If you don’t already know your 2015 board members, you will soon. Like all our LMAO members, these practitioners are dedicated to advancing the legal marketing and business development profession through the sharing of experienced-based learnings. Feel free to contact any of these board members with questions or suggestions — and to get involved in any of the LMAO committees. Board members are:
Officers
Jennifer Shankleton, President
Director of Marketing and Practice Development
Brouse McDowell
Akron
Jennifer has more than 16 years of marketing experience, moving to legal in 2007 after tenures in entertainment PR and bank marketing. She has operated solo at Brouse and now is building a team to meet the needs of her growing firm. Jennifer enjoys learning on a daily basis and being a conduit for people and ideas. At Brouse, she directs marketing communications efforts and assists attorneys and practice groups in developing and growing their books of business. In her down time, she gets back to center by writing and running.
Karen Eutsler, President-elect
Director of Marketing and Client Service
Rendigs, Fry, Kiely & Dennis
Cincinnati
As the sole marketing professional at her firm, Karen, like many LMAO members, has a wide range of responsibilities including event planning, publications, sponsorships, advertising, graphic design and social media. She has been an adjunct professor of marketing at Xavier University since 2006 and teaches courses in B2B marketing and professional selling. She has a bachelor’s degree from The University of Dayton and earned her MBA from Xavier University.
Jeff Dennis, Treasurer
Director of Marketing + Business Development
Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter
Columbus
For the last eight years, Jeff has worked at Kegler Brown, where he leads the marketing and business development team. He spends most of his time on proposals, pitch strategy and special projects. Most recently, he led the firm’s rebrand, which received honors in 2014 by local and national organizations. He previously worked at an ad agency and the Ohio Department of Development. Jeff has served as LMA Ohio’s treasurer for several years, is a former LMA Ohio president and a past LMA international board member, serving as the chapter presidents liaison.
Rob Phillips, Treasurer-elect
Marketing and Practice Development Manager
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP
Columbus
Rob splits time between managing Vorys’ marketing and communications initiatives, and overseeing business development efforts for some of the firm’s practices/offices. He also leads the firm’s strategic communications team, which regularly provides crisis communications and public relations counsel to Vorys clients. Outside of work, Rob enjoys running along the Olentangy trail or running after his 2-year-old son, Jack.
Erin Hawk, Immediate past president
Labor & Employment Practice Development Manager
Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP
Columbus
Erin provides strategic direction for the labor and employment, and employee benefits practices, including developing and implementing marketing, business development and visibility goals. She coaches practice leaders and individual attorneys on how to maintain and expand key client relationships with human resource professionals and other business leaders. She also determines key areas for growth and repositions services based on client needs, market opportunities and firm strengths.
Members-at-Large
Lori Anger
Director of Marketing and Business Development
Ice Miller
Columbus
Lori is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic marketing and business development efforts. She manages a team of professionals to create and execute practice group, industry group and client service team initiatives; and advance the firm's brand identity, and media and communications strategy. Anger also is responsible for developing market-specific business plans for the firm's offices in Ohio. She has served the legal marketing industry for nearly 15 years.
Julie Gurney
Director of Marketing and Communications
Benesch
Cleveland
Julie has more than nine years of experience in legal marketing and is responsible for the overall strategy, daily management and implementation of global strategic communications initiatives designed to advance marketing communications, external and internal public relations, and branding for the firm. Before joining Benesch, she worked in marketing at Cleveland Magazine and Redbook. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
Kira Hennessey
Business Development Manager
Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP
Cleveland
Kira works with all practices across Calfee’s three offices. She responds to RFPs, crafts messaging and executes practice group strategy. Kira has worked in legal marketing for nearly seven years. Outside of work, she serves on the board of the Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corporation, a community development corporation devoted to preserving the historic nature of the downtown Cleveland neighborhood, while helping to drive economic growth. Kira is a proud supporter of all things Cleveland and can’t live without coffee.
Marcie Valerio
Corporate Practice Development Manager
Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP
Columbus
Marcie began her career as an editor and reporter at daily newspapers, and migrated to nonprofit marketing communications nearly 18 years ago. She caught the legal marketing bug shortly after joining the LMA international staff as marketing director in 2009. Shortly after moving to Ohio in 2012, she became an in-house business development professional and now works with more than 100 attorneys across 12 practice groups to create and implement internal cross-marketing campaigns and industry-focused business development initiatives.
Jim Whelan
Marketing Manager
Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP
Cincinnati
Jim is a 10-year veteran of legal and professional services marketing, and serves as Marketing Manager for Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP. An avid golfer and sports fan (Go Cleveland Browns & Xavier Musketeers!), Jim enjoys spending time with his wife, Sarah, and three young boys: Justin, Tommy and Charlie.