Independent Practitioners Section Leadership

Chair
Kevin Bakwell, APR
Principal
Bakwell PR
Clearwater, FL
kevin@bakewellpr.com   

Chair Elect
Lauren Howe
Principal & Owner
empHowered PR, LLC
Fitchburg, MA
lauren@emphoweredpr.com

Immediate Past Chair
Gina Milani
President
Milani Marketing & PR & PRToolFinder.com
Angels Camp, CA
gina@milanimarketing.com

Secretary
Amy Newton
Owner
Amy Newton Public Relations
Leesburg, VA
amy@amynewtonpr.com

Program Chair
Wendy Kurtz
President
Image Suite PR Orlando, FL
wkurtz@elizabethcharles.com 

Programs Lead
Avery Jones
Public Relations and Event Managment Consultant
Ablaze PR LLC
Bowie, MD
avery@ablazeprllc.com 

Sponsorship
Lauren Leetun
President
Sprout Public Relations
Orlando, FL
lauren@sproutpublicrelations.com 

Membership
Bart Graham
Media Center Volunteer Team Leader
G Force Communication
Largo, FL
bart.graham.sr@gmail.com 

Members At Large
Paula MacDonald
President
Dotti Gallagher Consulting
St. Petersburg, FL
paula.macdonald@imagesuitepr.com

Carla Brown Lucas
President
Owens Community College
Tallahassee, FL
cblucas@brownlucas.com 

Jared Meade
Manager, Public and Media Relations
Kekoa, LLC
Berkey, OH
jared_meade@owens.edu

Ann M. Gynn
Principal
Owens Community College
Rocky River, OH
anngynn@gmail.com

J.W. Arnold
Principal
Prdconline.com
Fort Lauderdale, FL
jw@prdconline.com 

Callie Gisler 
Owner and Consultant
Coffeehouse Communications
Sherwood, OR
gislercallie@gmail.com

Gina Blume, APR
President
Out of the Box Public Relations
Monroe Township, NJ
OutoftheBoxNJ@gmail.com

Matt Charles, APR
Professor/Consultant/Fulbright Specialist
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA
mattcharlespr@gmail.com