Laura Cocivera
EXPERIENCE: Percepture Travel, LC Communications and AKA Public Relations
EXPERTISE: Media Relations and Public Relations
FAVORITE BAND & SONG: Muse; Here Comes the Sun (The Beatles)
Laura Cocivera is a senior communications and media-relations strategist with more than 15 years of PR experience working across consumer lifestyle, travel and hospitality, nonprofit, author, and tech client categories.
Based in the most competitive media market in the world, her talent for creative storytelling and cultivating media relationships have garnered brand awareness, impact, and award-winning PR campaigns. She's placed notable media features everywhere from ABC Good Morning America segments live from the top of a mountain to NBC Nightly News stories covering the country’s shores.
Throughout her tenure in PR, she has managed campaigns for a variety of clients including some of the country’s most historic resorts and destinations, national nonprofit organizations with celebrity supporters, and best-selling authors.
Laura’s expertise includes both traditional PR and digital and social media components, such as planning press events and hotel and restaurant openings, media relations, social influencer partnerships, and more.
For more information about Laura please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-b-cocivera-a9029512/
Bart Casabona
EXPERIENCE: PepsiCo, MasterCard Worldwide, Porter Novelli, Pitney Bowes
EXPERTISE: Creative concepting, digital marketing strategy, brand storytelling, social media engagement, event marketing, team leadership, and revenue growth
FAVORITE BAND & SONG: AC/DC; Fire and Rain (James Taylor)
Bart is a strategic brand-building executive with over two decades of experience in communications, digital marketing, social media, employee advocacy, event planning, and team development. In leadership roles at PepsiCo, MasterCard, Porter Novelli, and Pitney Bowes, Bart has successfully spearheaded multi-channel marketing and communications initiatives that drove brand awareness, audience engagement, and business growth.
In his most recent role as Senior Director of Channel Marketing at Pitney Bowes, Bart led global marketing functions, including social media, web strategy, event marketing, and creative services. He developed and implemented comprehensive digital strategies across corporate functions and business units, focusing on brand awareness, client engagement, content creation, and sales enablement. Bart led a social selling initiative that resulted in $11.5 million in influenced revenue and directed a global events strategy, managing over 60 events annually, leading to $22 million in sourced revenue and $74 million in influenced revenue.
Prior to his tenure at Pitney Bowes, Bart founded ELEVATE XS, a boutique agency specializing in social and digital marketing and content development. He developed and executed tailored business growth strategies for diverse clients, crafting innovative marketing solutions to drive brand awareness, advocacy and sales.
Bart's earlier experience includes serving as Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing at Porter Novelli, where he directed strategy for P&G male grooming brands, delivering integrated marketing campaigns across North America to enhance engagement and sales. At PepsiCo, he held multiple roles, including Senior Manager of Communications and Social Media, where he designed and executed innovative publicity and social media campaigns for key brands such as Pepsi-Cola and Mountain Dew.
With a proven track record in digital marketing, media relations, client engagement, and content creation, Bart is an accomplished and passionate leader with extensive experience managing teams, partnerships, driving growth, and creating data-driven business strategies.
For more information about Bart, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartcasabona/
Brian Conway
EXPERIENCE: Weber Shandwick, American Airlines, Royal Caribbean and TGI Fridays
EXPERTISE: Media, Crisis, and Social Comms
FAVORITE BAND & SONG: Metallica; Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)
A natural storyteller since childhood, that enthusiasm has evolved into Brian’s more than 16 years of PR and Communications experience, working with brands of varying public visibility to identify and bring forth their unique stories in a way that compels audiences to action through the brand journey.
Brian is the Founder and Owner of Ascent Public Relations, an agency specializing in PR and Communications strategy, crisis communications, content strategy and creation, and media relations.
Brian’s experience includes developing and ensuring that brands’ PR and Communications architectures are on-brand with consistent content, as well as leading corporate crisis communications and issues management from planning to response and recovery.
Most notably, Brian’s account leadership for Breathe Right Nasal Strips (GSK) for the Belmont Stakes in 2014 earned a Cannes Bronze Lion Award for driving mass national media and consumer attention, ultimately leading to a 22% lift in sales for the brand.
