OFFICERS
PRESIDENT: Melendy A. Britt
be360
Melendy A. Britt is a seasoned communications professional with 20+ years of international experience in branding, marketing, and PR. Melendy leads integrated campaigns designed to transmit core brand values via enriching experiences that build lasting bonds with the consumer.
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PRESIDENT-ELECT: 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.
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SECRETARY: Allie Lee
Participant
Allie Lee is currently Director of Communications at Participant. Previously, she was Marketing and Communications Lead at the Ellison Institute, and prior to the Ellison Institute, she spent ten years in entertainment public relations.
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TREASURER: 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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VICE-PRESIDENT: Leshelle Sargent
VP, Communications for ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group
Leshelle V. Sargent is currently VP, Communications for ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment Group. Prior to this, she was Executive Director, Publicity for Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Publicity/Marketing in Burbank, Calif., where she directed publicity for series such as The CW’s Black Lightning (also streaming on Netflix), TNT’s original series Claws, the reboot of Pretty Little Liars coming to HBO Max, Queen Sugar on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and more.
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DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE (1-Year Positions)
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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Denise Edwards-Neff, Ph.D., APR
Azusa Pacific University
Denise Edwards-Neff is Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Professor of Communication at Azusa Pacific University, and Faculty Advisor for APU PRSSA. Previously she was Professor of Communication and Director of Graduate Programs in Communication at Pepperdine University.
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Kate Franklin
Coast Public Relations
Kate Franklin is Vice President for Coast Public Relations, an award-winning PR agency composed of experienced industry professionals ready to deliver tailored, creative, and effective public relations and communications services to help both domestic and international clients garner the right kind of attention.
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Heather Herndon
Entertainment Partners
Vice President, Brand Marketing and Communications at Entertainment Partners with 15+ years experience in global communications, brand management, and team building for start-ups to enterprise companies within the technology, education, real estate, and renewable energy industries.
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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.
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Rick Markovitz
Weissman/Markovitz Communications
Rick Markovitz has worked in executive-level positions with global advertising agencies, major entertainment companies, as well as leading technology-based firms for more than 30 years.
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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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Lauren Salisbury
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
Currently Director of Global Communications with the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Lauren is an experienced travel expert, having led the PR at Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, where she drove global publicity efforts to position Santa Monica as a world-class travel destination and leader in innovation, entertainment, and sustainability. She was also Director of Communications for Cultural Vistas, a nonprofit exchange organization promoting global understanding and collaboration among individuals and institutions.
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Stacy Schwartz
Independent Public Relations Strategist and Consultant
With nearly twenty years of experience grounded in the corporate and product side of the PR industry, I help large companies, brands, and small businesses alike by providing a strategic approach to public relations and marketing focused on meeting business goals. My tenure working in the Los Angeles media market has given me invaluable insight into this complicated and ever-changing media marketplace, and a diverse background also working closely with national and industry-specific media outlets enables me to provide clients with sound strategy and creative campaigns to achieve success.
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IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Melissa England
The Wonderful Company
Melissa is the president of PRSA-LA and director of 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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