Leadership of Airfoil Public Relations

Lisa Vallee-Smith, APR, CEO
In her role as CEO of Airfoil Public Relations, which she co-founded in 2000, Lisa is responsible for ensuring the agency’s success on three fronts: reputation/market position, strategic planning, and sales. She is an active participant on many of the agency’s accounts, and is helping to start up the firm’s healthcare practice.

A public relations consultant with 25 years of experience, Lisa has worked with industry segments that include consumer packaged goods, automotive manufacturing and aftermarket, automotive supply chain, information technology, retail, and professional services. Her expertise includes marketing communications, corporate communications, strategic media relations, research, and issues management.

Lisa is an accredited member (APR) of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). She is past president of PRSA-Detroit, and takes an active role in the southeast Michigan community, where she serves on numerous boards, including the St. John Hospital Foundation and The Henry Ford Cottage Hospital Board of Advisors.

Lisa earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism/public relations from Wayne State University. She has been honored by the AdCraft Club of Detroit and the American Women in Radio and Television for professional achievements. Recently, she received the 2004 Wayne State University Alumni Achievement Award, and was a finalist in the 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program.

 

Janet Tyler, APR, President
As president and co-founder of Airfoil Public Relations, Janet sets the strategic path for the agency and its clients. In the mid-1990s, she was instrumental in establishing a PR technology practice that would later evolve into Airfoil Public Relations.  She has spearheaded the agency’s growth by developing such major accounts as Microsoft, eBay and PayPal, and she established Airfoil’s Silicon Valley office in Mountain View, California, where she extended the agency’s success in the arenas of new media and online technology.

Her leadership as general manager of the California office in 2006-07 produced a roster of some of the Valley’s most innovative emerging including software-as-a-service companies such as Clarizen, SuccessFactors and YouSendIt, consumer-oriented Web-based firms, like TerraPass, and businesses focusing on social media, such as Real Branding and Popular Media.

Major companies in America’s centers of technology rely on Janet for her skills in analyst relations, issues management, national media campaigns and communications targeted to customers and marketing-channel partners. Corporations like Microsoft, eBay and PayPal have called on Janet for development of communications strategies to extend their national brand image. She has managed or been involved in every product launch for Microsoft since Windows 95.

Janet earned a bachelor of science degree in organizational communication and a master of arts degree in communication from Eastern Michigan University. She is accredited (APR) in public relations by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

 

Tracey Parry, APR, Senior Vice President, Partner
Tracey Parry is senior vice president and partner of Airfoil Public Relations where she oversees the Client Solutions Group, specializing in marketing communications, brand strategy and digital and social media initiatives.

She is one of the PR profession’s leading strategists for development of events, consumer and small-to-medium sized business media campaigns and the execution of PR-driven research programs. Her areas of expertise span GreenTech, e-commerce, food and beverage retailing, information technology systems for manufacturers and offices, the construction industry and global logistics companies.

She has gained industry awards and recognition for experiential marketing campaigns for eBay and Starbucks. Tracey guided the extensive growth of Airfoil’s work with eBay since the partnership initiated in 2002. She has helped to establish and build Airfoil’s consumer area of specialty, adding Starbucks to Airfoil’s roster in 2005. For clients including Starbucks, American Laser Centers, Syneron, Carbonite and Entertainment Publications, Tracey’s specialties include experiential campaign creation, grassroots/buzz marketing campaign development and digital extensions. She has recruited and managed celebrities and industry influencers as part of national and regional campaigns.

Tracey holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri. She is active with Habitat for Humanity Detroit, is a founding member of the Michigan Council of Women in Technology and is working to establish ecoTuesday in Southeastern Michigan. She has earned her accreditation in public relations (APR) from the PRSA.

 

 

Jennifer Becker, Research Director
Jennifer Becker is the research director in the Client Solutions Group for Airfoil Public Relations, where she supports the development of communications strategy for clients, which includes providing resources in the form of competitive intelligence, database development and mining, and media monitoring. 

She is also the firm’s strategic lead for the development and management of primary research programs, such as opinion and market surveys, as well as Airfoil’s MediaRadar and IndustryRadar proprietary analysis tools, which provide powerful strategic insight and tactical direction.

Jennifer’s expertise extends to business- and communications-based, strategic planning, analytic questionnaire design and resulting analysis, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, target audience experience, and product launches encompassing new product and brand entries, and product and brand freshening.

Prior to joining Airfoil, Jennifer served in research, analysis and strategic planning roles with top-tier communications firms such as BBDO Detroit, Ogilvy and Mather, Campbell-Ewald Advertising and J. Walter Thompson for more than 10 years, having supported a variety of product and brand launches in a variety of industries. 

Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in social science (law and society) and sociology from Michigan State University.

 

Tonja Deegan, Digital and Social Media Director
Tonja Deegan is the digital and social media director in the Client Solutions Group at Airfoil Public Relations, where she manages digital and social media strategies for clients, including Parrot, Carbonite, Entertainment and RatePoint. She has more than 12 years of experience as a journalist and more than five years in digital public relations.

She writes and manages the Airfoil blog and the SEO strategy for the agency. For the agency, she guides colleagues and clients alike in social media netiquette and guidance in emerging social networking platforms.

Previously, Tonja was the blog/Web project manager at Hass MS&L, where she managed General Motors’ FastLane blog and podcasts, which have won several innovation awards in the public relations industry. She also created and wrote the agency’s blog. While there, Tonja also worked on several word-of-mouth marketing campaigns for companies such as Best Buy, Procter & Gamble and Heineken.