In addition, Brian has provided strategic counsel to clients seeking to build or bolster their reputation and issues management programs. Expertise includes crisis team and framework development, corporate crisis planning, listening and analytics, and training clients to execute effectively during a crisis. Crisis experience includes American Airlines, Royal Caribbean, Asurion, Cathay Pacific, and Marine Well Containment Company. Brian was an integral part of American’s response to its now-infamous incident with Alec Baldwin and Words With Friends.®
His media relations experience spans Technology, Aviation & Travel, and Food & Restaurant. Formerly the head of Corporate Communications & PR at TGI Fridays and prior to that a Digital Director at Weber Shandwick. Past brand experience includes American Airlines, U.S. Army, Unilever, The Vision Impact Institute, GlaxoSmithKline, United States Postal Service, Essilor of America, and Royal Caribbean.
Brian holds a BA degree in Public Relations from Loyola University New Orleans and is an active member of both PRSA and the Allen Fairview Chamber of Commerce.
For more information about Brian please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrconway/
Jim Faulkner
EXPERIENCE:: Northwest Airlines, Air France, Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA), and Horton’s Kids
EXPERTISE: Corporate PR, Media Relations, and Crisis Comms
FAVORITE BAND & SONG: AC/DC; It’s Not Right, But It’s OK (Thunderpuss Mix) – Whitney Houston
An airline communications leader and community activist, Jim Faulkner has more than 25 years of diverse experience ranging from brand advertising to crisis communications and social responsibility. Faulkner has worked for Northwest Airlines, Air France, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, WMATA and D.C.-based non-profit, Horton’s Kids, where he served as a case manager and advocate for students living in an underserved community.
Faulkner served as chief spokesperson for Frontier Airlines and Air France. He served as hub spokesman for Northwest Airlines where he oversaw the airline’s crisis communications response plan. At American, Faulkner led integrated communications with the company's alliance partners plus its network planning and corporate real estate groups. Faulkner was also a trained member of American's Go-Team.
In addition, Faulkner has worked in brand management, having launched the “hub value” brand identity for Northwest Airlines which saw hub traffic market share increase nearly 3 percent and led the brand strategy for a Los Angeles-based non-profit through the Taproot Foundation.
Faulkner brought his passion for social activism to his position at Air France where he negotiated and executed the first-ever agreement with the American Red Cross, producing $70,000 for the transportation of volunteers traveling to Africa. The partnership also proudly produced measles vaccinations for approximately 245,000 children.
Currently, he is overseeing public engagement outreach for WMATA coordinating with digital, events, government relations and media relations teams to ensure residents from underserved communities have their voices heard on an agency-wide bus network redesign.
In his spare time, Faulkner has performed improv with the Washington Improv Theater and has booked acting work for shows on HBO Max and Discovery TV, including We Own This City. He is usually known for being cast as a cop. What does that say?
For more information about Jim, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdfaulkner/
Elizabeth Gaerlan
EXPERIENCE:: Weber Shandwick, American Airlines, Emirates, Ritz-Carlton and Toys R Us
EXPERTISE: Corporate, Media and B2C Comms
FAVORITE BAND & SONG: Queen; Somebody to Love
Elizabeth, or Liz as she more affectionately known by colleagues, has more than 21 years of experience in the combined areas of marketing, media relations, corporate communications and event management. Throughout her career, she has created and managed programs in the areas of food and beverage, packaged goods, consumer health, retail, fashion, beauty, travel and tourism and non-profit sectors, and has developed programs to reach the general market as well as targeted niche populations. Clients have included Starbucks Coffee Company, Hershey Foods, Georgia-Pacific and others. She also worked as Director, Corporate Communications for Toys"R"Us.
