Monday's Meeting, April 13

Hello everyone,
I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend with friends and family. In addition to formally announcing our 2009-2010 executive board, we will have two familiar faces rejoining us in Scripps 111 at 6 p.m., M.J. Clark and Jessica Hamlin.

M.J. Clark has worked in the communication field for more than 20 years. She has a master's degree in organizational communication from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Ohio University. She was a visiting professor of public relations at Ohio University’s Scripps School of Journalism in 2006 and 2007, and she has won national and local awards for teaching and mentoring students.

M.J. owns a communication consulting business, M.J. Clark Communications, focusing on public relations, marketing and advertising. In addition, she is a leadership consultant for Integrated Leadership Systems, a leadership and team building training company in Columbus. Through company training and one-on-one executive coaching, M.J. helps clients become more self-aware so they can achieve their dreams. M.J. was the 2005 President of the Central Ohio Public Relations Society of America and is Accredited in Public Relations.

Jessica Hamlin has a master's degree in Media Management from Ohio University and bachelors' degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Global Cultures and Communications. She is also a graduate of Ohio University's inaugural Global Learning Community certificate program.

As Director of Marketing at Beulah Park Thoroughbred Racetrack & Event Center, Jessica has evolved a stagnant marketing department to a significant presence in the quad-state area over the past four years. Though budgets are shrinking, Beulah's brand value is stronger than ever through traditional & emerging marketing, facility use diversification, intense social media leveraging and web optimization. Last year, more than 80,000 unique global users viewed the BeulahPark.com website more than 1.7 million times. Focusing on relationship and brand building, Jessica has returned the marquis event Hot Air Balloon Festival to Beulah Park (Aug 21-23) and introduced many off-season events including AMA Flat Track Motorcycle racing and concerts.

Jessica is a Committee Lead for GracehavenHouse.org, a Central Ohio non-profit providing long term care to trafficked young women from 9-18 years of age and Vice President of the Columbus AMA. She also organizes the AMA's Out N' About networking events and is an active committee member of PRSA and the Soroptimists of Central Ohio.