Leadership

Stacy Moe-Kean, APR

(she/her)

Stacy Moe-Kean, APR, is the 2024 president and leadership assembly delegate.

She has spent her career in nonprofit communications. Stacy is a native Oregonian and University of Oregon alumna.

She currently serves as the marketing director at The Contingent, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes the community to serve children and families affected by foster care. It also empowers diverse talent to excel as young professionals.

Stacy was the recipient of the 2016 Ron Schmidt Community Involvement Award.

She served on the PRSA Oregon Board (then Portland Metro) in 2005-2007 and served as the communicators conference co-chair in 2005.

Stacy has volunteered as an APR coach since 2016.

Email Stacy: executive(at)prsaoregon.orgContact Stacy. 

Andrea Watson, APR

(she/her)

Andrea is the president-elect for 2024. She is a strategic communicator with experience in communications, public relations, outreach and resource development in the pubic, nonprofit and health care sectors.

She has served as a communications and public affairs supervisor for Tualatin Valley Water District, and communications director at Reynolds School District for 14 years. She's an expert in crisis and strategic communications, event and volunteer management.

She has collaborated with others to pass a $125 million bond package at Reynolds School District, which replaced three elementary schools and made improvement to Reynolds High School and safety improvement district wide. She joined the water communicators cohort at the 2022 WEFTEC conference, serving as an ambassador to the communications function in water utilities. She has served as chair of the PNWS-AWWA public information committee.

Andrea earned a master of public administration from Portland State University and a bachelor of science in community health education degree from the University of Oregon.

Email Andrea: executive(at)prsaoregon.orgContact Andrea. 

Rhonda Morin, APR, M.L.S.

(she/her)

Rhonda is the immediate past president. She is a public relations, communications and marketing professional with 28 years of experience researching, planning, implementing and measuring compelling public relations solutions for diverse audiences.

She has won numerous awards in her career including two bronze Anvil commendations from the Public Relations Society of America, a Spotlight and merit awards from PRSA Oregon/Southwest Washington and several accolades from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education District 8.

Her specialties are problem-solving with teams, writing and deploying comprehensive marketing plans, producing podcasts and videos, online and print content, campaign fundraising planning and messaging and brand reputation management.

A member of PRSA since 2016, she has served on the DEI committee at the chapter level for several years. She earned a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Maine and a master’s of liberal studies in women’s studies from Eastern Michigan University.

She’s a licensed emergency medical technician in Oregon and holds a certificate in exercise, core and posture conditioning.

Email Rhonda: executive(at)prsaoregon.org.Contact Rhonda 

Carol Fenstermacher, APR

(she/her)

Carol Fenstermacher, APR, is the 2024 treasurer. She is the owner of FenstermacherPR, specializing in communication audits and ballot measures for public school districts.

Carol retired in 2021, as the chief communications officer for the Centennial School District in Portland, Oregon.

Prior to Centennial, she worked in the Evergreen School District in Vancouver, Washington, as the director of community relations.

Carol also worked for the city of Portland as a communications specialist, the Portland Rose Festival Association as a community relations director and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette as the assistant vice president of communication and marketing.

She started working on a local newspaper her senior year in college and reported on sports and business.

Carol received her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2004.

She has served on the board of several professional associations, including, 2018 – 19 as the national president and northwest regional vice president and member of the executive board for the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA); past national president of Women in Communications, Inc. (WICI;  and past president of the Portland Professional Chapter of WICI; past board member, Oregon School Public Relations Association (OSPRA); past board member, Washington School Public Relations Association (WSPRA); past board member, Public Relations Society of American (PRSA) – Portland Metro Chapter.

Carol has served on several nonprofit boards, including Evergreen Habitat for Humanity, DePaul Treatment Centers, Oregon Repertory Singers, the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) and KBPS Public Radio.

Email Carol: admin(at)prsaoregon.orgContact Carol. 

Michael Clark

(he/him)

Michael Clark is the secretary for 2024.

Michael is a communications strategist and marketer known for his ability to simplify and enhance complex messages and systems. His mission is help amplify the voices, confidence and skills of community leaders and business owners alike. 

His award-winning expertise spans a wide range of disciplines, including strategic digital communications, public relations, marketing, graphic design, branding, video production, public speaking, writing, storytelling, photography, social media strategy, advertising, web design and development.