Tonja’s editorial experience includes writing the Michigan Energy Report email newsletter for WWJ, Detroit’s AM news radio station; freelance business reporting at The Detroit News; and serving as an editor and Web manager at Crain’s Detroit Business. She earned her bachelor of science degree in journalism and history from Eastern Michigan University. She also in an adjunct professor at EMU, teaching social media in the journalism department.

 

Rich Donley, APR, Vice President, Cleantech and Industrial/Automotive PR
Rich Donley, APR, is a vice president at Airfoil Public Relations and a Technology: Industry Leader for the agency’s Industrial and Cleantech businesses – drawing upon his broad experience in automotive, manufacturing, alternative and advanced technologies.

Rich has more than 20 years of solid experience in public relations, journalism and marketing communications, during which he has proven his talent for strategic planning, media relations, publicity, writing, crisis communications, media training, product/technology launches, trade show/press event planning/support, industry relations and media coverage analysis.

Prior to joining Airfoil early in 2007, Rich was an executive at Bianchi Public Relations for more than 12 years. As vice president and partner, he oversaw several of the agency’s accounts and was responsible for new-business initiatives, marketing activities and administrative functions.

Accredited in public relations (APR) by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Rich is the 2010 president of the Detroit chapter. In addition, Rich is a founding member of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s PR/Marketing Advisory Council. Rich graduated cum laude from Wayne State University in Detroit with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in both journalism and radio/TV/film.

 

Keith Donovan, Account Director, Health Care PR
Keith Donovan is an account director at Airfoil Public Relations and an industry leader for the agency’s health care technology businesses where he oversees the communications activities of several clients, including Trinity Health System, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, American Laser Centers and Kimball Corp.

Keith has over eight years experience in public relations with areas of expertise in media relations, event planning, marketing communications, promotions and communications strategy and planning.

Prior to his role at Airfoil, Keith served as communications and promotions manager for General Motors’ HUMMER division, contracted through Hass MS&L Public Relations in Troy, Mich. He successfully planned and activated promotional engagements at major events throughout the country, including the Sundance Film Festival, 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, and the 2006 NFL Draft.

Keith also provided communications support to a number of Tier I automotive suppliers as well as GM’s North American Engineering group and OnStar. Keith earned a bachelor of science degree in advertising and public relations from Grand Valley State University.

 

Steve Friedman, Director of Marketing Communications
Steve Friedman is the marketing communications director in the Client Solutions Group at Airfoil Public Relations.

Steve is a veteran journalist, business writer, executive trainer, video producer, Internet webmaster and public relations executive. His background includes 10 years as a TV and radio journalist and five years as a business magazine editor. Steve has trained hundreds of top corporate officers, association leaders, political figures, marketing staffs and others involved in delivering presentations to groups and to the news media and is a top-level business writer.

In the 1970s, Steve worked as a researcher with Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and other correspondents with CBS News in New York. In that capacity, he was part of the Emmy-winning CBS News team covering the Apollo missions to the moon and the 1972 presidential primaries and national conventions.

Over the years, Steve has also developed high-level speeches, Web site content, ad copy and radio and TV spots for many clients, as well as dozens of scripts for award-winning corporate and documentary video productions. In addition, he writes scripts for large-scale corporate events and meetings.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate in journalism from The University of Michigan, Steve earned his master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He was a lecturer in corporate video production at Oakland University in Michigan and is the author of 100 Practical Tips for Improving Your Presentation, A Practical Guide to Corporate Video Production, 102 Practical Tips for Improving Your Business Writing and Dealing with the News Media.

 

Leah Haran, Vice President, consumer technology PR
Leah Haran is a vice president at Airfoil Public Relations and a technology industry leader for the agency’s consumer marketing accounts including Starbucks, eBay Motors and Wireless Toyz. She provides strategic oversight for American Laser Centers, Syneron and Gas Station TV.

She provides day-to-day project management, account support, in addition to strategic counsel and planning. Among her key program accomplishments are the execution of Starbucks’ Good Coffee Day program, the first-ever consumer event for eBay Motors at the 2005 Woodward Dream Cruise and overseeing the launch of VelaShape.

Previously, Leah was a group account supervisor at Hass/MS&L (Manning, Selvage and Lee) where she managed public relations initiatives for Chevrolet, Pontiac, Saturn and Cadillac brands. While at Hass, she launched Procter & Gamble’s first automotive product, Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash. She served as a media relations spokesperson working on-site at General Motors supporting health care, human resources, production, control and logistics while managing the GM media relations hotline.

Previously, she was a reporter for Advertising Age, with beats including retail, appliances, cereal, baby food/formula, consumer research/trends, automotive and automotive aftermarket. Leah is a graduate of the University of Detroit with a bachelor’s degree in communications studies.

 

Sharon Neumann, Vice President of Finance and Administration
Sharon brings nearly 20 years of financial accounting and business expertise to Airfoil. Her strategic and pragmatic approach to managing business operations has allowed Airfoil to profitably manage growth and plan for future innovation. As a member of Airfoil’s agency management team, Sharon has been integral in leading vital agency initiatives relative to information technology, corporate accounting systems and human resources infrastructure.

Prior to Airfoil, Sharon was the corporate controller for Franco Public Relations and thereafter founded and operated her own venture specializing in strategic and financial accounting services. At Airfoil, Sharon’s day to day responsibility includes developing the strategic direction for the firm’s finance and administrative team in addition to managing the agency's financial portfolio. Sharon directs the efforts of the organization’s accounting, legal, HR, and IT departments.

Sharon's acumen for financial and business management has provided Airfoil the opportunity to continue to invest in its people and resources allowing Airfoil to better service our clients and partners. Sharon graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.