Prior to consulting, Liz served as a senior vice president at Weber Shandwick where she managed communications and media relations campaigns on behalf of major travel and lifestyle brands, including InterContinental Hotels Group, Royal Caribbean International, Ottawa Tourism and Ontario Tourism. She was also embedded in the Corporate Communications department at American Airlines in New York, one of the airline's top domestic markets and one of its most important international gateways. She served as the primary liaison for headquarters in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas and counseled the local leadership and operations teams on marketing and communications plans, including messaging, story angles, sponsorships, sales promotions and partnerships, and content distribution to the press, public and internal audiences. In addition, she cultivated relationships with and managed outreach to government officials, community leaders and press, securing positive news coverage for the airline in top-tier local and national media.
Previously, Liz served as senior vice president of a boutique travel public relations agency where she provided senior counsel and team leadership to the prestigious Emirates airline account as well The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, Singapore Tourism Board and LodgeWorks Hospitality. Her work earned her two Gold Adrian Awards, presented by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), as well as a Cushman Award from the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).
Liz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from New York University. She also holds a Masters in Business Administration degree in Finance and Marketing from Baruch College’s Zicklin Graduate School of Business.
For more information about Liz, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethgaerlan/
Aurora M. Gonzalez
EXPERIENCE: M Booth, Ketchum and PepsiCo
EXPERTISE: Corporate Reputation, Issues/Crisis, Influencer Relations, Stakeholder Education
FAVORITE BAND & FAVORITE SONG: Steely Dan/Donald Fagan; America (Simon & Garfunkel)
Aurora’s career has an even balance of agency life and in-house corporate. Most recently Aurora was senior director in corporate communications at PepsiCo. In her 14 years at PepsiCo, she had various roles that were largely focused on corporate reputation. In her last role, Aurora was the first global comms lead on corporate issues and crisis. Aurora worked with global partners on a wide array of issues: litigation, regulatory affairs, public policy, product liability and corporate reorganizations and restructuring.
Prior to her issues/crisis role, Aurora worked at Frito-Lay on the business unit’s pivotal corporate initiatives in health & wellness and sustainability. The corporate reputation work she lead leveraged influencer outreach, media relations, internal relations and stakeholder education to change perception of the company and its products. She started her career at PepsiCo working on the company’s first health & wellness team, whose focus was to develop and implement the strategy to address the changing landscape in the food industry.
Prior to PepsiCo, Aurora worked at Ketchum in their Food & Nutrition practice in New York City for nine years. While at Ketchum, Aurora had a variety of clients from Roche Vitamins (B2B focused) to Frito-Lay, for which she developed some of the company’s first programming focused on health & wellness. Before joining Ketchum, she worked at M Booth & Associates supporting the partner and his roster of clients including Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital.
Aurora is a proud graduate of Kenyon College with a BA in Theater (since all the world’s a stage after all).
For more about Aurora, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aurora-m-gonzalez/
Laura Goodes
EXPERIENCE: International Airlines Group, British Airways, London Luton Airport
EXPERTISE: Strategic corporate and financial communications including M&A, reputation and crisis management, political and environmental media campaigning
FAVORITE BAND & FAVORITE SONG: The Proclaimers; Outside (George Michael)
Laura Goodes has more than 30 years’ experience in strategic corporate communications working in high profile global commercial companies, primarily in aviation. She specialises in financial media relations including pan-European mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and is an effective campaigner on political and environmental issues with considerable reputational/crisis planning and implementation skills.
Laura set up and led the communications team at FTSE 100/Ibex 35 listed International Airlines Group (IAG) which was the parent company created by the merger of British Airways and Iberia. During Laura’s tenure, IAG bought three other airlines and she was responsible for leading all the acquisitions’ media relations and integrating the airlines’ communications teams into the wider Group function.
Previous to that, she was responsible for corporate and financial media relations at British Airways including leading on the BA/Iberia merger. She gained considerable operational and crisis PR experience while at the airline and as head of media relations at London Luton Airport. Her early career saw Laura managing regional communication at the Automobile Association and specialist media at the Building Research Establishment.
Laura is based in the UK and is a keen football (soccer…) fan and advocate for female football supporters.
