Our team of public relations professionals comes from a range of backgrounds and experiences - corporate, agency and home-grown. Their diverse perspectives and strengths yield extraordinary insights that produce breakthrough results for our public relations clients in Ohio and the midwest. Meet a few of our leaders…
Neil Mortine
CEO, Fahlgren Inc. and President of Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations
Neil has more than 30 years of experience in corporate communications and brand marketing management, and he launched the Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations agency in Columbus in 1986, when it was known as Lord, Sullivan & Yoder Public Relations. He was named to the Smart Business Power 100 in 2007 and has been recognized by the Central Ohio Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) with the Walt Seifert Award for Outstanding Service to the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Actively involved in the central Ohio and Columbus community, he serves as a board member for the Ohio Historical Society, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Franklin Park Conservatory Friends of the Conservatory, Columbus State Community College Development Foundation and the Worthington Arts Council.
Bryan Haviland
Chief Operating Officer, Fahlgren Inc.
With more than 25 years of corporate and agency experience in executive, marketing and employee communications, and media relations, Bryan heads client services and serves as a management supervisor. He oversees several large agency accounts, leading the agency’s Professional and Financial Services industry group. Before joining Fahlgren Mortine, Bryan held senior communications management positions at Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, Ohio and was an environmental communications manager at Dow Chemical. Bryan has led several Silver Anvil Award programs and is a member of the PRSA Counselors Academy.
Melissa Dykstra
SVP and Executive Director, Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations
With more than 15 years of corporate and agency experience, Melissa manages the agency’s marketing and staffing needs. Her expertise in internal communications is put to use with clients such as Worthington Industries, The Longaberger Company and Grange Insurance. Before joining the agency, Melissa managed public relations at Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. and Nationwide Insurance. She is a master’s member of the Public Relations Society of America, and a member of the Hannah Neil Center Development Board and serves on the Grange Insurance Audubon Center marketing committee. Melissa also is a recipient of Business First of Columbus’ Forty Under 40 Award.
Carol Merry
Vice President
Carol provides strategic investor relations, corporate communications and crisis management counsel to a variety of clients and leads the firm’s practices in those areas. Prior to joining Fahlgren Mortine, she was director of investor relations and corporate communications for Lexford Residential Trust, director of corporate marketing and communications for Cardinal Realty Services, Inc. and director of marketing services for the Knights Inn motel chain. Carol is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute and its National Roundtable for Strategic Communications and Reputation Management, a trustee of Columbus Landmarks Foundation and a four-year judge in The Ohio State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship Deloitte Business Plan Competition.
Dennis Brown
Vice President
As a strategist and writer, Dennis works closely with Fahlgren Mortine public relations clients on communications programs ranging from company positioning and message development to ongoing marketing consulting and writing. Before joining Fahlgren Mortine, Dennis managed his own marketing communications company and developed a specialty in technology communications. He has also worked as a copywriter for a business-to-business advertising agency and as a communications specialist for AccuRay Corporation.
Wendy Cramer
Vice President
Wendy provides executive counsel, account management and strategic public relations services on a wide range of accounts. She is experienced in serving consumer and business-to-business clients in a variety of sectors including packaged goods, health care, retail, economic development, tourism and building products. Wendy is a current board member for the Ohio Energy Project and volunteer for the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation.
Paul Vetter
Vice President
Paul offers 22 years of experience in providing strategic counsel regarding media relations, issues management, public affairs, corporate communications and marketing. He has worked with a wide range of organizations, including major corporations, trade associations, non-profits and entrepreneurial startups. From 1998 to 2001, Paul was vice president at Lord, Sullivan & Yoder Public Relations (now Fahlgren Mortine), where he worked with both business-to-business and consumer clients. Having rejoined the organization in 2008, his primary focus is technology accounts. Paul is former president of the Sacramento chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
Marty McDonald
Associate Vice President
Marty brings an extensive background in travel and tourism, consumer products and nonprofit marketing and public relations. As team leader for the Ohio Tourism Division account, she is responsible for leading account strategy development, program management, media relations, event planning, execution and program measurement. Marty has been recognized with several awards for public relations achievement, including the Central Ohio PRSA chapter’s “Rising Star” and PRWEEK Magazine’s national “Outstanding Young PR Professional.” She is also a recipient of Business First of Columbus’ Forty Under 40 award.
Julie Russo Carpenter
Associate Vice President
Julie leads strategic plan development and program management for technology and healthcare clients, including Emerson Network Power, its Liebert products and services business and OhioHealth. During the past five years, Julie has led programs that include the internal launch of OhioHealth’s new wireless hospital, Emerson Network Power’s Energy Logic campaign and Ohio State University Medical Center’s Silver Anvil-winning Conversation: Heart campaign. At PR 21 in Chicago, a division of Edelman Worldwide, Julie worked with Deloitte Consulting’s senior executives to strengthen the company’s local presence and worked with Mayor Richard Daley’s office to help position Chicago as a technology leader.
Aaron Brown
Associate Vice President
Aaron’s primary area of focus is business-to-business communications with a specialization in material handling and manufacturing industries. In this role, he works with global brands such as Cardinal Health, Crown Equipment, Emerson and Exel on various communications projects including new product introduction, issues management, thought leadership and competitive differentiation. His secondary area of focus is public affairs and community relations through collaborative projects with associations and municipalities. He’s earned numerous awards from the Public Relations Society of America for outstanding public relations campaigns and tactics, including a “Best of Show” honor from the Dayton PRSA chapter. In 2003, Central Ohio PRSA recognized him as the chapter’s “Rising Star.” In his ninth year with Fahlgren Mortine, Aaron is also involved with advancement of the agency’s business-to-business industry group, new business initiatives and staff development.
Lara Kretler
Associate Vice President
Lara Kretler brings more than 15 years of high-impact public relations experience to Fahlgren Mortine, where she leads several national accounts and provides strategic counsel, national media relations and social media strategy and support to other client service teams. She has served global clients at national public relations firms in New York City and spent six years managing North American External Relations for The Iams Company, a division of Procter and Gamble. An avid social Internet user since 1994, Lara began building online communities in 1998, some of which are still in existence 10 years later. She blogs about PR and social media at LaraKretler.com. She is a frequent presenter about social media at regional conferences and meetings. She’s glad to connect with you via LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or her blog.
Jenny Fuerst
Director, Corporate Communications
Jenny supports business development, marketing and internal communications efforts for Fahlgren, Inc. and has more than 10 years of experience in the public relations field with eight of those being at Fahlgren Mortine. She has served a variety of business-to-business, business-to-consumer and non-profit clients in building brand awareness and creating industry thought leadership through the successful implementation of several award-winning public relations programs, including a recent “Best of Show” award from Central Ohio PRSA for the Dublin Irish Festival, the second largest event of its kind in the United States. Outside work, Jenny is involved in the community, serving as the vice president of fund development for the Ronald McDonald House Young Professionals Board in Columbus, having volunteered her time to found an internship program and secure earned media placements for Material Assistance Providers (MAP), and is a member of the Central Ohio Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).