2009 Officers

(Also see 2009 Committee Chairs)

Carolyn Green	Jill Haynes	Billy Brennan	Nancy Schnoebelen	Jim Braibish

Carolyn Green (President) – Carolyn is president of C. Green & Associates, a consulting firm that helps organizations build and maintain the management functions required to nurture key relationships. Since 1997 C. Green & Associates has specialized in facilitating collaboration and the development of the human systems needed to implement new ideas and services. Carolyn is serving her fifth year on the PRSA-St. Louis Board, having previously co-chaired the Career Academies and Job Bank committees and serving as a director in 2007. She holds a Master’s in journalism from Indiana University (Bloomington) and a B.S in public relations from Central Missouri State. 618-659-0257.

Jill Haynes, APR (President elect/Program Co-Chair) Jill is the senior director of corporate communications with Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. and also serves on the membership committee. Jill's current role includes media relations, crisis communications, internal communications and community relations for 14 casinos across the country. Born and raised in New York, she moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast in 1990 where she was exposed to all the wonders of crisis communication at Ciba Specialty Chemicals where she was responsible for internal communication, crisis communications, and community relations. In addition to working full-time, she attended the University of South Alabama earning a master's degree in communication in 1999. After 14 years with the Ciba, Haynes left the company to explore public relations opportunities among other industries. She spent the next five years working in advertising/public relations firms in the South before landing her current position. She earned her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2007 and holds a B.A. in journalism from State University College of New York at Buffalo. She also served on a voluntary basis as the public information officer for the Spanish Fort Fire Department for six years. 314-813-9368.

Billy Brennan (Secretary) - Billy is a senior account executive at Weber Shandwick St. Louis. In this position, he conducts media relations and internal and external communications activities for corporate and healthcare clients. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick in 2006, Brennan held a professional assistantship with Saint Louis University's Office of Marketing and Communications. Brennan holds a master of arts degree in communication and a bachelor of arts degree in communication from Saint Louis University. 314-552-6737.

Nancy Schnoebelen (Treasurer) - Nancy oversees media relations, advertising, marketing, and official communications for the St. Louis County Economic Council (SLCEC). In addition, she serves as a liaison with the County Executive’s office administration on various media and communication issues. Schnoebelen works directly with all the SLCEC divisions to help market and communicate their goals and objectives. She also is responsible for editing the on-line monthly newsletter and maintaining the Web site. Schnoebelen has more than 20 years of marketing experience in writing, editing, public relations, and communications. Her career experience includes writing for The Dallas Morning News, financial editor for Edward Jones, and director of marketing in the architecture industry. She has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri. Schnoebelen is a past board member of the Society of Marketing Professional Services and current member of the Society of Professional Journalists; American Marketing Association; and PRSA. She serves on the City of Frontenac’s Planning and Zoning Commission and is on the Advisory Council for the MS Corporate Achievers Campaign. She also is in the Class of 2008-2009 Leadership St. Louis. She was Social Committee chair initially with the PRSA chapter before being named treasurer in September.

Jim Braibish, APR (Immediate Past President) - Jim is principal of Braibish Communications, providing services in public relations, media relations, crisis communications, marketing communications and fund-raising to a broad range of business and organization clients. Previously he served for nine years as public relations director for the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter and handled media response for local and national disasters. He also has directed public relations for the service organization Optimist International and supervised client public relations programs with Edelman. He has been a PRSA St. Louis board member since 2003, serving as membership chair and co-chair. He was a Delegate in 2006. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism, he earned his APR in 1991. 314-835-9883.

Sonia Coleman	Rob Staggenborg	Jeff Waldman	Rita Holmes-Bobo

Sonia Coleman (Assembly Delegate) Term Expires 12/31/09 - Sonia is the principal of Coleman Unlimited, LLC, providing communications, writing, public relations, marketing and Web services. Her experience includes nine years as director of public relations for the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED), where she oversaw publicity efforts, as well as a magazine section, e-newsletter, executive speeches and video production. She has previously served on the PRSA-St. Louis Board as publicity co-chair in 2003-2004. A native of St. Louis, Sonia is currently pursuing her master's in fine arts in writing from Lindenwood University and also holds undergraduate degrees in communications (journalism emphasis) and English from Culver-Stockton College. She is also a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the National Federation of Press Women (NFPW).

Rob Staggenborg, APR (Assembly Delegate) Term Expires 12/31/10 – Rob is the Director of Communications for Christian Brothers College High School (CBC), one of the oldest private high schools in the metropolitan St. Louis area. In this position, Rob, also a graduate of CBC, helps direct the school’s communications, marketing and new student outreach programs. A native St. Louisan, he attended the University of Maryland–Heidelberg while serving as a photojournalist and staff reporter for The European Stars & Stripes. Following military service, he joined the staff of the Suburban Journals and subsequently the staff of the St. Louis Business Journal. Rob entered public relations as a media relations coordinator for the Special School District of St. Louis County in the mid-1990s. Joining the CBC staff in 1998, he has helped direct the school’s communications and marketing programs as it moved from its Clayton home of 82 years to its new location in Town & Country. Rob also consults with clients in the technology, education and non-profit sector. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Webster University with an emphasis in media communications.

