘authenticity’ a lot today, and it’s become a buzzword in marketing. But it’s true. … We don’t position a client beyond their capabilities and what they can deliver. You get one shot,” says Onofrio, who has partnered with clients as diverse as Yale-New Haven Hospital, The United Illuminating Company, Bruegger’s Bagels, Travelers Insurance, and the Connecticut Sun.

Onofrio, a longtime member of the Public Relations Society of America and a 2010 inductee to its College of Fellows for his contribution to the public relations profession, has what he  calls an “instinct” for uncovering the specific strengths of  companies. He and his team at Mason help clients articulate  their company’s unique story or leadership in a particular market and then communicate it not only with authenticity but also with consistency.

“We always start with looking at what they are trying to do,” Onofrio says of his clients. “What products or services are they selling? Where do they fit into the marketplace? What’s true  to them? … It’s really looking at what’s at the heart of an  organization, what it delivers well and bringing that to life.”