Leadership

PRSA Chicago Officers and Committee Chairs, 2011

Officers

PRESIDENT

Debbie Harvey, APR
Senior Vice President
GolinHarris
P: 312.729.4374
dharvey@golinharris.com

Debbie is a senior vice president who provides strategic counsel to Boehringer Ingelheim’s patient advocacy relations (PAR) group across a variety of therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular complications (atrial fibrillation), diabetes and oncology. Previously she led Breathe Right brand communications for GlaxoSmithKline as well as brand and advocacy relations for Shire’s ulcerative colitis brand Lialda. In a prior role, she provided employee communications counsel for the neuroscience business division of Bristol-Myers Squibb and led the corporate communications account for Alcon Laboratories, Inc.

Debbie led the TOPAMAX migraine and epilepsy businesses for Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., from 2004 to 2006 and was integral to the conceptualization, development of execution of the award-winning, multi-year “Mind Over Migraine” campaign, reaching millions of women to help empower them to take better control of their migraine. She brings with her a myriad of experience with managing consumer and professional education and awarness programs, FDA approvals, new product launches and issues management.

Prior to joining GolinHarris in 2004, Debbie was at KPR, a New York-based integrated marketing communications agency, where she managed public relations activities for various 3M Pharmaceuticals accounts. During her tenure at KPR, she was integrally involved in the sNDA launch of Aldara Cream for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis, as well as managed strategic initiatives for women’s health product MetroGel-Vaginal and sexually transmitted infection treatment Aldara Cream.

Earlier in her career, Debbie worked at Burson-Marsteller, where she worked on various direct-to-professional and direct-to-consumer education programs. She managed a variety of accounts, including AstraZeneca’s migraine treatment ZOMIG, for which she helped launch ZOMIG Nasal Spray. Debbie worked on diabetes public awareness education initiatives with the Lions Clubs International and the International Diabetes Federation to help seed support for Eli Lilly’s pipeline diabetic microvascular complications treatment. She also helped design and support Aventis’ National Leadership Conference and coalition development for deep vein thrombosis to raise public awareness about the condition, which generated more than 70 million impressions nationwide.

Debbie holds a master’s degree in Corporate Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University and graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science in English and communications from Boston College. She is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and is president-elect of the Chicago Chapter board. She is a New York native learning to love the Windy City as much as the Big Apple.

VICE PRESIDENT

Abby Lovett
VP, Group Manager
Ketchum
P: (312) 228-6800
Abby.Lovett@ketchum.com

Abby Lovett is a VP/GM in Ketchum’s Chicago office. In her current role, she oversees a portfolio of top-tier CPG brands for the agency, bringing with her 10+ years of public relations experience, from both in-house and agency roles across a variety of industries and clients.

She joined the agency from Weber Shandwick, where she oversaw mom-targeted efforts as part of the National Milk Mustache “got milk?”® Campaign, including Milk Mustache celebrity ad launch events, social media and online strategy and execution and educational platform development.

Before joining Weber Shandwick, Abby worked at Leo Burnett Worldwide, where she regularly secured coverage on behalf of the global agency’s campaigns, executives and thought leadership platforms in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Adweek and AdAge, among other outlets. While there, she managed worldwide outreach for Earth Hour, an event in which one in seven people globally participated. She directed the agency’s annual presence at worldwide industry events, including the Cannes International Advertising Festival, where Burnett’s seminar was the best-attended and the agency’s annual party was credited by Campaign as the “can’t-miss event” of the Festival.

She began her career at Dome Communications, where she established and led the first-ever Dome HK Creative Department (DHKD) in addition to her consumer PR duties across a portfolio of food and beverage clients.

Abby received a B.A. in English Composition from DePauw University and an M.S. in Communication Systems Strategy and Management from Northwestern University. She serves on the Chicago PRSA Board of Directors.

