2024-2025 Professional Chapters Council
PCC Executive Team, President
New York Chapter
karen@kayemediapartners.com
Karen McFarlane is a solutions-focused Senior Marketing Executive and Board Member with more than 25 years of success in helping enterprises build meaningful and lasting connections with their customers and communities. Karen is the Chief Marketing Officer of a boutique creative agency and Founder of Kaye Media Collective, a fractional marketing collective that helps major brands and industrious high-growth companies solve their most pressing problems.
Karen sits on the board of the Hudson Valley Credit Union, the fifth-largest credit union in New York State, and the New York chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), where she served as President for two years and won eight CEA awards. On a national level, she serves as President-Elect and DEI Co-Chair for AMA’s Professional Chapters Council and sits on AMA’s Learning Council. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Momentum Value People of Color, a non-profit organization designed to create equity and access for young people through mentoring, coaching, and career advancement.
Karen champions diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in marketing as a certified professional and is dedicated to advancing Corporate America’s role in achieving racial and gender equity as part of her passion project Colossal.Work. She is a frequent speaker on inclusive marketing and conflict resolution and was named most notable in marketing and PR by Crain’s Business.
Kimberly N. Strong serves as an account director at Brunner, an independent advertising agency that maintains a presence in Atlanta and Pittsburgh. Within her present role, she is instrumental in fostering client relationships, overseeing strategic planning, and orchestrating the coordination of cross-functional teams to serve clients within the building supply and nonprofit sectors.
Before joining Brunner, Kimberly was a corporate marketing leader at Highwoods Properties, a prominent regional commercial real estate investment trust (REIT). Her 14-year journey with Highwoods saw her evolve from managing marketing activities within the Atlanta market to spearheading corporate digital marketing across seven markets, encompassing an expansive portfolio of over 30 million square feet of commercial real estate.
Kimberly’s remarkable career also extends to her distinguished recognition as a former president of the American Marketing Association’s Atlanta chapter. She is actively engaged in serving on various national and local community boards, demonstrating her commitment to community enrichment and leadership.
Equipped with an MBA from Mercer University, where she concentrated on international business, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications from the University of West Georgia, Kimberly possesses a solid educational foundation that complements her professional accomplishments.
PCC Executive Team, Immediate Past President
San Antonio Chapter
vanessa_torres@live.com
Vanessa C. Torres is a vivacious, creative, talented marketing professional specializing in integrated communications, strategy, and implementation. A leader in higher education marketing in San Antonio, Vanessa currently serves as the Associate Vice President of Enrollment Marketing & Recruitment at Texas A&M University-San Antonio where she oversees several departments, including: enrollment marketing & communications, admissions/recruitment, community outreach, campus visit experience, and CRM & enrollment insights.
Before A&M-San Antonio, Vanessa served as the Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications at San Antonio College for seven years where she focused on marketing, public relations and community outreach. She also held the role of Enrollment Communications Marketing Manager at St. Mary’s University, a four-year private, Marianist institution.
In addition to serving on the Professional Chapters Council since 2019, Vanessa is on the Board of Directors for the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists and for Community First Health Insurance Plans. She was also a mentor with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of South Texas for more than 10 years and has taught as an adjunct professor covering Introduction to Communications, Consumer Psychology and other marketing-related topics. Vanessa served as President of the AMA San Antonio Chapter in 20217-2018 and has been associated with the AMA San Antonio Board since 2009.
A native of San Antonio, Vanessa moved to Chicago after high school to pursue higher education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from Columbia College Chicago and Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University.
Vanessa enjoys traveling, seeing Broadway shows, and spending time with her boyfriend, family and friends.
Leadership Program Co-Chair
Houston Chapter
stephen@getonefootover.com
Stephen is a past president of the Houston chapter. He has served on the board since 2012 in various roles, including communications, programming, major events, and fundraising. Last year, he chaired the Strategic Efforts subcommittee for the PCC’s DEI initiative, which led to DEI practices included in Board in a Box, strategic planning, and more.
Outside of AMA, Stephen is the founder of One Foot Over, an unapologetically digital marketing agency, where he works with B2B clients to incorporate marketing technology and inbound marketing. He has spoken at conferences in the U.S. and Europe about online, agile, and growth marketing. A native of West Virginia, Stephen has lived in Houston since 2009. He also has an Instagram account that is 99% pictures of wine. @houstonwinefreak.
