Greater Chicago Area
Results-driven communicator. Sought-after media expert for nation's largest PR agencies,best-known companies and most iconic brands. Known nationally for excellence, integrity, and shining the brightest of spotlights on important stories of our times. ABOUT: I am a results-driven communications executive with a proven track record in developing and leading media-driven, integrated marketing campaigns. I've spent most of my career at national PR agencies, rising from Intern to Executive Vice President. Along the way, I treasure the long-term relationships forged with clients, colleagues and protegees. Currently I freelance as a PR & Media consultant, getting to work with good people on exciting projects in the field I love. My specialty is national media relations – both strategy and planning, as well as hands-on media execution. I am also a prolific Media & Message Trainer, having coached Fortune 100 CEOs, Brand/Marketing Executives, Medical Doctors, Scientists/PhD's, A-List Celebrities, and Regular Joe's. Most recently, I headed Edelman Chicago's media relations function for the consumer group (2008-2011). Other on-staff, agency leadership positions have included GolinHarris where I ran and grew their media relations department (2005 to 2008) and also Bozell Chicago where I launched and grew the office's first media department. An entrepreneur at heart, I worked as a city reporter as well as co-founded a technology company with my husband that grew to 50 employees and a dozen products before being sold to a public company (mid 2000’s). Beyond work, I am a passionate advocate for young women newly diagnosed with advanced/aggressive forms of breast cancer, offering a crash course on survival skills aimed at increasing odds. Married to Ari Kaplan, we have three school-aged children and live in Chicago. Specialties: Agriculture & Commodities Baby, Infant, Toddler, Children, Mom Cause Marketing & Social Purpose Celebrities & Entertainment Consumer Packaged Goods/CPG Food & Nutrition Health & Wellness Restaurant & QSR ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Media Relations Reporter Outreach National Talk Shows Media Training & Message Development
Since leaving Edelman as Executive Vice President, Media Relations for their 125-person consumer group, I now work year-round as a public relations consultant building on 20 years of media relations successes. I have completed short and long-term public relations freelance projects for a dozen PR firms, always through personal contacts made from the many years I worked on-staff at agencies. I accept roughly 1 out of every 4 assignments offered, providing an honest assessment of my time/availability, interest, skillset, and likelihood of success for the project at hand.
Covering lifestyle, travel, food, entertainment and the arts.
Media relations campaigns for high-profile corporate and nonprofit PR projects. Body of work has involved high-level strategy, celebrity utilization reccos, booking interviews, message training, extensive travel on-site: Laila Ali, Erin Andrews, Jennifer Aniston, Lauren Bacall, Tyra Banks, Chef Mario Batali, Joy Behar, Tony Bennett, Beyonce Mary J. Blige, Andrea Bocelli, Jon Bon Jovi, Lo Bosworth, Christie Brinkley, Burger King, Naomi Campbell, Katie Cassidy, Cap'n Crunch, Kenny Chesney, Common, Lauren Conrad, Rachael Leigh Cook, Cookie Monster, Kristin Davis, Miranda Cosgrove, Courteney Cox, Billy Ray Cyrus, Danny DeVito, Robert Downey, Jr., Hanson, Oscar de la Hoya, Destiny’s Child, Hilary and Haylie Duff, Brent Favre, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson Jerry Ferrara, Will Ferrell, David Foster, Bill Gates, Amy Grant, Bob Greene, Bob Harper, Melissa Joan Hart, Alyson Hannigan, Bonnie Hunt, Iman , Jonas Brothers, Nick Jonas, The Klondike Bear, Gladys Knight, Ellie Krieger, Lisa Kudrow, Drew Lachey, Spike Lee, John Legend, Annie Leibovitz, Lori Loughlin, Joan Lunden, Phil McGraw, Katharine McPhee, Alyssa Milano, Ronald McDonald, Mr. Whipple, Mr. Clean, Mrs. Frizzle/Magic School Bus, Frankie Muniz, Paul Newman, Chef Michel Nischan, Dr. Mehmut Oz, Rosie O'Donnell, Chef Jamie Oliver, Dr. Dean Ornish, Sharon Osbourne, Hayden Panettiere, Ken Paves, Dr. Pamela Peeke, Holly Robinson Peete, Lauren Potter, Dr. Stephen Pratt, Property Brothers, Dennis Quaid Dr. Michael Roizen, Bill Rancic, Giulana Rancic, Rachael Ray, Nikki Reed, LeAnn Rimes, Mary Lou Retton, Kelly Ripa, Cal Ripkin Jr., Joan Rivers, Shaun Robinson ,Dennis Rodman, Isabella Rossellini, Pete Sampras, Santa Claus, Paul Shaffer, Brooke Shields, “Bart and Lisa Simpson," Hannah Simone, Amy Smart, Jordin Sparks, Chef Art Smith, Tori Spelling, Hilary Swank, Martha Stewart, Alison Sweeney, Justin Timberlake, Kerry Washington, Dr. Andrew Weil, Ciara Wilson, Mookie Wilson, Betty White, Serena Williams, Kristi Yamaguchi
