Mary Rowley, APR, president and owner, has nearly 30 years of experience in marketing communications and media (from The Arizona Republic and San Diego Union-Tribune to small local newspapers), consumer and business-to-business communications, state government, and association management. In 2003, after working in marketing management at the University of Phoenix and as a vice president of a full-service advertising agency, Mary founded Strongpoint. Nationally accredited in public relations, she holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s in business administration. In addition, she is an undergraduate instructor in marketing and public relations at the University of Phoenix.  Previously Mary served as vice president of communications for the 28,000 member CPCU Society (a national association of accredited insurance professionals), press secretary and cabinet member for the Delaware superintendent of education, vice president of regional and international marketing for the Greater Baltimore Committee, circulation programs marketing director for the San Diego Union-Tribune, and head of marketing for The Arizona Republic. Mary also does frequent public speaking and training on topics related to marketing and public relations, and is a presentation and media coach.  Prior to serving in those positions, Mary was a reporter and editor at newspapers in Ohio.  She currently serves as immediate past president of the American Advertising Federation – Tucson and chair of the Pima Community College Foundation Board of Trustees.  Mary has been honored as an Arizona Woman of Achievement – Communications, Inside Tucson Business Woman of Influence, YWCA Women on the Move and, most recently earned the Golden Pen award from the American Advertising Federation – Tucson.

 

Jan has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, integrated marketing, news (from The Tulsa Daily World to the Reuters News Service), legislative advocacy, fundraising, risk management communications, employee communications and consumer relations. Nationally accredited in public relations, Jan began her career in Washington, DC, working as a lobbyist for an international oil firm and later went on to cover the industry as the Oil & Gas editor for a major mid-western newspaper. She moved to Tucson in 1989 to lead the marketing launch of what is now known as the Sarver Heart Center for the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center. From that launch, she then joined Carondelet Health Network, now Southern Arizona’s largest health care provider, holding key communications roles in the organization and leading their marketing and public relations efforts. While working for two of the community’s top 15 employers, she honed her skills in media relations and crisis communication planning. Her past work also includes creating and managing the communications infrastructure for development and fund raising. After 22 years of focus on promoting health care services and organizations, Jan joined Strongpoint in 2006 to apply her strategic planning knowledge and expertise to other industry sectors. Jan has a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in economics. She is currently on the Community Advisory Board for the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Health Center, the Communications Task Force for Imagine Greater Tucson, chairs the board development committee for the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council and is the 2011 President of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

 

Chris brings with him 10 years as a partner and primary project manager with Marketing Intelligence, a marketing research and strategy consulting firm. As a research director and project manager he designs and implements marketing research studies based on the business objectives of clients and provides actionable analysis.  After earning his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Arizona, he spent over nine years in the hospitality industry, serving as Director of Revenue Management and an Operations Executive Committee member for hotels and resorts. Chris attained his MBA degree with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management, where, he has taught undergraduate Marketing Research to both marketing and entrepreneurship students.  He is in his fourth year on the board of the American Advertising Federation – Tucson and is the 2011/12 President of the organization.  He also served five years on the National Governing Board of the University of Arizona Alumni Association and the Tucson American Marketing Association.  Other board and committee assignments include: Imagine Greater Tucson, University High School Foundation, the United Way’s Young Leadership Society and Methods and Messaging Task Force and TUSD’s Communications Advisory Committee.

 

Ajit Mathew George has 35 years of experience in creative marketing and business development in arenas spanning broadcasting, non-profits, resort real estate development, strategic planning and venture capital funding. As an organization development consultant, he has designed strategic business plans, organized team building workshops, reviewed and prepared marketing strategies and developed and helped implement action plans for organizational change. He also has consulted with companies involved in the acquisition of other businesses.

Ajit was Managing Director of Nail Bay Resort, a luxury villa resort, in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands for nearly 20 years until December 2009. He has experience in most facets of real estate including acquisition, construction – including historic renovations, marketing, sales and leasing, property management and obtaining financing from a variety of sources. Before going into the private sector in 1980, Ajit was director of marketing and membership Services for WHYY Inc. in Philadelphia, where he raised millions of dollars for public television and radio in the Delaware Valley. Prior to WHYY, Ajit was director of two human service agencies.