Leadership Advisor
National Volunteers Chair
Washington DC Chapter
andreacolettesmith@gmail.com
Andrea C. Smith boasts a distinguished career as a senior marketing executive, accumulating a wealth of experience spanning over twenty-five years. Serving as the Immediate Past President of the board of directors for the American Marketing Association, Washington DC Chapter, she has demonstrated leadership and commitment to advancing the field. Currently, Andrea holds the position of Senior Director of Marketing at AARP Services, Inc., where for nearly eighteen years, she has played a pivotal role in guiding a high-performing team in the development and implementation of partner marketing and communications strategies.
Before her tenure at AARP Services, Andrea held notable marketing positions at AOL, Inc., and Citigroup, Inc., contributing to her extensive and versatile background in the industry. Beyond her corporate achievements, she has dedicated twelve years to educating the next generation of marketing professionals as an adjunct professor at DeVry and Keller Universities, teaching a variety of marketing and business classes.
Andrea’s educational journey includes earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and an MBA from Strayer University, highlighting her commitment to continuous learning and academic excellence. Originally hailing from Northeast Louisiana, she currently resides in Northern Virginia. She enjoys being an aunt, traveling the world and spending time with her significant other.
Leadership Advisor
Leadership Advisory Co-Chair
Toronto Chapter
craig@ama-toronto.com
Craig Lund is a marketing and business development professional specialized in selling to the C-suite marketer. Having launched three businesses in the past 14 years in the Canadian & US Market for both Canadian based and Global B2B companies in media, consulting and marketing resource management, he has developed an affinity and passion for connecting the dots for the marketing community and proving opportunities for Mentorship.
Craig was also awarded the AMA’s Ric Sweeney Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award in 2022.
Chair, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee
Triangle Chapter
Misty.Wilson@amatriangle.org
Misty is a creator and a builder. As a creative futuristic thinker, her background in both qualitative and quantitative analysis enhances the design of fully integrated, data-driven marketing campaigns that enable brands to create inclusive mission-driven communities – cultivating meaningful relationships while fostering a continuously forward-thinking vision.
After working toward her BA in Marketing and PR from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, she began her career in PR and event planning before moving to digital marketing where she eventually pivoted into a concurrent career in both data science and digital marketing. She now owns her own digital marketing agency, Dexter Lilly Marketing.
She began her career within AMA in 2015, where she developed the CONNECT & INSPIRE mentorship program for AMA Triangle in Raleigh, North Carolina. Subsequently, in 2020-2021, she served as the first Black President of the chapter and in April 2021, she earned a prestigious spot on the “2021 Top 50 Black Marketers on the Rise” for influence and innovation. In addition to PR, marketing, and data, one of her greatest passions will always be giving back and creating community. As a result, in 2020 she co-founded a DEI Taskforce and co-authored an international DEI Pledge to help guide all 70 professional chapters in their own implementation of DEI practices. On a personal note, she’s a proud dog mom, a frequent traveler, a foodie, a bourbon connoisseur, as well as a Duke basketball, and Bama football fan.
Leadership Advisor
Chair of National Recognition and Celebration
New Jersey Chapter
kendraclarke10@gmail.com
Kendra Clarke is a marketer at heart and in practice. Her passion for marketing and communication stems from the desire to create meaningful connections with people through effective and impactful exchanges of ideas. Through her role as a Senior Content Strategist at Rutgers Business School, Kendra uses a combination of storytelling, persona development, creative thinking, and analytics to create content strategies designed to enhance the website user experience. She is a Rutgers Business School double alumna with a Bachelor’s in Marketing and an MBA in Marketing and Supply Chain Management.
Kendra has been a member of AMA since 2018. As a volunteer, she held various positions on the board including AVP of Communications, EVP of Operations and Strategy, and VP of DEI. In July 2020, Kendra became President of the AMA New Jersey Chapter and the first female Black President in its 76-year history. During her term, she created and implemented the chapter’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, enhanced the volunteer experience and engagement, and worked with her team to produce a chapter record of 40 events for the year. The AMA New Jersey Chapter was awarded the Leadership Special Merit award, which she credits to her fantastic team’s hard work and dedication.
As a volunteer with AMA, Kendra has helped chapter leaders across the country with starting DEI initiatives in their chapters and providing guidance during challenging situations. She was a member of the original DEI Taskforce and a Co-Chair of several committees on the PCC DEI Committee. Kendra is a leader inspired by helping others grow and succeed. For her, it is truly rewarding to be able to give back and help her community in whatever way she can.