Jeff Waldman (Assembly Delegate) Term Expires 12/31/10 - A member of PRSA since 1997, Jeff's service to PRSA-St. Louis has included being a director, program chair/president elect (2004), president (2005), an assembly delegate to the International Conference and chair of the nominations committee as immediate past president (2006). He headed the chapter's new member orientation in 2007. Professionally, Jeff is director of marketing at Bethesda Health Group following his position as communications and media relations manager at Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Having served on a number of community boards, Jeff has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a master of arts in media communications from Webster University. 314-878-5959.

Rita Holmes-Bobo, APR (Assembly Delegate) Term Expires 12/31/11 - Rita serves as a vice president in Fleishman-Hillard's healthcare group. Her extensive experience includes media relations, corporate reputation, issues management, employee communications, community engagement, and fundraising. Prior to joining Fleishman-Hillard, Rita was employed by Express Scripts. She has also worked for Outsourcing Solutions Inc. and the St. Louis Public School District. In addition to her various volunteer roles for PRSA, she serves on the University of Kansas Black Alumni Chapter's leadership team, the UMSL Multicultural Advisory Board and the public relations advisory council for College Bound. A native of Wichita, Kan., Rita graduated from the University of Kansas with an MBA and a B.S. in business. She earned her APR in 2003 and is a graduate of Coro Women in Leadership. 314-982-1710.

Regina DeLuca Imral	Jeanne Howard	Les Landes	Glynn Young

Regina DeLuca-Imral (Director) Term Expires 12/31/09 - With more than 13 years of public relations experience, Regina DeLuca-Imral has been an active member of the St. Louis Chapter of PRSA since 2000. This is her year as a Director after serving two years as secretary. Regina is a senior media specialist with Edward Jones, a global financial-services firm that caters to individual investors from one-broker offices throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. In this position, she works on media relations and internal and external communications for the firm's 30,000 associates, including 10,000 financial advisors. Regina also is the co-chair of her division's crisis communications efforts. Prior to joining Edward Jones, Regina was a media coordinator at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis. Before that time, she was an editor and reporter for the Suburban Journals newspaper group in St. Louis. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Maryville University in St. Louis. 314-515-3050.

Jeanne Howard (Director) Term Expires 12/31/09 - Jeanne is director of regional marketing and public relations for Commerce Bancshares Inc. In this position, she manages a team providing local and regional marketing programs and public relations for the corporation. Prior to this position, Jeanne was a consultant on Internet Banking services, the group vice president of Internet Banking Services at Wachovia Corporation in North Carolina, and manager of Online and Telephone Banking services at Boatmen’s Bancshares in St. Louis. Before her career in the banking industry, Jeanne managed Marketing Research for Sunmark (division of Nestle), a candy and snack food manufacturer, and managed Consumer Research for Schnuck Markets, Inc. She is a graduate of Washington University with a master's in business administration (MBA). Jeanne joined PRSA in 2003. 314-746-3672.

Les Landes, APR (Director) Term Expires 12/31/10 - Les is president of Landes & Associates, whose firm provides services in planning, marketing, public relations, organizational communications, team development, and performance improvement systems. Prior to starting his own firm, Les served 10 years with Pet Incorporated as director of communications with responsibilities for corporate advertising, public and media relations, consumer affairs, and creative services. He also played a major role in developing and implementing Pet's quality management system. Other professional experience includes positions as a program director and creative supervisor with Maritz, Inc., the nation's largest provider of business communications and performance incentives; associate with the Center for Communications Analysis in business education; and faculty instructor for the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Les has authored numerous published articles on topics related to communication and organizational performance.

Glynn Young, APR, Fellow PRSA (Director) Term Expires 12/31/10 - Glynn is director, Issues and employee/electronic communications for Monsanto Company, and leads a team of 25 people responsible for employee communications, the company's external Web site (www.monsanto.com), Monsanto's news intranet for employees, media information research services, IT communications, social media and issues management. He previously served as director, environmental communications, responsible for communications relating to environmental legacy issues and the Solutia Inc. bankruptcy. Before joining Monsanto in 2004, he served as executive director of communications for St. Louis Public Schools; operated his own full-time communications consulting practice, and served in senior communication positions for Solutia Inc. and Monsanto. He received a B.A. degree in uournalism from Louisiana State University and a masters in liberal arts from Washington University in St. Louis. Glynn received his accreditation (APR) in 1983, and was named a PRSA Fellow in 2005. He's received nine national awards for speechwriting, including two Gold Quill Awards from the International Association of Business Communicators; and two PRSA Silver Anvil Awards, one for community relation relations (1989) and one for employee communications (1998). He has given hundreds of presentations and speeches on crisis communicaitons, environmental communications, employee communications and speechwriting. His speech as the keynote speaker for the Executive Communication Track at the Ragan Corporate Communications Conference in Chicago in May was printed in the July 2008 issue of Vital Speeches of the Day.