Clients Served Include: Amtrak, American Egg Board, American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women, Butterball, Best Buy, Brita, Bush’s Beans, Burger King, Chiquita, Darden,Unilever’s Dove Real Beauty campaign, Monsanto, Kimberly-Clark’s Pull-Ups and Goodnights brands, National Dairy Council, Pepsi Co’s Quaker Foods & Snacks, (Quaker Oats, Chewy Granola Bars, Cap'n Crunch, Life Cereal), SCJohnson’s Glade, Raid, Off, Scrubbing Bubbles brands, Starbucks, Rubbermaid-Newell’s Graco, Aprilia,Teutonia brands. Snapshot of Media Work: - Developed and implemented the media plan to Launch the National Dairy Council's "Fuel Up to Play 60" partnership with the National Football League and 60,000 public & private schools across America. Daily/weekly media oversight on the first 18 months of the campaign, which has gained accolades from the First Lady for its role in fighting childhood obesity. - "The Quaker Chewy Superstar Search" with partners Nick Jonas and Viacom. Worked on all aspects of this year-long campaign, from celebrity procurement to media strategy, to booking and traveling with client and talent on national and local events and press tours. In addition to generating thousands of positive news stories and surpassing the expected number of contest entries, the campaign resulted in Pepsi's first-ever inclusion in a Top 10 Twitter Trend on launch day during a livestream event at MTV headquarters. - Pull-Ups Potty Dance campaign. Popularized this multi-media campaign by staging live mom and toddler events, releasing iPhone apps, and booking celebrity spokesmom interviews for three years of the campaign. - Lead role on the agency's senior media team responsible for booking/scheduling Best Buy's C-Suite executives for the holidays. Spearheaded multiple talk show integrations and booked national news interviews on holiday products and trends. Stationed at flagship NYC Best Buy with company president on Black Friday for robust schedule of national interviews.
Clients Served Include: McDonald’s, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Unilever's Good Humor/Breyers, Splenda, JCPenney, Dow Chemical, BP, Purina, Florida Department of Citrus. Snapshot of Media Work: - Headed U.S. consumer media relations for GolinHarris Chicago. Served as senior PR agency media lead on McDonald’s – a 50 year client for GolinHarris. Advised on consumer promos for "i'm lovin' it," international branding campaign as well as company initiatives and new products. - Worked closely on McDonald’s history-making National Press Club event where the fast food giant addressed obesity for the first time with its "Balanced, Active Lifestyles Platform." Booked 75+ media outlets, resulting in 250 million+ media impressions. - Managed U.S.media relations for launch and sustaining PR for Dow Chemical's Blue Planet Run sponsorship, a global relay race spotlighting the world'sshortfall in clean drinking water. Booked/managed all media at United Nations lawn event with actress Hilary Swank and Dow CEO. - "JCPenney Jam: The Concert for America's Kids," a cross-media initiative built around the biggest names in nearly every music genre. Developed PR strategy for campaign assets, including a CBS-TV concert, a DVD release, a press event with Dr. Phil McGraw, and a crush of one-on-one interviews from the 20+ top musicians who participated. - Orchestrated consumer-facing national media coverage for Tyson Foods' U.S. Olympic sponsorship. Secured front page NYT story on Tyson's supply-chain successes in Beijing. Media trained Team USA's Executive Chef and culinary staff. - Secured clients coverage in hundreds of media outlets, including the Associated Press, Reuters, Dow Jones, WSJ, USA Today, New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, TV Guide, Parade, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, Letterman, Leno. - Managed large account teams. Supervised photogs, video crews, graphic artists, visual designers to bring publicity projects to life.