TREASURER

Bob Kornecki
Director of Individual Giving
Midtown Educational Foundation
P: (312) 420-5846
bob@kornecki.com

Bob Kornecki’s experience in the public relations industry spanned 35 years, nearly evenly split between Buson-Marsteller (in Chicago and Santa Clara, CA) and Edelman (in Chicago and Atlanta).

Since leaving the agency business in 2007, he has taught public relations and organizational communication at DePaul and Loyola and joined the development staff of Midtown Educational Foundation (MEF) in Chicago as director of individual giving. MEF sponsors after-school and summertime programs for Chicago inner-city youth in the West Loop and Bucktown neighborhoods.

In addition to now serving on the Executive Board of PRSA Chicago, Bob also serves in advisory capacities on the Dean’s Council at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at Northern Illinois University (his alma mater) and the Dean’s Council at the College of Communication at DePaul. He previously served on the board of the Business Marketing Association chapter in Chicago and was Edelman’s representative on the board of the Institute for Public Relations for several years. He remains an active member of the Executives’ Club of Chicago.

A self-published book entitled How to Thrive in the Public Relations Business: 35 Tips from a 35-Year Veteran is available through Amazon in either print or digital format. Approximately 2,000 copies have been distributed through instructors and PRSSA chapters around the country.

IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT

Amy Littleton
Vice President
KemperLesnik Communications
P: 312.755.3572
amy.littleton@kemperlesnik.com
Twitter : @amylitt,@kemperlesnik

Amy Littleton leads KemperLesnik’s public relations organization, focusing primarily on driving strategic communications programs for the company’s core PR clients, managing the agency’s PR staff and developing new client relationships.

Amy joined KemperLesnik in 2003 after close to 10 years working at Edelman, Slack Barshinger and in her own PR agency business, developing and implementing strategic communications programs for clients such as Auntie Anne’s Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels, B2BWorks, Business Logic, Curves for Women, iProperty.com, Illinois Power, UNext.com and others. In addition, she assisted in managing the media relations and logistics components of a nationwide promotional campaign featuring the gold medal winning U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team for General Mills, Inc.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Science in Business/Marketing from Florida State University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Loyola University Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. She is currently president-elect of the Public Relations Society of America’s Chicago Chapter, and has received numerous awards for marketing excellence.

Board of Directors

Shanita Baraka Akintonde, MBA – Co-Chair YPN/PRSSA
Associate Professor
Columbia College – Marketing Communications Department
Chicago, IL 60605
P: 312.369.7543
sakintonde@colum.edu

Shanita Baraka Akintonde, MBA is an Associate Professor and Advertising Program Coordinator at Columbia College Chicago where she has served as a faculty member for the past 12 years. Prior to joining Columbia’s faculty, Professor Akintonde worked as an account manager for several international advertising and P.R. agencies including Burrell Communications Group, BBDO, and Porter Novelli where she developed award-winning campaigns for McDonald’s, Sprite, and Procter and Gamble among others. In 2001, she applied her professional marketing expertise to develop a nationally recognized annual career advice, networking, and leadership conference for Advertising, Marketing, PR majors at Columbia College called ADSTOCK.

Professor Akintonde is an expert in the areas of marketing strategy development, branding, special events planning and leadership, and has been a member of PRSA for 18 years and in 1993, she was the Chicago Chapter’s first recipient of the PRSSA Minority Student Scholarship.

She has earned a BA from Columbia College Chicago, an MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology, a certificate in Advanced Advertising Studies from the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana, a Certificate in Media Studies from Hamburger University (McDonald’s Corporation), a Certificate in the Art of Leadership from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and is currently working on a doctorate degree in Higher Education.

Professor Akintonde has published several articles on the topics of leadership, higher education, and work/life balance and is a contributing author in the book, Unleash the Leader Within You: How to Achieve the Leadership Success You Deserve. In 2009 she was named as an “Emerging Leader” by Diversity MBA Magazine and was also the Recipient of “The Woman of Courage Award” from St. Sabina Academy.

