2023-2024 Professional Chapters Council
PCC Executive Team, 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.
PCC Executive Team, President-Elect
Co-Chair, Diversity Equity and Inclusion
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.
PCC Executive Team, Immediate Past President
New Jersey Chapter
mfleischner@gmail.com
PCC Leadership Advisory Team Chapters
Michael Fleischner is the founder of Big Fin SEO, a search engine optimization and digital marketing company. He is also an entrepreneur, author, and speaker with 20 years of experience. Michael is a Past President of the AMA New Jersey chapter and has served in various AMA roles for nearly a decade. He has appeared on the TODAY Show, ABC World News, and other major media. In addition, Michael has authored several marketing-related books, including the top-selling guide, SEO Made Simple, available on Amazon.com.
Advisory Chair
PDX Chapter
amberelysemckenna@gmail.com
PCC Leadership Advisory Team Chapters
Amber McKenna is an innovative and dynamic storyteller who has been living and breathing marketing for over 12 years. She has a knack for turning big ideas into action and a passion for people and creating memorable experiences.
This is Amber’s fourth year on the PCC. She has previously acted as Regional Retreat 2022 Co-Chair, Leadership Summit 2022 Co-Chair, and as a Leadership Advisor 2020 – 2023.
She served on the board for the Portland, Oregon (PDX) chapter from 2015 – 2020, including Membership Chair, Marketing Excellence Awards, and working on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. In addition, Amber served as President during the 2018 – 2019 year. Under her leadership, the chapter was recognized for Membership Excellence, started a mentorship program, and rebranded its pro-bono marketing program, AMA PDX Agency, which she wrote about in Marketing News magazine.
As Director of Shopper Marketing for Urban Remedy, a super-fresh, organic, food and beverage company, Amber drives marketing strategy, brand development, and customer experience. Outside of the office, she can be found eating delicious food, getting out in nature with friends and family, or planning her next great travel adventure.
Leadership Advisor
Awards Chair
Houston Chapter
stephen@getonefootover.com
PCC Leadership Advisory Team Chapters
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
Leadership Summit Co-Chair
Atlanta Chapter
kimberly.strong@gmail.com
Kimberly Strong is executive director and co-founder of The A Pledge, a call to Atlanta advertising and marketing agencies to come together in a committed effort to match the diversity of their teams to that of Atlanta by 2030. It is an alliance of local agencies and corporate leaders who will work together to overcome systemic racism in our industry. Participating agencies and brands collaborate to develop a city-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) plan with concrete actions specific to the Atlanta marketing and advertising community.
She is a leader in strategic transformations and process improvement for organizations seeking course correction. Known for her positive guidance and entrepreneurial mindset in corporate marketing and non-profit operations, she enhances brand growth and operational efficiencies.
Kimberly is also the digital marketing specialist for Highwoods Properties, where she drives B2B brand growth and operational effectiveness to deliver superior financial performance.
She serves on several national committees and community boards, including the American Marketing Association’s National Professional Chapters Council and the AMA Atlanta Executive Advisory Board. She holds an MBA from Mercer University with a concentration in international business and a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and mass communications from the University of West Georgia.
Leadership Advisor
Regional Retreat Co-Chair
Toronto Chapter
craig@ama-toronto.com
PCC Leadership Advisory Team Chapters
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.
Leadership Advisor
Regional Retreat Co-Chair
Oklahoma City Chapter
jennifer@evolve-research.com
PCC Leadership Advisory Team Chapters
Jennifer Shrewsbury is the Sr. Research Analyst and Project Manager at Evolve Research, LLC in Oklahoma City. She is a consumer insights expert, marketing research consultant, analyst, data visualizer, and (wannabe) graphic designer. She is an extremely adaptable team player who is always ready to dominate the next challenge at the drop of the proverbial hat.
Jennifer joined her company in 2013 after deciding to pursue a career in marketing. She has a natural aptitude for research, which is why she has been motivated to stay, learn and advance her skillsets for eight years and counting. Not only is she inquisitive, but the desire to find the “why” behind motivations and behaviors also burns in her brightly.
Additionally, Jennifer is an active member of her AMA Oklahoma City chapter. She served seven years on the board in various positions from collegiate relations, programming, and the 2019-2020 President of AMA OKC. Her dedication to her chapter earned her the 2017 AMA OKC Chapter Volunteer of the Year award. She was then honored as a finalist for the national AMA 2018 Ric Sweeny Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award. In 2019, she received Oklahoma’s NextGen Under 30 Award for her dedication and service to her community, career, and industry.
Outside of her day job and volunteer gigs, Jennifer won’t hesitate to wear her bright Oklahoma State orange on any given day. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two blue heelers, indoor cycling, going to the lake, “DIYing,” volunteering, planning events, and a patio on a nice day.
Leadership Advisor
Leadership Summit Retreat Co-Chair
Triangle Chapter
Misty.Wilson@amatriangle.org
PCC Leadership Advisory Team Chapters
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
Co-Chair, Diversity Equity and Inclusion
New Jersey Chapter
kendraclarke10@gmail.com
PCC Leadership Advisory Team Chapters
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 Advisor
Connecticut Chapter
richard.s.conner@gmail.com
PCC Leadership Advisory Team Chapters
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
Cincinnati Chapter
advisor@amacincinnati.org
PCC Leadership Advisory Team Chapters
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
PDX Chapter
ashlan@ama-pdx.org
PCC Leadership Advisory Team Chapters
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
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