Michael has held and excelled at various high-pressure jobs all while running multiple businesses and being home for dinner with his family. For this reason, he is often asked to speak and share with others on the topics of team building, focus, mindset, time-management, work-life balance and essentialism. 
 
Email Michael: executive(at)prsaoregon.org

Dianne Danowski Smith, APR, Fellow PRSA

(she/her)

Dianne is a leadership assembly delegate for 2024.

She has three decades’ experience in the implementation and management of public relations, public affairs, crisis communications, strategic marketing, corporate communications and reputation management, through her work at Publix Northwest, and for large/medium/small companies, firms and organizations.

She has created award-winning results in advocacy, community programming, issues management, strategic counsel and tactical implementation.

She has served on the business advocacy council (after many years as chair) of the Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce board.

For the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), she served on the 2023 board of directors, presided as the 2006 president of the Portland Metro Chapter, and as 2004 chair of PRSA’s North Pacific District.

She is nationally accredited and in 2012, earned her fellowship in the practice of public relations.

She is the PRSA Oregon recipient of the William W. Marsh Lifetime Achievement Award in Public Relations. In 2017, she was awarded the Ron Schmidt Award from Community Involvement from PRSA Oregon; the PR Practitioner of the Year from the PRSA North Pacific District and The Paul Lund Public Service award from PRSA’s National office. She’s helping to launch the Public Relations Student Society of America new chapter at George Fox University (and was a PRSSA chapter board member in her college days at University of Oregon).

Email Dianne: programs(at)prsaoregon.orgContact Dianne. 

Kelliann Amico, APR, Fellow PRSA

(she/her)

Kelliann is a leadership assembly delegate for 2024.

Kelliann is president of Amico PR and an example of excellence in the public relations industry. Prior to founding Amico PR, she was the press lead for the Clinton White House from 1998 to 2000. She traveled the world in advance of presidential and first lady visits as a liaison to the White House Press Corps and local media. 

Throughout her career, she has earned 15 PRSA awards, including two Silver Anvils and a Bronze Anvil, along with numerous accolades from other organizations. Her work has been recognized by the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Oregon Mentors, and others. She has also been a supporter of our local chapter, actively volunteering and participating as a panelist for APR readiness panels and more. Her contributions have been invaluable in fostering

Email Kelliann: programs(at)prsaoregon.org. 

Ian Rollins, APR

(he/him)

Ian is the membership co-director for 2024. Ian has a passion for health care communications, having spent  more than 15 years in the field with 14 years at Samaritan Health Services in Albany/Corvallis.

He is currently with Providence Health & Services on its internal communications team, in which he writes content for the entire Providence workforce across seven states. He also writes external content for the organization’s community benefit, patient assistance and environmental stewardship teams.

He spent the first 10 years of his career in newspaper reporting, moving from a small weekly paper to the daily Albany Democrat-Herald in the mid-Willamette Valley. From there, he transitioned into health care marketing and public relations with Samaritan, the leading health care provider in the Albany/Corvallis area with five hospitals and multiple primary and specialty care clinics.

During his time with Samaritan, he led and participated in numerous internal initiatives, including a transformation of Samaritan’s internal newsletter from print to an online news feed; as well as external initiatives including the organization’s annual community benefit report and COVID-19 vaccine communications.

He earned his Accreditation in Public Relations certification in 2020, and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. He is originally from La Habra, California.

Email Ian: membership(at)prsaoregon.orgContact Ian. 

Shirell Hennessy

(she/her)

Shirell is the professional development co-director for 2024. 

Her specialty is developing effective B2B and B2C marketing strategies that consistently exceed revenue targets.

Shirell  has a strong track record for delivering internal and external communications and marketing campaigns that drive engagement and enhance corporate brand and vision. She is a natural storyteller adept at weaving information from extensive sources and crafting compelling narratives for diverse audiences. 

She keeps stakeholders engaged throughout every project stage, ensuring seamless delivery within the budget and timeline. She possesses  deep understanding of traditional and digital marketing methodologies and have successfully built thought leadership platforms to promote an organizations' initiatives. She has an impressive track record of operationalizing proof-of-concept initiatives.
 
Email Shirell: programs(at)prsaoregon.org

Patti Atkins, APR

(she/her)

Patti is the advancement director for 2024.

