2022-23 Executive Board Applications
2021-2022 PRSSA Kent Executive Board
Photo credit: Allison Ewing Photography
President - Kayla Polansky
Kayla Polansky is a senior Public Relations major at Kent State University. Kayla is from Olmsted Falls, Ohio. This is her fourth year being involved in Kent PRSSA! Serving as President, Kayla hopes to bring in diverse and entertaining speakers for all members of the organization. Outside of PRSSA, Kayla enjoys going to the gym, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. She is super excited about the upcoming semester and is hoping to bring new ideas to the organization.
Connect with Kayla through email.
Connect with Kayla through email.
VP of Professional Relations - Maddie Goerl
Maddie is a junior public relations major with a public health minor from Pittsburgh, PA. This is her third year in PRSSA and her second on the executive board. She previously served as VP of Fundraising and Community Outreach. Maddie enjoys cooking, fitness, and spending time outdoors. Post graduation, Maddie hopes to work in healthcare. She is looking forward to connecting with professionals and hosting engaging chapter meetings in the upcoming school year.
Connect with Maddie through email.
Connect with Maddie through email.
VP of Membership - Genevieve Krejci
Genevieve Krejci is a junior Pubic Relations major at Kent State, and has a minor in Advertising. Genevieve is from Medina, Ohio. This is her second year involved in Kent PRSSA! First year as an officer! As VP of Membership Genevieve hopes to show as many students as possible the amazing opportunities that joining PRSSA presents, and the lasting bonds that come. Outside of PRSSA, Genevieve enjoys snowboarding, watching every TV show ever made, and spending time with friends and family. Genevieve is beyond excited for the new semester and what it will bring.
Connect with Eve through email.
Connect with Eve through email.
VP of Communication - Katie Masko
Katie Masko is a junior double major in Public Relations and Advertising with a minor in Leadership at Kent State. Katie is from Columbus, Ohio and this will be her 2nd year in PRSSA. As Vice-President of Communications, Katie is excited to make the newsletter engaging and fun in order to better connect the PRSSA community at Kent State. Outside of class and PRSSA, you’ll catch her annoying her cat or enjoying some chips and salsa at La Terraza. Post graduation, Katie would love to work in government or entertainment but ultimately wants to see where the world takes her!
Connect with Katie through email.
Connect with Katie through email.
VP of Fundraising and Community Outreach - Grace Kindl
Community Outreach Student Chair- Cassidy Grentz
Cassidy Grentz is a Junior studying public relations and minoring in marketing. Cassidy is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This year, Cassidy will be the Community Outreach Student Chair for PRSSA. She will aid the VP of Fundraising and Community outreach. She will also work closely will the Special Events Coordinator on major events. Cassidy hopes this position will help her learn valuable skills that can be applied to her professional career. Outside of PRSSA, Cassidy loves coffee, traveling, and cooking.
Connect with Cassidy through email. Co-Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion- Chania Crawford |
Chania Crawford is a sophomore majoring in Public Relations at Kent State University. Chania is from Madison, Ohio. This is Chania’s second year being involved in Kent PRSSA, and first year on the executive board! Chania will be serving as Co-Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Chania hopes joining the executive board helps her expand her PR skills and build long lasting connections with PR professionals.
Outside of PRSSA and school Chania enjoys spending time with friends and family, listening to music, and advocating for different social justice issues.
Connect with Chania through email.
Outside of PRSSA and school Chania enjoys spending time with friends and family, listening to music, and advocating for different social justice issues.
Connect with Chania through email.
Co-Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion- Camryn Lanning
Camryn Lanning is a junior public relations major with minors in fashion media and sociology at Kent State University. Camryn uses she/her/hers pronouns and is from Pittsburgh, PA. This will be Camryn’s first year being a board member, serving as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Co-Chair. Outside of PRSSA, Camryn is also the Social Director for Kent State’s Her Campus chapter and has a radio show on Black Squirrel Radio. After graduation, Camryn hopes to pursue a career in fashion public relations.
Connect with Camryn through email.
Connect with Camryn through email.
Web and Social Media Co-Manager- Macy Rosen
Macy is a sophomore at Kent State University studying public relations. Macy grew up in East Palestine, Ohio, about an hour away from Kent State. This year, Macy will take on the role of web manager for PRSSA Kent. This is her second year in PRSSA Kent and her first year on the executive board. Macy is excited to work alongside her co-manger, Maggie. Along with PR, Macy is passionate about the beach, spontaneous adventures, and spending time with family and friends. Upon graduating, she hopes to use these passions to become a member of an airline PR team like Delta or American Airlines.
Connect with Macy through email.
Connect with Macy through email.
