OFFICERS
PRESIDENT: Stephen Chavez
ChavezPR
As President of ChavezPR based in Los Angeles, Stephen is a leading voice in the marketplace on effectively reaching multicultural communities. A highly skilled strategist, writer, and team builder, Stephen has a proven track record developing successful multi-channel campaigns working with some of the world’s leading brands and national nonprofits such as Verizon, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and the National Institutes of Health. READ MORE…
SECRETARY: Allie Lee
Participant
Allie Lee is Director of Communications at Participant, the leading media company dedicated to entertainment that stands at the intersection of art and activism. A public relations professional with over 15 years of experience, she leads corporate communications efforts for the production company, including public relations strategy, corporate partnerships and major event/festival sponsorships. READ MORE…
TREASURER: John McCartney, APR
JMAC PR
John McCartney, APR, is the Principal at Jmac PR and has more than 20+ years of experience between Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York leading PR and social media campaigns for technology, advertising, marketing, and media brands. READ MORE…
VICE-PRESIDENT: Bilal Kaiser
Agency Guacamole
Bilal Kaiser is the Founder and Principal of Agency Guacamole, an award-winning, LA-based PR, influencer marketing, events, and social media firm that specializes in beauty and lifestyle brands. In his role at Agency Guacamole, Bilal helps clients articulate and bring to life their brand’s story, which can range from a product launch campaign and influencer partnerships to fun experiential activations. READ MORE…
VICE-PRESIDENT: Stacy Schwartz
Independent Public Relations Strategist and Consultant
Stacy Schwartz is a seasoned and award-winning public relations professional with nearly twenty years of experience across multiple industries and media verticals. She works successfully with public and private companies and brands to provide high-level strategy and implement media campaigns, including corporate communications, media relations, product launches, crisis communications, social media programs and special events. Her client experience is broad yet focused, including both B2B and B2C expertise, with a focus on professional services. READ MORE…
DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE (1-Year Positions)
Gita Amar
GCI Health
Gita Amar is a senior vice president of media at GCI Health (part of the WPP holding company), offering strategic counsel on media relations for health, wellness, medical device, animal health, and bio-tech clients. She works with a multitude of clients advising on strategic communications, FDA approvals, identifying new angles for media coverage, CEO executive positioning, and crisis management. She’s known for deploying innovative media skills and ideas in the congested and changing media landscape. She employs creative tactics for complex high-science messaging direct to consumers.
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Maricela Cueva
VPE Communications
Maricela Cueva is the President of VPE Communications, the largest Latina-owned full-service public relations agency in Los Angeles that understands and meaningfully connects with diverse audiences. VPE is a results-driven agency known for its excellent media relations and publicity, outstanding community contacts, and influential networks.
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Erik Deutsch
ExcelPR Group
Erik Deutsch (2014 PRSA-LA President) is an award-winning media strategist with more than 20 years of experience in public relations, digital marketing, and content creation.
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Melissa England
The Wonderful Company
Melissa is the president of PRSA-LA and Senior Director, Consumer Public Relations at The Wonderful Company where she oversees all public-facing campaigns for the company’s iconic brands, which include Wonderful Pistachios, Wonderful Halos, POM Wonderful, FIJI Water, JUSTIN Wines, and Teleflora, among others.
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Joe Marchelewski
AIJ Communications
Joe Marchelewski is President of AIJ Communications, a boutique agency representing trial lawyers, consumer brands, digital finance, cannabis, and financial firms in all aspects of their communications efforts. He is a veteran of the legal PR and marketing world, having worked for some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the world.
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Sallie Olmsted-MacKinnon, APR
i.am.Media
With twenty-five years of entertainment, technology, brand, and corporate communications experience, Sallie Olmsted brings big agency expertise to her boutique clients. Additionally, she has a significant background in crisis management situations.
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Scott Pansky
Allison+Partners
Scott is a co-founder of the agency and leads Allison+Partners’ Social Impact group. He developed the agency’s proprietary Corporate Socialanthropy™ process, which helps corporations identify social impact partners and builds the foundation for long-term campaigns that incorporate employee recruitment and retention programs, internal and external communications, and cause-related marketing strategies.
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Marisol Barrios Perez, MSPA, APR
Mission Driven PR, Inc.
With more than 25 years of successful experience in communications, public relations, and the nonprofit sector, Marisol creates impact with GRACE, a five-step process in public relations to transform an organization’s mission. Through her company Mission Driven PR, Inc. and Nonprofit PR Academy, she helps nonprofit communications and development professionals generate impact in public relations that align with their missions. In addition, she provides event management to her nonprofit clients.
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Claudia Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Communications
Claudia Santa Cruz is the President of Santa Cruz Communications, Inc., a woman-owned, award-winning Public Relations agency she founded in 2001, which delivers communications solutions for companies seeking to engage with the U.S. Hispanic market. A seasoned PR professional with over 30 years of experience, Santa Cruz leads and oversees the agency’s work for an expanding roster of loyal clients in a variety of industries, including Entertainment, Education, Environment, Non-Profit, and Health, among others. Her extensive knowledge of the U.S. General and Hispanic market, and her capability to develop and execute strategic campaigns that produce measurable results, has earned her a reputation as a leading PR professional for the U.S. Hispanic and General market. READ MORE…
Leshelle Sargent
Publicity Principal, Amazon Studios/Prime Video
Leshelle V. Sargent is currently Publicity Principal for Amazon Studios/Prime Video where she leads publicity for unscripted series, comedy specials, award shows, etc. Prior to Amazon, she was Vice President, Communications for Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios where she led publicity for the brands VH1, Smithsonian Channel, MTV Movie & TV Awards, Comedy Central’s Hell of A Week with Charlamagne Tha God and so much more.
Yurina Melara Valiulis
Multiethnic Press Secretary for the Office of Community Partnership and Strategic Communications at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
Yurina Melara Valiulis, MS, Ph.D. is a media communications strategist with over 20 years of experience in journalism and media relations. Currently, she serves as the Multiethnic Press Secretary for the Office of Community Partnership and Strategic Communications at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.
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IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Melendy A. Britt
be360
Melendy A. Britt is seasoned, award-winning integrated marketing professional with over 25 years of international experience at agencies Ogilvy, Weber Shandwick, Edelman, MC Saatchi PR, and more. Melendy leads campaigns designed to transmit core brand values via enriching experiences that build lasting bonds with the consumer. She is also the Immediate Past President of PRSA Los Angeles.
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