813.254.4972 | chris@cwmarcom.com
Chris has more than 30 years experience in the field of marketing communications. As a marketing communications consultant, writer and senior editor, she has served a wide variety of clients in the fields of technology, telecommunications, business and health care.
Her forte is applying analytical thinking to the task of helping organizations identify their strengths, translate those strengths into customer-focused solutions and position themselves for success in the marketplace. And as a senior writer/editor, she has literally done it all — many times over — from developing complex web sites and managing the theme, positioning and copy development for major international product launches to writing white papers, thought leadership executive briefs, brochures, fact sheets, customer briefs, presentation scripts and journal articles. Prior to establishing herself as an independent writer and marketing communications consultant, she spent five years as a feature writer at the Tampa Tribune, then served as Communications Director for University Community Hospital in Tampa.
Once Chris was getting more requests for writing services than she could handle on her own, CWMC was born. By growing slowly and inviting only seasoned and knowledgeable writers to join her creative circle as they became available and as demand for content services warranted, Chris has built a thriving, well-respected agency.
Chris lives with her husband in Tampa, just a few miles from her grown children. When she's not at her desk she's likely at the barn where she visits her horse, Dreamer, for early-morning rides whenever her schedule allows.
Jaki Suter
With over 30 years of experience in virtually every facet of communications — from print and interactive advertising, direct marketing and white papers to sales promotion, corporate communications and social media.
She's also has handled strategic development, creative direction, copywriting, research and project management. She's been the writer or creative director on projects for IBM , Intuit, InsightExpress, Information Builders, ACT Software, BellSouth, Gartner, MetLife, Pfizer, The Hartford, Fleet Bank, McGraw-Hill, Cadbury Schweppe's, Guinness, Haagen-Dazs, and British Airways, developing award-winning work in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer arenas.
Associated with CWMC since 2004, Jaki's career has included stints as: senior vice president, group creative director at Brann Worldwide (Euro RSCG); president of Suter Group Marketing and Communications; associate creative director, Bell & Partners; and marketing manager, Survey Sampling (marketing research. She holds a BA in journalism from Rutgers University and an MA in public policy from George Washington University.
Jaki lives in Westport, Connecticut — along with a number of famous people, most of whom she neither recognizes at the supermarket nor knows personally.
Wendy Matthews
Wendy has been writing marketing communications and advertising copy for close to 25 years, both independently and as a freelancer for several major ad agencies, mostly in New York City.
In the mid-eighties, she worked on the original Charlie Chaplin IBM PC campaign and has been involved with IBM ever since -- in capacities that range from creating an IBM editorial style guide to helping launch the ThinkPad and the PS/2.
While Wendy's specialty is technology (in addition to IBM, clients included Gartner, Compaq and Rockwell Automation), she has also written for clients as varied as Marvel Comics, Estee Lauder and Save the Children. Other specialties include finance (American Express, MasterCard International and Citicorp) and healthcare. Along with years of copywriting experience, Wendy has worked extensively as a copy editor and copy chief on print, TV and radio advertising, as well as collateral, web copy, direct mail, multimedia, packaging, press releases, scriptwriting and magazine articles.
Her home is in Bethel, Connecticut, but she has literally travelled the world — from Cuba to Zanzibar, and many places in between. Wendy also plays ukulele with a band called the Edukated Fleas.
Laura Spinale
Laura's broad-reaching experience and award-winning expertise were gleaned from 20+ years spent as a professional writer and editor. During the course of her career, Laura has published thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, written copy for hundreds of advertising and marketing projects (print, radio and online) and published several books.
Currently based in New York City, she began her professional life as a reporter, writing business and general-interest articles for periodicals ranging from The Philadelphia Inquirerto Forbes Newspapers. Her cross-media work as an advertising and marketing copywriter helped the Florida Commission on Tourism, AOL, Time Warner, McDonald's, Dollar Rent-A-Car, MarineMax, Valpak and C.B. Richard Ellis. Laura's marketing experience extends to custom publishing. She has penned long articles translating complex subject matter into material easily understood by a readership ranging from professionals-in-their-fields to laymen. Clients included a variety of US government, and private entities such as the American College of Sports Medicine, Steinway & Sons and Rolls Royce.
