The February luncheon program will feature a panel discussion made up of PR and marketing specialists who will focus on the emerging field of social media and Internet marketing, including (but not limited to):

• Facebook profiles and fan pages
• LinkedIn groups
• E-Blasts
• E-Newsletters
• Social Bookmarking Web Services, such as Delicious
• Squidoo lenses
• Twitter profiles
• Wikipedia pages
• YouTube videos
• Websites

Our speakers will discuss:

• The various marketing opportunities that these mediums provide
• How a company can incorporate them into their existing marketing program
• The successes that our panel members have seen in their past experience

Jean Leathers, President (Moderator)

Practice Clarity, LLC

Leathers is president of Practice Clarity, LLC, a firm that advises architects on building business from new and existing clients, helping architectural firms to clarify purpose, establish position and cultivate relationships.

Leathers began her career at URS Cleveland and then transferred to San Francisco where she sold seismic engineering services, directed marketing and handled corporate communications and investor relations for URS Corporation.

After five years with URS, Leathers founded a consultancy in San Francisco providing marketing, business development and training for clients including Architectural Resources Group; KPMG Airport Consulting Practice; Bank of America; and World Bank in Washington, DC.  In 2003, Leathers re-established her practice in Cleveland and continues to provide help to architects who want to grow their architectural practices.

Leathers is widely published.  Her portfolio includes The Plain Dealer, LD + A, Builders Exchange Magazine, Parks & Rec Business, Coaching Review, The Digest of Financial Planning Ideas, and The Stanger Register. She is a former guest lecturer on marketing in the MBA program at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley.

Lori Alba, Manager of Marketing & Sales Support

BrandMuscle Inc.

Alba is the manager of marketing & sales support at BrandMuscle Inc., a leading provider of technology-enabled marketing solutions for national brand advertisers.  Over the course of her 14-year career within the marketing field, Alba has led the development and implementation of corporate marketing planning and communications strategies for both B – B and B – C companies.  Prior to joining BrandMuscle in 2009, Alba served 10 years as director of marketing at D-A-S Construction.  Her experience as a marketing leader is diverse and has included strategic planning, core market research, public relations, social media planning and implementation, customer relationship management, lead generation and marketing automation.

Alba is a past president of the Garfield Heights Chamber of Commerce and former chair of its branding & marketing committee.  She has served as chair of Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) Greater Cleveland's Branding Taskforce; and was recognized as one of Crain’s Cleveland Businesses “20 in their 20’s” in 2007.

Corey Hammond, Social Media Marketing Specialist

The Karcher Group

As social media marketing specialist for The Karcher Group, Hammond leverages social media websites, such as blogs and video sites, to help TKG's clients grow their presence on the web. In addition, he handles traditional natural SEO efforts for our monthly SEO clients, including reporting on trends, stats and rankings.

Hammond is a participant in numerous online communities including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg and various SEO groups.  He blogs at http://www.theseoblog.org, organized our area's first Tweetup (a meeting of Twitterers) in 2008, and has been instrumental in TKG's tweetups.  Hammond speaks on social media marketing and local/mobile search marketing.

Kimberly Kayler, President and Founder

Constructive Communication

Kayler has the distinction of being the first professional to earn the CPSM designation in Ohio.  She has extensive experience in the AEC industry, having served as marketing director for a 75-person environmental/civil engineering firm, as well as an international 200-person full-service engineering/architecture firm.  With a journalism degree and a Master’s in Leadership, she also has experience as an account executive for an advertising/marketing communications agency.

Kayler started Constructive Communication, Inc. (CCI) – a certified Women’s Business Enterprise – in 2001 to serve the needs of technical and professional service firms.  CCI serves as marketing counsel for the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, Post-Tensioning Institute, International Grooving & Grinding Association, Concrete Foundations Association, Concrete Industry Management program, American Plastics Council and the American Concrete Institute, as well as a variety of architecture, engineering, construction, product supplier and other firms in the AEC industry.

Kayler is the author of more than 1,250 articles and co-author of Leading with Marketing (www.leadingwithmarketing.com).  She is a registered provider on a variety of marketing topics with the American Institute of Architects, serves as the public relations chair for the Construction Specifications Institute Columbus Chapter, and holds board positions on the Dublin Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Dublin Foundation, and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council.