Welcome Tala Kseibi, to PRSay – the podcast of the Houston PRSA Chapter.

On this episode, Tala shares about Encouraging Young Adults To Purse Careers in PR.

As a Public Relations Manager at Love Advertising, Tala is driven by a passion for effective communication and strategic brand management. With a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, focusing on Public Relations from The University of Texas at San Antonio, Tala refined her skills in media relations and successfully crafted and executed communication strategies, securing coverage in various online and broadcast local and trade publications.

Currently, Tala proudly serves as one of the 2024 PRSA Houston Board Directors and will be leading the New Young Professionals Committee. Her leadership journey includes being the President of the PRSSA at UTSA and a board member of the PRSA San Antonio, where she revitalized the chapter within a semester and raised substantial funds. Committed to inclusive initiatives, her background reflects a dedication to community engagement and diverse perspectives.

Connect with Tala at:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tala-kseibi-04727a172

Learn more about the PRSA Houston Chapter, our events and opportunities at www.prsahouston.org.

PRSay is brought to you by Veronica V. Sopher, Public Relations

Welcome Hailey Bui and Melissa Kinsella, to PRSay – the podcast of the Houston PRSA Chapter.

On this episode, Hailey & Melissa share about Marketing & Communications in Energy with CAMS.

Hailey Bui is a Marketing & Communications Specialist currently serving as a key member of the CAMS Marketing & Communications team. With over 5+ years of a robust professional background, Hailey is the driving force behind orchestrating the development and design of sophisticated corporate communications campaigns. Her primary objectives include elevating brand awareness and providing strategic support to the marketing and sales teams. In her current role at CAMS, Hailey formulates messaging strategies and leads the execution of targeted marketing campaigns aimed at educating external stakeholders about CAMS and its comprehensive range of services. Prior to joining CAMS, Hailey had extensive experience working with reputable B2C and B2B marketing agencies, where she managed diverse portfolios for clients across industries. Hailey's academic background includes a B.A. in Advertising and an M.A. in Mass Communications, with a specialized focus on social media behavior research.

Melissa Kinsella is the Director of Corporate Marketing Communications & Administration at CAMS. She leads the organization's communications team and develops strategic internal and external communication strategies to ensure brand identity and the company's objectives. Since joining CAMS in 2019, Melissa has directed highly effective marketing and branding campaigns utilizing the company's multi-faceted media channels. As a result of her creative approaches, CAMS received constant recognition and traffic to its digital assets, elevating the company's position as a first-in-class steward for infrastructure asset owners. With over 22 years of experience, she manages business operations and support, marketing, and communications, client relations, event management, and organizational development. Prior to CAMS, she held related positions at American Midstream, Egon Zehnder, and Valerus Field Solutions. Under Melissa's leadership, CAMS was recently named one of the Best & Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science and Event Management degree from Indiana University.

Connect with Hailey at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngocbuihailey/

Connect with Melissa at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissahauger/

Welcome to PRSay, the podcast of the Houston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America! On PRSay we spotlight our talented members and get to know each other a little better.

Valonia Walker, APR, is the Chief Communications Officer in Hempstead ISD. She is a one-person shop and is gearing up the start of school!

Valonia is a high-energy school communications pro and attributes much of her success to mentors she has had and her passion for life-long learning.

In this episode Valonia shares how she found her way to public relations in college, and with being active in PRSSA, found a love for the profession. She has gone on to have a successful career with several organizations and has earned her APR accreditation.

You can find Valonia at https://www.linkedin.com/in/valoniawalker. Be sure to connect with her.

PRSay is brought to you by Veronica V. Sopher Public Relations. We design and execute personal visibility strategies for businesses, organizations, authors and entrepreneurs who are ready to uplevel their brands and leverage earned media to legitimize their place in their niche.

Visit us at veronicavsopher.com, or connect on LinkedIn at @veronicavsopher.

Welcome to PRSay, the podcast of the Houston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America! On PRSay we spotlight our talented members and get to know each other a little better.

Today’s guest is Leslee Hackett. As an avid learner, Leslee is always committed to improving her craft within the Public Relations and Communications field. Leslee is an analytical thinker that has a proven track record of developing successful social media plans, content creation and management ideas, effective media monitoring, concise trend spotting, creating pitches, conducting website updates, and making Canva based graphics.

As well as established key strategies that thrive in any company environment such as the execution of external and internal marketing techniques.

When Leslee is not working within the PR field you can find her taking photos, volunteering, teaching bible study, and learning new tricks of the trade!

