Stater Archives

Stater Home Page

School of Communication

Professor inducted into hall of fame

By Melissa Miller

“This is a very happy day for me.  I am indeed both honored and humbled by this great recognition,” Rob Spademan said to the crowded luncheon on May 17, when he accepted his induction into the Cleveland Advertising Association (CAA) Hall of Fame. Spademan, who is a adjunct faculty at the School of Communication, was honored for his outstanding long-term contributions to advertising, his innovative pursuit to further himself in the field and his creative skills that are advanced beyond the industry standards.
"I fell in love with the notion of advertising in high school,” Spademan told the crowd at Window on the River. As a youth he said how he would sneak off to the Avon Lake Public Library to read the Advertising Age while day-dreaming about a future career in the field.
While capturing his dreams, Spademan has committed 20 years of involvement along with the CAA, serving on all major committees, office chairs and as president from 1989-1999. The CAA offers professional educational courses, social activities, fundraisers, networking agendas, speaker series and much more creative and professional guidance oriented activities for its 650 plus members. Spademan teaches the master course for the CAA each spring.
“While today I am serving on our District 5 board and will become governor next summer, I remain involved and committed to the Cleveland Advertising Association,” Spademan said.
In 2001 Spademan established a scholarship at the CAA in his name, given to a deserving student each January. Then in the fall of 2003 he started teaching a variety of Public Relations and Advertising classes at Cleveland State University, including Principals of Advertising (COM 360), which he will teach this fall.
Spademan currently works as the director of Marketing and Sales for Pfingsten Publishing in Cleveland, the largest producer of its kind in the country. There he works to produce art shows and related trade publications in the United States.
In his Speech Spademan said, “I would like to acknowledge my fellow faculty members and students from Cleveland State University, who are here today. I don’t know how many of you know this, but just last year the Ohio Board of Regents gave us permission to form a School of Communication at CSU. We are now in the process of forming majors and finalizing plans to ensure that our profession is fed with an ongoing pool of homegrown talent for generations to come.  Thank you CSU. Go Vikings!”
Spademan believes he and the other 102 Hall of Famers share one true virtue of passion. A passion for the business that “defines logic, science and proof.” Passion for the business that has changed over the years, still demanding creativity, the ability to keep up with communicative innovations and that “when gets done right delivers a feeling that no other profession can.” Thankful that his “passion” came early in life Spademan considers himself honored and one of the lucky ones.
            

Top of Page