A few fun facts about Kendra are that she loves solving mysteries and puzzles, has traveled to 11 different countries, and dances amateur salsa.
Leadership Program Co-Chair
Connecticut Chapter
richard.s.conner@gmail.com
Richard is a global-minded business leader with over 20 years of experience in healthcare and building technology sectors for multinational companies. He is currently a senior program director at Medtronic, leading a global strategic initiative across Operations and New Product Development. Before this role, he led various global marketing and product management teams.
Richard also leads a local Medtronic employee diversity and inclusion group, serves as Immediate Past President for the AMA Connecticut chapter (formerly Southern Connecticut), and volunteers for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in memory of his mother-in-law. He was born in the US (his parents are from the Dominican Republic and Jamaica) and resides in Connecticut with his wife, three kids, and miniature schnauzer. Richard enjoys international travel, obstacle course racing, and is the host of Inspire to Run Podcast.
Richard holds a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering from the University of Hartford and Master of Business Administration with a Graduate Certificate in International Business from the University of New Haven.
Leadership Advisor
Live Training Chair
Toronto Chapter
tina.portillo@ama-toronto.com
Tina is a passionate marketing leader with over 20+ years of expertise in brand & marketing strategy, communications/PR, events, customer journey management, and partnership marketing across both Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) segments. Tina is the CEO and Founder of TLP Marketing – a global consulting agency rooted in innovation, delivering best-in-class marketing programs. Previously, she held senior marketing roles in the Retail and Fintech industries, including leading integrated marketing campaigns at Scotiabank – one of Canada’s largest, and most international Banks. Tina is the Past President of the American Marketing Association (AMA) Toronto Chapter, and is a national volunteer for the AMA Professional Chapters Council. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from The University of Toronto and enjoys being a part time stylist, a mom of 3, travelling, and practicing yoga in her spare time.
Leadership Advisor
Self-Paced Modules Chair
Cincinnati Chapter
advisor@amacincinnati.org
Andy is a Lead Consultant with SPINS, LLC where he helps clients better understand the natural, organic, and health/wellness products industry, shopper marketing, and trends. His previous professional experience includes client leadership in the CPG industry, strategy in the agency and business information arenas, marketing research, and small business management. He continues to help his family’s bakery business with marketing support.
Andy has been a board member of the American Marketing Association’s Cincinnati chapter since 2005. He has held various positions including President; VP, Research & Insights; VP, Programming IGNITE! Conference; and VP, Advisory & Operations. He also teaches marketing courses at the University of Cincinnati as an Adjunct Professor.
Andy earned a master’s degree in marketing from Wright State University as well as bachelor’s degrees in marketing, management, and psychology. He enjoys spending time with his daughter, Olivia, and their two cats. In his spare time, he is a licensed fireworks exhibitor.
Leadership Advisor
Leadership Advisory Co-Chair
PDX Chapter
ashlan@ama-pdx.org
Ashlan Glazier-Anderson is a Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) and Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) with over 15 years of experience in the field. She has worked in a variety of industries, from advertising agencies to corporate America to nonprofit organizations. The founder and Chief Executive Officer of AshbeanPDX Marketing, she thrives on helping clients solve problems and create unique strategies to best reach their target audience, drive revenue, and grow their businesses at scale. As an entrepreneur, she can help you build a strong marketing function, with the right systems to get more done with fewer resources.
Ashlan holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Communications from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing from Portland State University (PSU). She completed a Certificate in Nonprofit Program Evaluation with the PSU Nonprofit Institute.
Ashlan is an active volunteer in her community and serves as the Board Chair of Betties360, Past President of AMA PDX – the American Marketing Association in Portland, and board director of marketing with the People’s Nonprofit Accelerator. Through these organizations, she continues to increase her knowledge, strengthen her leadership skills, and expand her network to better serve her clients.
Fun Fact: In March 2020, she was recognized for her service to the community as a Portland Trail Blazers Hometown Hero by Director’s Mortgage
Leadership Advisor
Marketing Chair
Detroit Chapter
Christina is a marketing, business development and communications professional with a decade of sales and marketing experience including full-time roles at ABC/NBC television affiliates, a state-wide association, and an international insurance broker. She is experienced in communications, storytelling, branding, and strategic planning.
Her educational background includes a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s degree in media and information. Christina served as President of the AMA Detroit Chapter from 2021-2022 before moving into a Past President/Advisory Role.
Related Articles