Todd Blecher – Midwest Conference Task Force
Communications Director
The Boeing Company
P: 312.544.2002
todd.h.blecher@boeing.com

Todd Blecher is a communications director for The Boeing Company’s Corporate Office in Chicago. He currently leads a cross-enterprise team that’s integrating social media into Boeing’s communications efforts. So far the team has transformed www.boeing.com into a storytelling platform, successfully deployed a Facebook page for the company’s merchandise store (www.facebook.com/boeingstore) and three Twitter feeds (@boeingairplanes; @boeingcorporate; @boeingdefense), and invigorated online recruiting efforts. Planning is underway for YouTube and broader Facebook activity.

Immediately prior to that Todd managed external and internal communications about Boeing’s financial performance and executive compensation, among other corporate issues.

Todd has worked for Boeing for 13 years. He has had media relations responsibilities in the company’s Commercial Airplanes, Integrated Defense Systems and Government Relations organizations, with responsibilities ranging from addressing the commercial airplanes long-term market outlook to representing the company’s unmanned systems and F-15 fighter programs.

Prior to joining Boeing he spent about six years as a reporter for Bloomberg News. During most of that time he was a Pentagon correspondent, covering the business implications of

Todd holds degrees from The Pennsylvania State University and George Mason.

John R. Brooks, APR – Co-Chair, Sponsorship
Director Media Relations and News
North Park University
P: 773-244-5522
jbrooks@northpark.edu

John Brooks, APR, is director of media relations and news for North Park University, Chicago. He joined the university in July 2011. His primary responsibilities are to report news about the university and its people, maintain relationships with new organizations, respond to media inquiries and assist university faculty, staff and students with media relations. Previously, John worked for more than 12 years with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), where he was associate executive director and director of the ELCA News Service for the national church organization based in Chicago. John has also been a news writer and broadcast producer for the Louisiana State University (LSU) Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, and worked in several print and broadcast news organizations. He is a member of the Publicity Club of Chicago board and is an adjunct instructor in the College of Communication at DePaul University. John earned journalism degrees from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, and Louisiana State University.

Andrea Cordts – Co-Chair, Communications
Marketing Communications Coordinator
Baird & Warner
P:312-857-9945
andrea.cordts@bairdwarner.com
Twitter: @andreacordts

Julie Crothers – Co-Chair, Senior Leaders – Senior Vice President
Financial Communications and IR
Edelman
P: 312.240.2765
julie.crothers@edelman.com

Expert in strategic PR and communications planning, financial media relations, crisis communications and corporate communications, Julie has more than two decades of public relations experience in the financial services industry.

Before joining Edelman, Julie was communications director for Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, a middle-market investment bank, where she developed and implemented integrated marketing strategies. Earlier, she was senior manager in corporate communications at Morningstar, Inc., a global investment research firm, where she managed issues related to Morningstar’s IPO, investor relations, and state and federal regulators. She also led public relations for the institutional division, including developing a media plan for the roll out of the hedge fund database.

For more than 10 years Julie worked for Bank One and then JPMorgan following the companies’ merger in 2004. As vice president of corporate communications for JPMorgan Asset Management, she developed integrated communications and PR programs for the global mutual fund business. This included successfully positioning executive management as leaders among the media, clients and employees, and developing employee and client communications throughout the merger of Bank One and JPMorgan’s mutual fund companies.

Prior to the merger, Julie was director of public relations for Banc One Investment Management Group, where she was responsible for developing and executing strategies for the asset management, brokerage, wealth management/private client, insurance and trust businesses. She garnered hundreds of media placements and often acted as spokesperson for the firm. She also handled crisis communications, including the New York Attorney General and SEC investigation of Bank One’s mutual fund business.

Julie holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and two bachelor’s degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She previously held FINRA series 7, 63 and 65 licenses.

Kelly Drinkwine – Co-Chair, Membership – Director of Public Relations
Aon Corporation
P: 312.381.2684
kelly.drinkwine@aon.com
Twitter: @kdrinkwine, @aoncorp

Kelly came to Aon in Jan. 2009 from the agency world, where she oversaw KemperLesnik’s top financial services and technology public relations accounts as well as media relations for The Art of Food & Wine Palm Desert annual festival in California.