Keep reading and you'll learn that Laura has also published several books. Two of the most significant are The Smart Guide to Estate Planning(John Wiley & Sons, New York) and the children's title Journey to Freedom: The Biography of Sojourner Truth(The Child's World, Chanhassen, Minnesota). She recently finished her first novel.
Mary Ellen has nearly 40 years experience in writing and marketing activities. As a CWMC writer since 2003, she has prepared sales enablement packages for numerous products and services; internal and external presentations; case studies and success stories; web pages; catalogs; data and solution sheets; and podcasts.
Prior to joining CWMC, she was marketing director for The Technical Resource Connection (TRC), a technology consulting firm and subsidiary of Perot Systems Corporation, for eight years. Her work there included planning, budgeting and executing internal and external marketing activities, graphics, public and media relations, lead generation, direct mail and other marketing-relevant activities. She also directed recruiting and image advertising campaigns and media buying; coordinated conference trade shows, exhibits and speaking engagements; and planned, wrote, edited, designed, and produced all external graphics needs. As if that didn't keep her busy enough, she also coordinated community relations efforts and wrote and edited technical documentation, including proposals, white papers, and architectural documents.
Before that, Mary Ellen was partner/vice president and co-owner of McShane & Moore Communications, an advertising and marketing agency in Tampa. With the majority of her client base comprised of technology organizations, she handled a variety of needs for national and local clients, including Ascom/Timeplex, General Telephone Operations/GTE South, GTE Data Services, Walter Industries, IBM/Advantis, Tech Data, Time Warner Cable, CH2M HILL, City of Tampa, RISCORP, The Associated Press, Memorial Hospital of Tampa, "Esteem" International, The Technical Resource Connection, and others.
Mary Ellen began her career as a newspaper and magazine journalist. She was also a syndicated music columnist and has authored numerous books. Amazingly, she still finds time to leave her desk to walk her two golden doodles.
Sarah Lightfoot
Always ready for a new challenge, Sarah has written across industries and media for major B2B and consumer brands at New York agencies. After earning a B.A. in English at Yale, she began her copywriting career with catalogs and magazine and newspaper ads for IBM's consumer and small business products.
While at EuroRSCG 4D, she created interactive experiences for diehard Guinness beer fans and sold mortgages and credit cards for Fleet Bank and Canadian Tire Financial Services. At Wunderman, Sarah engaged IT pros and developers with interactive campaigns and direct mail for Microsoft's Server and Tools division. With her colleagues at Razorfish, Sarah launched the website for Garnier Nutritioniste skin care products, and in partnership with American Idol, they developed promotions for Garnier's hair care line. Her Razorfish clients also included Maybelline, EMC, XM Radio and All detergent. As associate creative director at DraftFCB, Sarah and her team put together educational and compelling direct mail packages for United Healthcare's AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans. Sarah also wrote TV spots for pharmaceuticals and ads for Nivea skin care and Kraft Foods. Now Sarah's back to writing for IBM—this time creating seller enablement and B2B communications for the company's Global Technology Services group.
You'll find her at the other end of Metro North's New Haven line-- in Bethany, Connecticut -- along with her Indian Runner ducks, Cochin chickens and field-bred English Springer Spaniels.
Kellar Alpert
Kellar has been CWMC's resident art director and designer since 2009. Working with writers to align words and visuals, Kellar has created hundreds of deliverables including animation, interactive and print design, web banners and social graphics, and PowerPoint presentations.
With over 12 years' experience in the design field, Kellar has previously held creative posts for McShane Communications, WCI Communities, Inc. and ClearChannel Outdoor.
A graduate of University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism and a concentration in photojournalism, she was born and raised in Tampa — where she still lives. But now her home is with her husband and son. When she's not with them, Kellar can often be found riding her horse, Darwin.
Yeah, we noticed that, too...
If you've just realized that our agency roster is devoid of males, congratulations -- you've uncovered our not-so-secret little quirk. It's not that we set out to create an all-female agency. In fact, it's not something we even think about very much. It's really just turned out this way. At least so far.
We'd be happy -- thrilled, even -- to have a member of the opposite sex join our team. So if you know of any great candidates, by all means, send them our way!
Christopher Wright Marketing Communications
chris@cwmarcom.com
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