He is currently active as founding chairman of the BVI Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation Limited, which organized the highly successful Virgin Islands Winemakers Dinners, charter member of the Rotary Club Sunrise of Road Town, BVI and served on the board of directors of the BVI Tourist Board. He was founding chairman of Meals On Wheels Delaware in 1989 and launched in 1998 the highly successful Meals From The Masters Culinary Weekend in Delaware. He currently serves as co-chair of the MidAtlantic Food and Wine Feast, which benefits the Delaware Theatre Company. Ajit has served as event chair for the American Red Cross Delmarva Chapter and YWCA Delaware and coordinating chairman of First Night Delaware. In addition he has served as Chairman of  the Governor's Council on Family Services, General Convener of Delaware Futures, Co-Chairman of the first Delaware Mini-Grand Prix of the Arthritis Foundation, President of the Kiwanis Foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Wilmington.

Ajits career highlights include: receiving the 2007 Award for Outstanding Philanthropic Service from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Brandywine Chapter, Paul Harris Award by Rotary International 2006, recipient of the l994 Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Award in Delaware, 2002 Jefferson Award for his work with the YWCA, 2003 Jefferson Award for his work with Meals On Wheels, 1999 the National Volunteer of the Year award from the Meals On Wheels Association of America and June 2010 the Presidential Award for Service Above Self from the Rotary Club Sunrise of Road Town, BVI. Ajit attended the University of Delaware and received his bachelor’s degree in planning and administration from Antioch College and a master’s degree in organization development from Antioch University.

 

Jim is a leading corporate communications and PR counselor with more than 30 years’ experience designing and implementing award-winning strategies for global corporations. He has built PR departments at two Fortune 500 companies and has led global communications at a third. His work includes award-winning PR, corporate communications, investor relations and marketing communications programs in the consumer products, financial services, automotive, pharmaceutical and nonprofit sectors.

Jim has designed communications strategies for corporate mergers & acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, initial public offerings, crisis situations, product launches, international expansion projects, brand-building initiatives, media engagement, executive presentations, shareholder communications, investor conferences, Congressional testimony, corporate culture initiatives, internal communication programs, consumer advertising and more. He led the PR function in building both the Duracell battery brand while the company was owned by Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts and the AutoNation retail brand while the company was led by Huizenga Holdings. He also led global communications at MBNA Bank, at the time the world’s largest credit card bank, prior to and during its merger with Bank of America.

Today Jim provides direct, private PR counsel to select clients, with a focus on the financial services and nonprofit sectors. In advocating effectively for his client’s objectives, Jim designs the appropriate mix of strategy and tactics to deliver results that drive profit.

He has been an invited member and committee delegate of Public Relations Seminar, The Wisemen, the International Association of Business Communicators, the National Investor Relations Institute, Chair of the Public Information Working Group of the Credit Card Council (2005), The Conference Board Council of Corporate Communications Executives, The Card Policy Council of The American Bankers Association (2004-2006), and a Director of United Way of Delaware (2005-2006).

He is the recipient of the PRSA Silver Quill, the ACE Award (three times), the Big Apple Award (twice), the Bronze Flame Award, and the CIPRA and Clarion Awards. Jim holds a communications degree from The American University in Washington, D.C. and lives with his wife and daughter in a 300-year-old home in Old New Castle, DE.