Today, Kelly is responsible for guiding the high-level global communications strategy and tactics necessary to generate interest in and coverage about Aon Risk Solutions, the $6.4 billion global risk management business of Aon Corporation (NYSE: AON),a Fortune 300 professional services firm.

She counsels Aon’s top leaders and experts on messaging, branding and delivery on topics ranging in scope from the risks inherent to doing business in Brazil to those facing filmmakers in Hollywood. In her tenure at Aon, Kelly has led the internal charge on social media channels such as Twitter as well as the integration of search engine optimization tactics into news release development on a global basis.

Prior to KemperLesnik and Aon, Kelly served as a consultant to business-to-business and media clients in Chicago and spent several years in New York City with ABC television network, where she cut her teeth in production and ultimately oversaw advertising for the network’s sports division. In that role, she was responsible for all off-channel advertising and promotion, maximizing opportunities for brand exposure for such flagship properties as Monday Night Football, college football’s Bowl Championship Series, auto racing’s Brickyard 400 and Indianapolis 500, National Hockey League and figure skating. Her fresh perspective and balanced approach reflect her strong background in strategic communications as well as the hats worn thus far in her career, including journalist, TV and radio producer, marketing and special event professional, actor and Olympics supervisor.

Kelly sits on the New Leaders Circle of the Executives’ Club of Chicago and volunteers as a mentor with American Corporate Partners. She is a board member of the Chicago chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and an executive board member of the Publicity Club of Chicago.

Kelly’s work has been featured by PRNews and PRWeek and she is constantly sought after by colleagues and peers for counsel on grammar and AP style. Among her honors, Kelly has led her teams to multiple award wins, from the Golden and Silver Trumpets bestowed by the Publicity Club of Chicago to several coveted innovation and leadership honors in the risk management industry, and served as producer for the Best Radio Promotion Campaign as determined by PROMAX – the highest accolade for promotion and marketing professionals working in the electronic media.

A graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in media communication, Kelly lives in Chicago with her husband, Michael, and their sons, Emmett and Samuel.

Katie Feltz, APR – Co-Chair, Membership
Vice President
MSL Chicago
P: 312.861.5256
katie.feltz@mslgroup.com
Twitter : @katiefeltz

Katie Feltz is an award-winning consumer marketing strategist with 11 years experience in home products, B2B, media relations, special events, product launches and retail. She currently drives brand messaging, content development and media relations for industry-leading clients Zurich Financial Services, Easton-Bell Sports (Riddell), Morton Salt, Masco Corporation and HoMedics.

Prior to joining MSL Chicago, Katie was a tenured vice president at Cushman/Amberg Communications. In her role, she led support for Mario Tricoci’s “Mario, Make Me a Model!” campaign, securing 40 million impressions, and establishing notable partnerships with SmartWater, Ford Modeling, Equinox Fitness Clubs and media partners. Katie also was involved in the launch of U.S. Cellular in Chicago, which became the organization’s new market launch platform incorporating events, sponsorships, purpose marketing and media relations.

Katie’s account work has earned her both Skyline and Gold Trumpet awards. Her past clients include Owens Corning, The Home Depot, BainUltra, U.S. Cellular, the Wm. Wrigley Jr., Co., Life Fitness, Mario Tricoci Hair Salons and Day Spas, Coldwell Banker, American Orient Express and Brunswick Billiards.

Katie remains heavily involved as membership co-chair on PRSA Chicago’s board of directors. She holds a B.S. in journalism from Ohio University, and an accreditation in PR (APR).