For more about Laura, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-goodes-67091356/
Tara Hamp
EXPERIENCE: JAJH Consulting, Finsbury Glover Hering, Motus One, The Hawksbill Group, Lilium Consulting, Ink Link Marketing
EXPERTISE: Corporate Reputation, Strategic Communications, Promotional Marketing, Digital and Social Media, and Research and Analytics
FAVORITE BAND & SONG: Aerosmith; It’s My Life (Bon Jovi)
Tara Hamp is a communications, marketing, and sustainability expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. Driven by high-level critical thinking and a creative approach, Tara advises clients on their performance-led strategic communications, corporate reputation initiatives and paid-owned-earned promotional marketing executions. She also serves as the primary writer for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports and is the liaison with the design team, both for layout of the report and website integration.
Working with clients across multiple sectors, she crafts communications strategies and techniques to bolster visibility and reputation tied to business objectives. Client experience spans industries as diverse as chain restaurants, food and beverage, nonprofits, academia, healthcare, biopharmaceutical, automotive suppliers, original equipment manufacturers, transportation and logistics, and consumer goods.
Additionally, Tara held the position of Senior Director of Corporate Communication for Motus One, a fleet management transportation and logistics company. Reporting to the CEO, her responsibilities included media relations, pitch creation and presentation, co-leading a media advisory board and implementing the company’s first ever media tracking and analysis process with Critical Mention on behalf of OEM clients.
Tara holds a bachelor’s degree in Interpersonal/Organizational Communications and writing from University of Central Florida and she lives in South Florida.
For more information about Tara, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-hamp-1178b2101/
Tim Livingston
EXPERIENCE: Tim Livingston Public Relations; Real News PR; Network Television Affiliates in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX and Dayton, OH; Radio Stations in Kentucky and Ohio; writing for The Dallas Observer and Fort Worth Weekly
EXPERTISE: Media Relations, Securing News Coverage for Clients
FAVORITE BAND & SONG: The Osborne Brothers with Red Allen; I'll Be Around (Howlin' Wolf)
After 25 years as an award-winning TV and radio reporter, producer and executive, Tim now helps clients tell their stories on multiple media platforms. He understands how newsrooms work because he spent more than two decades working in and leading them.
He identifies the story that will interest reporters, producers, and hosts. Then Tim pitches you as the subject matter expert to be interviewed. He has secured media coverage (TV, radio, print, online, podcast) and helped craft media strategy for hundreds of clients, including entrepreneurs, authors, attorneys, business strategists, mental health counselors, political candidates, doctors and other medical professionals, attorneys, finance professionals, inventors, etc.
For more information about Tim, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timlivingston1/
Rhonda Rathje
EXPERIENCE: Verizon, American Airlines and Walmart
EXPERTISE: Internal, Exec & Community Comms, and Media Relations
FAVORITE BAND & SONG: Queen; Don't Stop Me Now
Rhonda is a seasoned veteran of public relations at Verizon, American Airlines and Walmart including employee communications, executive communications, media relations, storytelling and community relations. Her understanding of how communications positively impacts a business, her top-notch writing skills, and her enthusiasm for effective communications are among Rhonda's strong assets. She brings a holistic approach to every communications issue, along with strong project management skills.
Rhonda is an accomplished project manager and planner – always intent on delivering results. As a seasoned pro, she has developed numerous employee communications programs; she has directed employee engagement initiatives; and she has built and led teams to solve business problems. Among her vast experience for global brands such as Verizon, American Airlines and Walmart, Rhonda:
- Developed employee storytelling process at Walmart. Won Tulsa IABC Bronze Quill.
- Developed communications plan for worldwide employee talent search initiative at Walmart.
- Directed internal communications plan to announce American’s largest fleet order in history. Won Gold Hermes Creative Award and Finalist in PR News’ Platinum Awards Program.
- Launched global employee communications program for joint business with British Airways and Iberia. Won Texas Public Relations Association Silver Spur award.
- Directed employee engagement initiative – In It To Win It – that resulted in the tripling of employees participating in the company’s sales referral program.
- Developed employee development program – Public Affairs Core Skills – that provided a roadmap to employees for their personal and professional development.