Web and Social Media Co-Manager- Maggie Werren
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Chapter Account Executive- Blake Serrano
Blake Serrano is a sophomore public relations major and marketing minor from Houston, Texas. This is his second year in PRSSA and first serving on the PRSSA executive board. He is eager for his role as Chapter Account Executive and hopes to build strong connections with future members and his fellow officers! Blake initially joined PRSSA to meet more people in the PR major and to get insight on various industries in PR. Outside of school, Blake loves hanging out with friends, binging any type of reality TV, listening to music and playing tennis.
Connect with Blake through email.
Connect with Blake through email.
Special Events Coordinator- Emily King
Emily King is a junior public relations major and at Kent State University. Emily is from Delaware, Ohio and this is her second year as a member of PRSSA and first year serving on the e-board. Emily is excited to be special events coordinator and bring some fun to the events. Emily enjoys weight lifting and country concerts in her free time. Post graduation, Emily hopes to work in the country music industry doing social media or PR work.
Connect with Emily through email.
Connect with Emily through email.
National Millennial/Gen Z Community- Mia Cadle
Mia Cadle is a sophomore here at Kent State University, and became a member of PRSSA at the beginning of her first semester here at Kent State. Cadle later became a member of the NMC/Gen Z after hearing Bill Imada speak about it.
“I remember in high school my peers and I were often ignored because many adults didn’t feel that our opinions had any true weight or value to them,” Cadle said. “After hearing Bill speak I knew that this would be a chance to try to change that view point. I wanted to make sure that people knew my generation was worth listening to.”
Cadle is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in public relations and a minor in Chinese. She hopes to start her career with an agency to consult with brands internationally as well as locally.
Connect with Mia through email
“I remember in high school my peers and I were often ignored because many adults didn’t feel that our opinions had any true weight or value to them,” Cadle said. “After hearing Bill speak I knew that this would be a chance to try to change that view point. I wanted to make sure that people knew my generation was worth listening to.”
Cadle is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in public relations and a minor in Chinese. She hopes to start her career with an agency to consult with brands internationally as well as locally.
Connect with Mia through email
Faculty Adviser: Michele E. Ewing, APR
Michele Ewing, APR has more than 15 years experience in agency and corporate public relations. Before joining the Kent State faculty, Michele was a vice president at Marcus Thomas LLC, an advertising and public relations agency in Cleveland and Youngstown. During her 12-year tenure at Marcus Thomas, Michele played an active role in the management and growth of the public relations division with emphasis on the division's healthcare, internal and marketing public relations communications practices. Prior to Marcus Thomas, Michele worked for two Ohio hospitals.
Under her direction, PRSSA Kent has won six national PRSSA Teahan awards and numerous Kent State Student Involvement honors.
Michele teaches PR Campaigns, Public Relations Tactics and Principles of Public Relations courses. During the spring semester 2012, Michele co-taught the new Global Advertising and Public Relations course, which included a two-week study abroad experience in London.
Michele's research interests include internal communications, social media, student engagement and career preparation.
Follow Michele on Twitter @meewing, connect with her on Linkedin or email her.
Under her direction, PRSSA Kent has won six national PRSSA Teahan awards and numerous Kent State Student Involvement honors.
Michele teaches PR Campaigns, Public Relations Tactics and Principles of Public Relations courses. During the spring semester 2012, Michele co-taught the new Global Advertising and Public Relations course, which included a two-week study abroad experience in London.
Michele's research interests include internal communications, social media, student engagement and career preparation.
Follow Michele on Twitter @meewing, connect with her on Linkedin or email her.
Professional Adviser: Carrie Ann Kandes
Carrie Kandes is a public relations (PR) and marketing communications leader with more than 20 years of in-house and agency experience. Adept in relationship cultivation and team building, she is skilled across public relations sub-disciplines, has expertise in brand development and has led integrated marketing communications campaigns and teams. During her career, Carrie has worked with both consumer and business-to-business brands in the healthcare, financial, manufacturing, nonprofit, security and transportation segments.
Carrie is currently the director of marketing for the Youngstown and Lorain regions of Mercy Health, the largest health system in Ohio. In this field leadership role, Carrie drives strategies to enhance the reputation of and drive patient volumes for the system within Northeast Ohio. Her responsibilities include leading region-specific marketing planning and execution, focused on activities that effectively position and differentiate Mercy Health; strengthen audiences’ connection to the brand; drive reputation for quality; and increase awareness, consideration and preference.
Prior to her tenure with Mercy Health, Carrie spent a decade in agency leadership, including ownership of her own consultancy, as well as serving as the vice president and associate director of PR for Cleveland’s Marcus Thomas. She built effective programs, delivered strategic counsel, advised leaders and positioned brands for clients including Akron Children’s Hospital; Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems; Diebold, Incorporated; FirstLight® Home Care; Lifebanc; Nestlé Waters North America; Shearer’s Foods; Sherwin-Williams; Technology Management, Inc.; Volvo Group Trucks North America; Westfield Group; and WKSU. During the first half of her career, Carrie served in various public relations and marcom roles with organizations including Diebold and Summa Health System.