Maria Gemskie – Senior Leaders
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Preferred Hotel Group
P: 312.542.9271
mgemskie@gmail.com

Rachel Gerds – Skyline Co-Chair/Phoenix Awards Liaison
Vice President/Director of Marketing Communications
BMO Harris Bank
P: 312.461.7865
rachel.gerds@HarrisBank.com

Rachel Gerds serves as Vice President and Director of Marketing Communications for BMO Harris Bank, a Chicago-based integrated financial services organization that operates 700 branches and 1,350 ATMs in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, and Wisconsin, providing banking, lending, investing and wealth management products and services to personal, commercial and private banking clients. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with 1,600 branches and a retail deposit base of approximately $180 billion. In her current role, Rachel is responsible for managing a team which develops, maintains and implements an integrated marketing communications strategy in support of BMO Harris Bank business priorities.

Prior to her current role, Rachel most recently served as Senior Communications Manager for Harris Bank, leading all internal and external communications and public relations efforts for Harris’ retail bank with more than $40 billion in assets and nearly 7,000 employees. She was also accountable for all communications supporting the bank’s Community Affairs, Economic Development, Human Resources, and Marketing departments. Since joining Harris in September 2009, Rachel has played a key role in developing and executing communications for important business initiatives, including Harris’ $2.5 billion FDIC-assisted acquisition of AMCORE Bank.

Prior to joining Harris, Rachel served as Communications Consultant for ComEd, a division of Exelon and one of the nation’s largest investor-owned utilities. As a member of ComEd’s Corporate Communications team, Rachel was charged with counselling senior management on messaging and programs to support and promote business goals to media, customers, employees, elected officials, regulators and community opinion-makers. She led communications for the company’s award-winning, multi-million dollar corporate citizenship portfolio. She joined ComEd in June 2008.

Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Alma College, where she was a member of the school’s championship Model United Nations team, President’s Diversity Advisory Council, and the international English honorary society Sigma Tau Delta. Currently, Rachel is an Associate Board Member of City Year Chicago.

Alison Hamer – Co-Chair, YPN/PRSSA
Account Supervisor
L.C. Williams & Associates
P: 312.565.4632
ahamer@lcwa.com

Alison currently serves as on the board of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Chicago Chapter and works specifically with the Young Professionals Network (YPN) and Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

Alison is an account supervisor at L.C. Williams & Associates where she executes media relations programs for clients in the consumer products industry. She conducts local and national media outreach, develops press materials and coordinates social marketing initiatives. 

She hails from Naperville, Ill., and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor of arts degree in communication. She was named Student Leader of the Year in 2007.

Mary Horvat, APR - Programming/Midwest Conference
Vice President
Edelman Digital
P: 312.297.7525
Mary.horvat@edelman.com

Mary L. Horvat, APR, has more than a decade of experience in the public relations field. She has a diverse background in developing consumer-focused social media programs that spark engagement and deliver impact.

In her role as Vice President at Edelman Digital, she specializes in strategic planning and activation, influencer outreach, content development, insights reporting and account management. Mary has built online communities and pioneered emerging media programs for a variety of clients that range from automotive, pet care, consumer packaged goods and travel.

Mary is also an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America and is a multiple recipient of the prestigious PRSA Silver Anvil Award. She is also a past board member of the International Association of Business Communicators.

Mary holds a B.S. in Public Relations from Kent State University. She resides in Chicago with her family, which includes two boys and two fun-loving pugs. You can follow her on Twitter: @MaryHorvat.

Sarah P. Karl – Co-Chair, Membership
Managing Director
ASGK Public Strategies
P: 312.664.0153
skarl@asgk.com
Twitter: @spkarl

Joyce Lofstrom, APR – Chair, APR
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
HIMSS
P: 312.915.9237
jlofstrom@himss.org
Twitter: @joycelofstrom @himss
Joyce Lofstrom, MS, APR, is Director, Corporate Communications, for Chicago-based HIMSS, a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. She joined HIMSS in 2002 to develop and implement strategic public relations and media relations initiatives for the Society working with trade, business and healthcare media.

Her career has focused on health, food and nutrition communications/public relations in both the consumer and business marketplace. She managed consumer and trade public relations for Farmland Foods, Inc. and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Lofstrom was also food editor and features writer for the Daily Herald newspaper in suburban Chicago.