Rhonda earned her B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communications & Speech from Iowa State University, Ames. She also earned her M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson. She is accredited in public relations by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
For more information about Rhonda, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhondarathje/
Ilene V. Smith, MS, RD
EXPERIENCE: Consulted for PepsiCo, Kellogg, ConAgra, KIND Snacks, along with several food producer associations
EXPERTISE: Media Strategy, Consumer Communications and Influencer Marketing
FAVORITE BAND & SONG: The Beatles, Your Song
For over 20 years, Ilene has combined her expertise, knowledge and skills in food, nutrition and public relations to create game-changing communications programs for food companies and organizations. Over the course of her career, Ilene has worked with commodity boards, consumer packaged goods companies, ingredient manufacturers and associations to promote the science behind their brands. Among the companies she has worked with are PepsiCo and its Quaker, Tropicana and Frito-Lay brands, Kellogg, ConAgra, and KIND Snacks. The commodities she has worked with include the Soyfoods Association of North America, National Cattleman’s Beef Association, the Almond Board of California, Avocados from Mexico, the California Strawberry Commission and the California Dried Plum Board.
Ilene has worked with organizations to develop market demand, manage issues, identify marketing opportunities, drive consumer awareness, develop scientific platforms and create and manage advisory boards. She has also counseled her clients on the impact of consumer, culinary, business and industry trends as well as on regulatory affairs and the political climate. Ilene’s skills and experience are most evident in the critical role she played in KIND Snacks’ petition to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to change the definition of the word healthy as a nutrient content claim, including writing the scientific argument, connecting the brand with high-level influencers and developing the communications strategy. The petition resulted in a ruling in KIND’s favor that changed the game for many industry players by recognizing the healthfulness of foods and ingredients rich in healthy fats.
As a former journalist, Ilene understands how to craft media stories that resonate with desired audiences, whether they are consumers, consumer media, health professionals or influencers, and to develop media strategies that deliver results that meet client objectives. Ilene holds a master’s degree in Nutrition and Applied Physiology from Columbia University and a bachelor of arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from New York University. She is a registered dietitian and member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and past chair of Dietitians in Business and Communications.
For more information about Ilene, please visit: linkedin.com/in/ilenevsmithrd
Kristin Walsh
EXPERIENCE: MobileStar Network (now operating as T-Mobile Hotspot), Ignite Technologies and PepsiCo/Frito-Lay
EXPERTISE: Influencer and consumer engagement, digital strategy, employee communications and project management
FAVORITE BAND & SONG: Aerosmith; Uptown Girl (Billy Joel)
Kristin is a seasoned communications and Public Relations professional who brings nearly 20 years of industry experience to the table. She launched her communications career in the WiFi and content delivery network (CDN) software industries. She led corporate communications strategy/execution and content development for fortune 500 companies, such as Tyco International, American Express, Bearing Point, Staubach Company and Software Spectrum. Kristin was also responsible for developing and launching technology training programs supporting these clients and their constituents.
Kristin then spent nearly 10 years in corporate communications at PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division. Her experience spans all facets of communications, including employee outreach and education, digital communications, influencer and consumer engagement, brand PR and community relations.
At Frito-Lay, she led Frito-Lay’s consumer and influencer engagement program. Through digital mining, social media monitoring, cross-functional collaboration and leveraging word-of-mouth outreach, the team built and amplified programs targeting key health professional influencer groups and key consumer bases. The consumer outreach and engagement was key to sharing product news and education, retailer programming and fan incentives, ultimately connecting fans to the company and its brands and establishing a strong base of brand-loyal consumer advocates. Kristin also launched and led Frito-Lay’s corporate social media strategy, in which the company leveraged digital channels to connect with consumers, industry influencers, media and corporate analysts. The strategy also included creating and launching a proprietary brand fan program.
Since leaving Frito-Lay to raise her son, Kristin continued to be a communications consultant on the programs she led at Frito-Lay, as well as supported communications initiatives for Jonathan’s Place, a Dallas-area children’s shelter and services organization.
For more information on Kristin, please visit: