Columbus Chapter of the American Marketing Association Names Executive Board for 2013-2014

Columbus, OH, September 11, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The Columbus American Marketing Association (CAMA), the premier networking and marketing organization in Columbus, today announced its executive board for the 2013-14 year.

Leading the board as President is Joel Kohler. Kohler is entering his fourth year on the Columbus AMA board. Employed at Elford, Inc, a Columbus-based Construction Management and Contracting firm, he co-manages marketing strategies, development of electronic and printed material, and marketing, while also serving as the lead in company branding implementation.

Jessica Hamlin will serve as President Elect. Hamlin is the Director of Business Development & Marketing for two of Taft Law’s seven national locations. Hamlin also teaches masters marketing (MCM program) and PR at Franklin University where she recently received the Platinum STAR award, the highest level of recognition for excellence in teaching awarded to only three instructors each year.

Also joining the board are (in alphabetical order):
Christine Allen, who will serve as vice president of community relations. Allen is MBA Program Coordinator at Franklin University, where she develops and implements strategic marketing initiatives, executes alternative marketing tactics, conducts market research, and develops communication pieces for the program. Allen is an AMA Professional Certified Marketer and has won two Columbus AMA Achievement in Marketing Awards and a Central Ohio Public Relations Society of America Prism Award of Excellence. In addition to her AMA position, Allen is the President of the Columbus Chapter of Executive Women International.

Tammana Bharakhda, who will serve as vice president of social media. Bharakhda is with Alliance Data and previously managed public relations and business development as Senior Brand Strategist at Ologie, LLC. She was formerly responsible for marketing and public relations at a state government agency but spent most of her career at FITCH in Columbus and in London, where she is originally from. Tam has over 10 years of marketing experience for clients including: Food Network, Kenyon College, Key Bank, Carhartt, Johnson & Johnson, Nintendo, Microsoft, British Airways, and General Motors.

Dave Demarchi, who will serve as vice president of Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Demarchi is with Summerfield Advertising. A second-year board member, Demarchi has risen to the SIG Chair position from his initial involvement with the Job Transition Group. Demarchi is responsible for the bevy of SIG meetings and the individual chairs and volunteers who run these events for the chapter. He has successfully managed these events into a focused product of offering across multiple industries and marketing services.

Michelle Messenger Garrett, who will serve as vice president of programming.
Garrett is a public relations consultant and award-winning writer with more than 20 years of experience crafting strategy, plans and programs for companies ranging in size from small start-ups to large corporations such as HP, Adobe, Arthrocare and Symantec. After spending seven years in Silicon Valley where she launched her own consulting practice, she returned to her roots in Ohio. Her firm, Garrett Public Relations, was named a top 10 PR firm by Columbus Business First. Her previous experience includes serving as president of the IABC chapter in Silicon Valley.

Michael O’Brien, who will serve as treasurer. As a Certified Public Accountant, Michael specializes in managing and performing annual audits and reviews of company financial statements across a diverse client base. Prior to joining First Federal Savings, Mike was the Senior Auditor at Blue & Co, LLC and Ernst & Young, LLP.

Alaina Schearer, who will serve as vice president of Communications. No stranger to the Columbus AMA, Alaina Shearer has been a speaker and volunteer at past successful AMA events including speaking engagements and professional development workshops. As founder of the local agency, Cement Marketing, she guides the firm in assisting clients with SEO, SEM, Social Marketing, Web Design and Development.

Jaimie Shaffer, who will serve as vice president of volunteers. Jaimie Shaffer a part of the Social Media team at Nationwide Insurance. She previously served as e-Marketing Coordinator at Coldwell Banker King Thompson. Shaffer is currently in her second year on the Columbus AMA Executive Board and has previously volunteered in multiple capacities, including communications, programming and sponsorship recruitment.

Shelli Welch, who will serve as vice president of membership. Welch is the Office Manager and Salesforce Administrator at Portfolio Creative, the nation’s fastest growing staffing and recruiting agency specializing in the marketing and advertising industry. She serves on many of Portfolio Creative’s internal corporate committees including the Philanthropy Committee and ‘The Green Team.’

Visit http://columbusama.org/executive-board/ for more information.

About Columbus AMA: As the premier networking and marketing organization in Columbus, Columbus AMA continues to provide members with the skills, resources, connections and professional development they need to advance their careers. The Columbus Chapter of the American Marketing Association began in 1950 as the Central Ohio AMA, and became Columbus AMA in July 1977. Columbus AMA totals approximately 220 members, which include practitioners, academics and students who share an interest in networking, learning and serving the central Ohio marketing community.