Lofstrom is a member of the PRSA Health Academy Board and is Accreditation Chair for PRSAChicago chapter. She is a member of the Griffiths Leadership Society, a mentoring organization for female students and alumnae of the University of Missouri.

A native of Kansas City, Mo., Lofstrom has a BS degree in human environmental sciences-journalism and a MS degree in human environmental sciences-communications from the University of Missouri.

Virginia Mann – Co-Chair, Senior Leaders
Principal
P: 312.420.3344
Virginia@virginiamann.com

Virginia Mann is an award-winning corporate communications, public relations and public affairs professional with a solid understanding of business. A strategic leader, she is able to interpret information and create programs that persuade and motivate internal and external audiences. Her experience includes substantial work with CEOs, Boards of Directors and the media. She has extensive experience in executive speech-writing and coaching. Virginia has done award-winning work in media relations, crisis communications, investor communications and employee communications. Media successes include placements in The New York Times; The Wall Street Journal; U. S. News & World Report; Crain’s Chicago Business; USA Today; and numerous newspapers, television stations, radio stations and trade publications across the nation.

Virginia’s broad range of experience includes extensive work with blue-chip, Fortune 500 companies in a variety of industries including: Brunswick Corporation; Hewitt Associates; Sears, Roebuck & Co.; United Airlines; Topco Associates; Fujisawa Pharmaceuticals; American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; National Association of Manufacturers; and others. Mann began her career with former Illinois Secretary of State Jim Edgar. She is a graduate of Barat College with majors in Economics and Political Science.

Dawn McKenzie, APR – Co-Chair, Communications – Vice President
MSL Chicago
P 312.861.5255
dawn.mckenzie@mslgroup.com
Twitter: @dawnmckenzie

Dawn is vice president of MSL Chicago’s Corporate Branding team where she leads the development and implementation of strategic communications planning for General Motors, DeVry University and Easton-Bell Sports. Other clients have included Chamberlain College of Nursing and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she helped position them as a global thought leader and led the award-winning Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review.

Dawn has nearly ten years experience, spending the majority of her career in-house with General Motors in Detroit and Los Angeles. At GM, she led a number of public relations campaigns to manage corporate reputation as well as improve consumer and media awareness, opinion and consideration of the company’s brands and products. She also led a number of highly-visible product launches, including the launch of GM’s all-new sport-utility vehicles and full-size pickups. Dawn has extensive media relations, event management, integrated marketing, grassroots and executive communications experience.

Dawn has a Master of Arts degree in public relations and organizational communication from Wayne State University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication with a minor in Spanish from Michigan State University. She is Accredited in Public Relations (APR), serves on the board for PRSA Chicago and has been a federally licensed commercial hot air balloon pilot for more than ten years.

Jack Monson – Co-Chair, Programs
Vice President
Engage121
P: 630.799.8250
jmonson@engage121.com
Twitter: @jackmonson

Jack Monson is a Vice President at Engage121 specializing in Social Media Marketing & Social CRM solutions and blogs at Social Media Workbench. Prior to his 15+ years of experience in media measurement and analysis, he was a radio host and program director. Jack has a BA in Communications from Northern Illinois University.

Herb Ritchell – Midwest Region Liaison
Director, Advertising & Public Relations Program
Loyola University of Chicago
P: 312.915.6528
hritche@luc.edu
Herb Ritchell is Director of the Advertising and Public Relations major at Loyola University Chicago. He has 25 years of professional experience having held senior positions on both the agency and corporate side. He also operates a consulting practice.

He began as a copywriter with the Marsteller advertising agency, became a vice president and worked closely with Burson-Marsteller colleagues. He was also a vice president with Ogilvy Chicago. Ritchell moved to the corporate side as vice president, head of consumer communications with First Chicago (now Chase) and later headed marketing communications for International Trucks.

In 1998 he joined Edelman Public Relations where he helped launch six new start-up companies. His work has helped clients generate hundreds of millions in sales and earned numerous industry awards.

