Board members –Treasurer Joyce Huntley (standing) and Susan Maxwell (right) – manage the chapter ’s bottom line
President
WILLIAM K. HAMILTON, ABC, APR
Bill Hamilton, ABC, APR, Principal, Strategic Communication Resources, has more than 40 years of experience in business and media. Client businesses include building materials, automotive, financial, food service, health care, industrial equipment and publishing.
Prior to launching his consulting firm, Bill worked for several major corporations in Ohio.
Starting his career as a newspaper reporter, he later joined a major tire corporation to edit their internal publications. Moving to Owens Corning a few years later, he started as a publication editor and ultimately served as company spokesperson and managed corporate departments responsible for both internal and external communication.
Bill worked closely with business leaders, earning a reputation for excellence and many honors, including three Gold Quill awards from the International Association of Business Communicators. His media relations experience includes business-to-business, consumer and investor relations communication.
Bill earned a B.S. in journalism and public relations from Ohio University.
He is accredited in business communications and in public relations, being the first member of the Northwest Ohio Chapter of PRSA to pass the new accreditation examination from the Universal Accreditation Board. Previously, he served two years as vice president and membership chair for the Northwest Ohio Chapter.
Immediate Past President/Assembly Delagate
JULIA L. ORWIG, APR
Julia Orwig, APR, Principal, Orwig Marketing Strategies, has 20 years’ experience in the development and implementation of public relations strategies for clients in the corporate, non-profit and government sectors. Her work for clients has received awards from the Association for Women in Communications and the Press Club of Toledo.
Julia holds a B.A. in sociology/psychology from Agnes Scott College, Atlanta, GA.
She serves the Northwest Ohio Chapter, PRSA, as Accreditation Chair and is the Chapter’s 2005 Assembly Delegate. In addition, Julia sits on the Board of Directors of the Medical University of Ohio Foundation, The Valentine Theatre, and Historic Woodlawn Cemetery. She is a graduate and former board member of Leadership Ohio and a past president of the Junior League of Toledo, Inc.
President–Elect/Progam Chair
LYNNETTE WERNING
Lynnette Werning recently poured her 17 years of experience in public relations, marketing, and media into opening Blue Water Communications. The client base reflects the firm's expertise museum and destination marketing, authors and professional speakers, industrial, non-profit agencies, and aviation. Previously, Lynnette was the vice president of an integrated marketing communications agency, account supervisor for a nationally-recognized public relations and marketing firm, the external communications manager at the Toledo Museum of Art, division director for the March of Dimes, and an assistant director at WTOL-TV. Lynnette is a graduate of the University of Toledo.
Vice President/Membership
BRAD LEONE
Brad Leone is the vice president of public relations at Hart Associates, an integrated marketing and communications agency located in the Toledo suburb of Maumee. Brad joined Hart in September 2002.
At Hart, Brad manages the PR department and oversees all public relations, media relations and crisis communications activities. While at Hart, Brad has worked with a number of well-known companies, including Rubbermaid; Certified Angus Beef; Sky Bank; Owens Corning; Fifth Third Bank; ProMedica Health Systems; and the Mystery Shopping Provider Association.
Brad grew up in the public relations field, working at a public relations and marketing firm since junior high school. Prior to joining Hart Associates, Brad worked in the San Francisco office of N.Y.-based Coltrin & Associates, a strategic communications firm. While there, he provided public relations counsel to Fortune 500 accounts, such as Reebok, Palm, 3Com and large and small private companies.
Secretary
JODI DISALLE-HORNS
Jodi Disalle-Horns is currently the public relations specialist for Communica, a full-service marketing,
advertising and public relations agency located in downtown Toledo. She has organized, scheduled and executed local and regional public relations plans in both the profit and non-profit sectors for clients such as White Castle, Heidtman Steel, The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, MTS Seating, and The Toledo Community Hospital Oncology Program. Prior to joining Communica, Disalle-Horns served as the special events director for The Arts Partnership of Greater Hancock County. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education, with a specialization in creative writing, from Bowling Green State University and serves as a member of The Board of Trustees for the Family and Child Abuse Prevention Center.
Treasurer/Website Liaison
JOYCE HUNTLEY
Joyce Huntley is the Director of Public Relations at WSOS Community Action Commission Inc., where she has been for the past six years.
She also worked with the Gannet Corporation as a reporter and editorial page editor at Gannett’s Fremont newspaper The News-Messenger.
Joyce graduated from Bowling Green State University with a degree in English (BA) and earned a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Tiffin University.
Director-at-Large/PRSSA Liaison
MATT LOCKWOOD
Matt Lockwood serves as the associate director of public relations at the Medical University of Ohio (MUO). He has been with MUO for five years. He is in charge of media relations for MUO’s four colleges and three hospitals. He also conducts media training for employees, manages the institution’s online newsroom, writes for internal publications and develops and manages marketing initiatives.