As a seasoned communications professional, Patti provides an invaluable resource to clients as a manager, strategic planner and critical thinker. She has decades of hands-on experience in public relations, marketing, internal communications, relationship management and advertising.

Patti is an expert at handling external communication issues and initiating and sustaining positive relationships with both traditional and social media reporters and contacts.

She served as the regional public relations manager for Providence Health & Services and director of marketing and communications for Providence Seaside Hospital. She has also served in communications management positions at Regence BlueCross BlueShield, LifeEra and Mentor Graphics.

Her education includes a bachelor’s degree and graduate course work in organizational communications. In 2005, she was accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and is a past president of the Portland Metro PRSA chapter board.

Patti’s extensive volunteer experience includes teaching and mentoring individuals through the PRSA accreditation process. Additionally, she volunteers her services to the ALS Association of Oregon and SW Washington, organizing and promoting events.

She learned about the ALS Association when her husband was diagnosed with the disease.

She lives in Tualatin, Oregon, and has two grown children, and three grandchildren. Two of her grandsons live in Canby, Oregon and a granddaughter lives in Zurich, Switzerland. They are all redheads.

Email Patti: admin(at)prsaoregon.orgContact Patti. 

Lizette Santiago

(she/her)

Lizette is the communications co-director for 2024.

She is a passionate creative thinker and marketing and communications professional, specializing in brand building, content creation and social media strategy. 

She currently serves as the marketing communications specialist at the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Ministries Corporation in Beaverton, Oregon. 

She works collaboratively with a team responsible for internal and external communications, including marketing, media relations, graphic design, social media, the website, photography and videography.

Email Lizette: programs(at)prsaoregon.org

Michael Mannheimer

(he/him)

Michael is the volunteer coordinator for 2024.

He is a Portland native who has spent his career working in digital media, journalism, and the intersection of the two.

He currently works at Amico PR as the director of words and GIFS (yes, that’s a real title) where he helps clients in transportation, construction, and education tell their story through innovative digital media initiatives.

Before joining Amico he spent seven and a half years at Lewis & Clark College, where he led storytelling efforts on social media and the website, creating content for Instagram, Facebook and Twitter; writing and editing feature stories; and providing content strategy for academic departments, the law school, and the graduate school.

While living in Brooklyn for three years, Michael managed the social accounts for Togather, a crowdsourcing platform that connected readers directly with their favorite authors, and wrote for the Etsy blog.

A recovering music critic, he’s a former editor at Willamette Week and presenter at the 2010 Pop Conference.

Email Michael: programs(at)prsaoregon.orgContact Michael. 

Sylke Neal-Finnegan, APR

(she/her)

Sylke is the PRSSA liaison for 2024.

Professionally, Sylke is vice president of marketing and communications for the Washington County Visitors Association, a destination marketing organization that promotes Oregon’s Washington County as “Tualatin Valley.”

Her 26-year public relations career, which started in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been in the tourism industry, working in destination marketing and overseeing PR efforts for a hotel/casino.

Sylke earned a bachelor's in communications studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

She has been a member of PRSA since 1999 and earned her APR in 2002. She previously served on PRSA’s Portland Metro chapter board of directors and on committees.

Email Sylke: programs(at)prsaoregon.orgContact Sylke. 

John Charles Mitchell, APR, Fellow PRSA

(he/him)

John is a PRSSA liaison for 2024.

John is a retired senior instructor of public relations in the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication (1986-2019).

Currently, he is a public relations consultant, author and professional adviser to the University of Oregon chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. He serves on the PRSA National Advisory Board for PRSSA.

After serving 24 years on the Eugene Water and Electric Board where he managed public relations strategies for the utility’s communications, general public and news media, he retired in 2008.

Prior serve includes serving as public relations director at McKenzie-Willamette Hospital in Springfield; writer/editor for the U.S. Forest Service in Seattle, Washington; and reporter, photojournalist and editor.

He earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Oregon, and completed graduate studies in journalism at the University of Oregon, and marketing communications from Washington State University.

A member of the Public Relations Society of America since 1992, he received an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2000. 
I was inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows in 2012.

He's the recipient of the PRSA Oregon William W. Marsh Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 and the PRSA Oregon Olga M. Haley Mentorship Award in 2019.

Email John: programs(at)prsaoregon.orgContact John.