Ritchell has a MBA in Marketing and Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor’s in Advertising from the University of Illinois. He’s been a speaker and delegate at the PRSA International Conference as well as a judge for the American Marketing Association’s EFFIE Awards. He is on the board of directors of the Chicago PRSA and a member of CAF (Chicago Advertising Federation), and CADM (Chicago Assn. of Direct Marketers).

Julie Schaefer – Co-Chair, Programs
Principal
Winning Presence – Executive Communications
P 312.399.7614
julie.schaefer@winningpresence.com
Twitter: @winningpresence

Julie Schaefer is founder and principal of Winning Presence – an organization that helps senior business executives and community leaders create a “winning presence” through effective communications. Schaefer is a seasoned speechwriter, communications consultant, and strategic planner for management communications teams around the world. She counsels and writes for Fortune 500 C-level clients, including CEO, COO, CIO, and CMOs, as well as senior human resources, legal, government relations, and communications officers. Schaefer’s mission is to help her clients develop and deliver compelling messages that build and advance images, reputations, and businesses.

Prior to launching Winning Presence, Schaefer was Director of Management Communications at McDonald’s Corporation. From 1999-2006, she served as primary communications counsel and speechwriter for three CEO clients, the President of McDonald’s Europe, and the company’s COO. She was responsible for a team of professionals, who wrote for and counseled other company executives as well. Schaefer also led the company’s Global Communications Council, a team comprised of communications professionals from around the globe that created global brand programs for the company and managed global brand issues.

Schaefer is a cross-trained, Corporate Relations professional. Prior to her management communications role, she served as Senior Manager, Public and Community Affairs at McDonald’s Corporation. In this capacity, she represented the company with trade associations, community leaders and officials. She held this post for two years and, prior, served as a company spokesperson.

As Manager, Media Relations for McDonald’s Corporation, Schaefer provided business, financial, and brand-related information to global press to gain positive, balanced coverage of the company. Schaefer also had responsibility for crisis and issues management. In this capacity, she designed and launched a global media training, crisis management training program.

The program she designed continues to be used today. Schaefer joined McDonald’s Corporation in 1991.

Schaefer also dedicates her time to advancing the communications profession. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Public Relations Society of America.

Christina Tyler, APR – Programs/Membership
Sr. Communications Consultant
Transunion
ctyler@transunion.com

Christina Tyler, APR is the senior communications consultant for TransUnion’s corporate communications department, where she manages global, associate communication strategy.Prior to TransUnion, Christina was a spokesperson for Allstate Insurance Company where she served as a senior issues management and media relations consultant.

Christina received a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of North Florida in 2001 and is currently working towards an MBA in Social Media Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University. She received her Accreditation in Public Relations in 2009.

Julie Walsh – Skyline Co-Chair/Gala
Account Executive
Walker Sands Communications
P: 312.267.0411
Julie.walsh254@gmail.com

As an Account Executive at Walker Sands, Julie helps clients successfully tell their stories. Julie leverages her media relations experience to develop and execute strategic plans that produce results. Julie is also involved in pitching, campaign measurement, and editorial content creation.

Previous to her role at Walker Sands, Julie worked for the corporate communication department at Nationwide Insurance. At Nationwide, Julie was responsible for developing web stories, creative strategies for sponsorships, and helped create a social media strategy. Julie’s other experience includes financial marketing for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney as well as brand strategy and execution for the Back to College Event at Target.

Outside of work, Julie is a master’s candidate at DePaul University, pursuing a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. Julie is a skilled researcher and the recipient of the 2011-2012 Assistantship for the Public Relations and Advertising graduate program at DePaul University, where she helps tenured professors meet their research goals. Julie is very involved in PRSA Chicago and is on the Board of Directors for 2012 as the co-chair of their annual Skyline Gala. She contributes to many industry blogs including Social Times, Flack Me, and PRSA’s New Professionals Blog. Julie holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University in Strategic Communication.