 

Jennifer Malleo-Osinga, regional vice president and account director, joined Strongpoint eight years ago as part of its start-up staff and most recently led its expansion into the San Francisco Bay Area market. She serves as an account strategist for numerous high-profile clients, including an international resource development company and the third-largest cable entertainment and broadband services provider in Arizona. Previously, Jennifer managed the business development efforts for one of the Southwest’s leading providers of advanced acoustic technologies and led the redevelopment plans for a merger between two commercial contracting firms. She has also served as the director of human resources for a subsidiary of Tyco International, the world leader in electronic security and life safety systems. Jennifer is a founding member and past president of Ad2 Tucson, a division of the American Advertising Federation and a board member of the American Diabetes Association. She serves on the membership committee of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and is an active member of the Bay Area Interactive Group. She was honored with the Inside Tucson Business Up and Comer Award in 2007. Jennifer attended Pima Community College and the University of Arizona

jennifer.malleo@strongpointmarketing.com

Kristyn has more than 15 years of experience in marketing, media, advertising, sales management, employee relations and staffing.  Prior to joining Strongpoint, she was with the Arizona Daily Star for over 10 years in several roles, most recently as publications manager. She oversaw all aspects of editorial, operations and sales for the Non-Daily Division of the newspaper including; custom publishing, all community newspapers, Spanish language publications, journals, magazines and guides. She also managed several large community events such as Tucson Bridal Expo, the largest bridal expo in Southern Arizona, 40/40 Awards and many others.  Prior to the Arizona Daily Star she was branch manager with Dorado Staffing overseeing their expansion into Phoenix and Nogales, Arizona market. Kristyn founded the Southern Arizona Annual Workplace Excellence Awards. She serves on several boards, including Diamond Children’s Medical Center, Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation Board and the Hispanic Advisory Council to the President of the University of Arizona. She also works with several other organizations. She received a bachelor’s degree in communication from the Universityof Arizona and a master’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University

 

Sue has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and public relations spanning non-profit, government and for-profit sectors.  Her previous position was as public relations and analyst relations specialist for a software firm in Philadelphia, PA.  Prior to that post, she served in marketing positions for Gannett Co. Inc. newspapers for nearly 20 years, beginning as business development manager at The News Journal in Wilmington, Delaware; transitioned to marketing director at the Norwich Bulletin in CT; and then served as marketing director at the Morris County (NJ) Daily Record.  Prior to her Gannett positions, she served as communications director for the Delaware Community Foundation and as deputy press secretary for then-Governor of Delaware, Michael N. Castle. She also worked as account executive for Jones/Kent & Associates Advertising.  Sue holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Delaware.

 

Sandra has more than 25 years of marketing, advertising, public relations, media relations and special event planning experience, with a focus on healthcare. Prior to joining Strongpoint Public Relations, she was an account manager with a firm in Southern Arizona for six years, and also served as the marketing manager for Northwest Medical Center (NMC) in Tucson, Arizona for nine years. Sandra brings her expertise to the firm’s healthcare clients – NMC and Tucson Heart Hospital (THH) by coordinating VIP special events for both facilities, creating marketing materials and advertising programs for THH, and coordinating the development of THH’s web site. While at NMC, Sandra directed all marketing and public relations programs including media relations, advertising, event management, internal/external publications and collateral materials.  With a focus on the meeting the strategic plan objectives of this growing healthcare entity in northwest Tucson, she also directed advertising agencies and other vendors including creative staff, media buying, public relations and community and corporate sponsorships. Sandra currently serves as a member of the Canyon Del Oro High School SITE Council in Oro Valley, Arizona.  She is a past president of the Public Relations Society of America’s Southern Arizona chapter (Tucson, Arizona); past president of Women in Communication’s Phoenix chapter; past president of the Tucson chapter of the March of Dimes and has served as a committee member with the United Way of Tucson and the Amphitheater School District Foundation Board of Directors.  Sandra received her bachelor of artsdegree in communication from Michigan State University

 

Amy Moloney brings her extensive managerial and organizational experience to Strongpoint as the operations coordinator.Previously the Training and Education Supervisor for the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Red Cross, Amy has an impressive ability to facilitate communication within organizations, as well as an aptitude for initiating and implementing programs to improve productivity. Amy provides broad logistical support for the Strongpoint team, overseeing the firm’s administration and client project management. She served for nearly ten years as a corporate lead trainer for Thomas & King, Inc., an Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar Franchisee, successfully opening twenty-seven new restaurants around the country. Amy studied accounting at the University of Arizona and business at Pima Community College.