Chick-fil-A says Don Perry, vice president of public relations, has died

Don Perry, the vice president of public relations for Chick-fil-A, has died, according to a statement from the University of Georgia, where he served on the board of the journalism school.

Perry, originally from Valdosta, Georgia, started at the fast-food chain in 1983, helping launch the public relations arm of the company, he told Georgia Magazine in an alumni profile published last month.

The Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A had annual sales of more than $4.1 billion last year and has more than 1,615 locations in 39 states and Washington, D.C., with the strongest concentration in the Southeast.

It has recently come under fire by gay rights supporters for comments made by the company President Dan Cathy, who said the company backs the traditional family unit.