Tune in to this episode to learn more about Leslee and be sure to connect on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesleeh/

Learn more about the PRSA Houston Chapter, our events and opportunities at www.prsahouston.org.

PRSay is brought to you by Veronica V. Sopher, Public Relations.

Welcome Ashley Small, to PRSay – the podcast of the Houston PRSA Chapter.

In this episode, Ashley shares about Lessons on Leadership.

There is a unique place where PR, technology, and digital media overlap, and in that place, you’ll find Ashley Small, Founder, and CEO of Medley Inc. Ashley’s proven PR and digital marketing strategies have helped brands grow their visibility, amplify their voice and expand their reach across the world.

In 2008, when social media was newly on the rise, Ashley set out on a mission to marry traditional PR with the latest trends in technology. Since then, she has launched a boutique PR and digital marketing agency, Medley Inc., and has worked with organizations such as Major League Baseball, AT&T, The City of Houston and The Rose Houston to meet their marketing goals, specifically geared towards African American and Latino consumers.

A Google AdWords certified specialist, Ashley has been nationally recognized by Fast Company Magazine, the Canada Broadcast Network, ABC, FOX, and more as an expert in business, technology, social media, and public relations. She is an alumnus of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and Leadership Houston as well as one of Houston Business Journal’s 2018 40 under 40 leading professionals and the 2019 Greater Houston Partnership HYPE Impact Business Leader award winner. In 2021, she was named a Woman in the Fast Lane by the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

Through her work in the community, she has educated and trained more than 5,000 girls and budding entrepreneurs in the areas of technology, social media, and leadership development.

Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyrsmall/

Learn more about the PRSA Houston Chapter, our events and opportunities at www.prsahouston.org.

PRSay is brought to you by Veronica V. Sopher, Public Relations.

Welcome Tiffany Marascio, to PRSay – the podcast of the Houston PRSA Chapter.

In this episode, Tiffany shares about How To Start In PR, No Matter Your Age Or Where You Are In Your Career.

Tiffany was born and raised in the Greater Houston area where she lives with her husband and three kids. She holds a master’s degree in marketing from the University of Houston and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin in studio art. She is an active part of her community and enjoys sharing with residents and visitors everything that North Houston has to offer.

Connect with Tiffany at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanymarascio/,
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiffanymarascio1/,
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanymarascio/,
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tmarascio

Learn more about the PRSA Houston Chapter, our events and opportunities at www.prsahouston.org.

PRSay is brought to you by Veronica V. Sopher, Public Relations.

Welcome Becky Best, to PRSay – the podcast of the Houston PRSA Chapter.

In this episode, Becky shares about The Many Paths A Career in PR Can Take You.

Becky Best, APR has nearly 30 years of professional experience in communications. She began her career working at boutique PR agencies before transitioning to destination marketing and then spending 20 years in leadership positions in corporate social responsibility at financial services companies.

During this time, she served on nearly a dozen nonprofit boards in Michigan and Texas, earning several awards for her efforts and igniting a passion for nonprofit work. After Hurricane Harvey highlighted the region’s significant numbers of homeless pets, she pivoted once more to use her grant-making and community relations skills to help improve the quality of life for pets and people. Today, she is the director of the Gulf Coast Animal Welfare Alliance and has been appointed by the Houston City Council to serve on the advisory board for the city’s BARC animal shelter.

Becky earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a concentration on public relations from Stephen F. Austin University, a Master’s in Business Administration from Davenport University in Michigan, and her Accreditation in Public Relations. She has served on the board of directors for Houston PRSA and is a current APR Committee co-chair.

Connect with Becky at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyebest
Website: https://gulfcoastanimalwelfarealliance.org

Learn more about the PRSA Houston Chapter, our events and opportunities at www.prsahouston.org.

PRSay is brought to you by Veronica V. Sopher, Public Relations

Welcome Jonathan Diamond, to PRSay – the podcast of the Houston PRSA Chapter. In this episode, Jonathan shares about Media Relations.

Jonathan Diamond is the business editor at the Houston Chronicle.

Before returning to Houston in 2022, Jonathan worked as the West Coast Editor of CoStar News in Los Angeles. He was also previously editor of the Los Angeles Business Journal, leading it in 2016 to 16 national and regional journalism awards.
Jonathan holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s in public policy from UCLA.

Connect with Jonathan at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-diamond-7016228
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdiamondLA

Learn more about the PRSA Houston Chapter, our events and opportunities at www.prsahouston.org.

PRSay is brought to you by Veronica V. Sopher, Public Relations