Before joining MUO, Matt spent six years as an assignment editor and news reporter for television stations in Michigan, Iowa and Ohio.
He is a native of West Bloomfield, Mich. and a graduate of Michigan State University. He is currently pursing a master’s of science degree in communications management in the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
In addition to serving on the PRSA board, Matt also chairs the public relations committee on the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation board, and chairs the programs committee on the South Toledo YMCA board of managers.
Matt’s media training program has won awards from the PRSA East Central District and the Association of American Medical Colleges, and he has given presentations on the program at various conferences around the country. He has also won awards from the Toledo Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications for reporting and public relations.
Director-at-Large/Chronicle Editor
SARAH BEDNARSKI
Director-at-Large
SCOTT CARPENTER, APR
Scott Carpenter, APR, is public relations manager for Metroparks of the Toledo Area, a regional government agency engaged in natural and historical preservation and environmental education. He is responsible for internal and external communications and marketing.
A former award-winning reporter and editor for community newspapers in northwest Ohio and a freelance writer specializing in outdoors and environmental topics, he has worked in public relations for 10 years, the last five in management.
He is author of "Lake Erie Journal," a travel guide through four states and Ontario, and continues to write freelance articles about the outdoors, travel and the environment. His humor columns (which often poke fun at marketing) have appeared in several publications.
Scott is president of Lake Erie Coastal Ohio, Inc., a non-profit organization with a mission to increase tourism while advocating for the preservation of natural and historical resources on Ohio's 245-mile lakeshore. He is also president of the Outdoor Writers of Ohio, an organization of journalists, freelance writers and public information professionals employed by conservation organizations, and a member of the boards of several community organizations.
Accreditation Chair
TIM LANGHORST, APR
Chapter Administrator
KARI L. BUCHER
Kari Bucher is the Chapter Administrator for the Northwest Ohio Chapter of PRSA and
has served the organization in various capacities for many years. As chapter
administrator, she arranges the monthly meetings, takes reservations, maintains contact with
members and strives to answer questions (or will find the board member who can
answer them). In short, she keeps the chapter running smoothly. For many years, she served as editor of the Chronicle.
Kari is a full-time mom to four young children and a part-time free-lance writer.
Before staying at home, she worked for 10 years as an account associate for
Teresa M. Arnold & Associates.
Kari graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University.
Ethics Officer
KAREN L. FRAKER, APR
Karen L. Fraker is Senior Vice President of Marketing at Fifth Third Bank, Northwestern Ohio where she has spent 21 years handling PR and Marketing. A non-traditional student at University of Toledo, she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1984. She joined First National Bank of Toledo in November of that year and established the first Public Relations Department at that institution. After the bank was acquired by Fifth Third Bank, she became Director of Marketing in 1990, was promoted to Vice President in 1992 and Senior Vice President in 2002.
Karen became an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America in 1991. Currently she serves as a member of the National PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards and she is a Past President of the Toledo Chapter of PRSA.
Karen’s community involvement includes serving as the current Chairman of the YMCA of Greater Toledo, member of the Mercy Health Partners Board of Trustees, Chairman of the MHP Business Development Committee, Past President of the University of Toledo Alumni Association, member of the Northwest Ohio Engineering and Technologies Education Foundation Board, member of the Toledo Day Nursery Advisory Board and member of the UT Board Committee for Institutional Advancement. Karen served as the bank’s point person for the naming rights to Fifth Third Field, successfully implementing the partnership and subsequent opening of the ballpark on April 9, 2002.
Her achievements include: 1988 YWCA “TWIN” honoree, 1997 YMCA Volunteer of the Year,1998 Women of Toledo–St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center Auxiliary, 2002 YWCA Milestones honoree (business), 2002 Outstanding Alumnus of University College at the University of Toledo, and 2004 recipient of the “Athena” award from the Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce.
Julia Orwig, APR, Principal, Orwig Marketing Strategies, has 20 years’ experience in the development and implementation of public relations strategies for clients in the corporate, non-profit and government sectors. Her work for clients has received awards from the Association for Women in Communications and the Press Club of Toledo.
Brad Leone is the vice president of public relations at Hart Associates, an integrated marketing and communications agency located in the Toledo suburb of Maumee. Brad joined Hart in September 2002.
Jodi Disalle-Horns is currently the public relations specialist for Communica, a full-service marketing,
Joyce Huntley is the Director of Public Relations at WSOS Community Action Commission Inc., where she has been for the past six years.
Kari Bucher is the Chapter Administrator for the Northwest Ohio Chapter of PRSA and
has served the organization in various capacities for many years. As chapter
administrator, she arranges the monthly meetings, takes reservations, maintains contact with
members and strives to answer questions (or will find the board member who can
answer them). In short, she keeps the chapter running smoothly. For many years, she served as editor of the Chronicle.