Carrie is a Kent State University (KSU) alumnus and has been an adjunct professor in the university’s PR sequence. She is a frequent guest lecturer and currently a professional adviser for the KSU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
An accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Carrie served as the president of the organization’s Akron-Area Chapter and a director for the Greater Cleveland Chapter. In 2012, she was recognized for her work mentoring students and young professionals with the Greater Cleveland PRSA Davis Young Award. A graduate of Leadership Akron (Class XXVI), Carrie was named one of Akron’s “30 for the Future” by the Greater Akron Chamber. She has been active in the community, most recently serving on the Leadership Akron Marketing and Brand Task Force and as a member of the Emerging Leaders Board of Akron Children’s Hospital.
Carrie is currently the director of marketing for the Youngstown and Lorain regions of Mercy Health, the largest health system in Ohio. In this field leadership role, Carrie drives strategies to enhance the reputation of and drive patient volumes for the system within Northeast Ohio. Her responsibilities include leading region-specific marketing planning and execution, focused on activities that effectively position and differentiate Mercy Health; strengthen audiences’ connection to the brand; drive reputation for quality; and increase awareness, consideration and preference.
Prior to her tenure with Mercy Health, Carrie spent a decade in agency leadership, including ownership of her own consultancy, as well as serving as the vice president and associate director of PR for Cleveland’s Marcus Thomas. She built effective programs, delivered strategic counsel, advised leaders and positioned brands for clients including Akron Children’s Hospital; Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems; Diebold, Incorporated; FirstLight® Home Care; Lifebanc; Nestlé Waters North America; Shearer’s Foods; Sherwin-Williams; Technology Management, Inc.; Volvo Group Trucks North America; Westfield Group; and WKSU. During the first half of her career, Carrie served in various public relations and marcom roles with organizations including Diebold and Summa Health System.
Carrie is a Kent State University (KSU) alumnus and has been an adjunct professor in the university’s PR sequence. She is a frequent guest lecturer and currently a professional adviser for the KSU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
An accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Carrie served as the president of the organization’s Akron-Area Chapter and a director for the Greater Cleveland Chapter. In 2012, she was recognized for her work mentoring students and young professionals with the Greater Cleveland PRSA Davis Young Award. A graduate of Leadership Akron (Class XXVI), Carrie was named one of Akron’s “30 for the Future” by the Greater Akron Chamber. She has been active in the community, most recently serving on the Leadership Akron Marketing and Brand Task Force and as a member of the Emerging Leaders Board of Akron Children’s Hospital.
Professional Adviser: Shantae Rollins
Shantae Rollins is a Content Marketing Supervisor at nVent. Shantae was an active PRSSA member at Kent, serving as VP of Professional Relations, competing in the 2009 PRSSA Bateman Competition and attending two national conferences.
Previously, she was a Public Relations Specialist at Point to Point, Inc., Communications Strategist at thunder::tech and served as the Coordinator for Outreach and Marketing for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. She led marketing and alumni outreach efforts for the School and served as the managing editor of the JMC alumni magazine, JARGON.
Before coming back to Kent State, Shantae worked as a Public Relations Executive for Brunner, a full-service advertising agency located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she provided strategic public relations counsel to a variety of consumer packaged goods clients. Prior to joining Brunner, she was a Public Relations Specialist for InfoCision Management Corporation in Akron.
In her spare time, she cooks, reads psychological thrillers and completes DIY projects.
You can connect with Shantae on LinkedIn.
Previously, she was a Public Relations Specialist at Point to Point, Inc., Communications Strategist at thunder::tech and served as the Coordinator for Outreach and Marketing for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. She led marketing and alumni outreach efforts for the School and served as the managing editor of the JMC alumni magazine, JARGON.
Before coming back to Kent State, Shantae worked as a Public Relations Executive for Brunner, a full-service advertising agency located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she provided strategic public relations counsel to a variety of consumer packaged goods clients. Prior to joining Brunner, she was a Public Relations Specialist for InfoCision Management Corporation in Akron.
In her spare time, she cooks, reads psychological thrillers and completes DIY projects.
You can connect with Shantae on LinkedIn.
Professional Adviser: Stephanie Duffy
Stephanie Duffy is a Marketing Specialist at nVent for the nVent CADDY brand. Prior to working for the manufacturer, she worked in the agency world gaining experience in writing, media relations, strategic public relations, social media planning, event planning and project management. She has worked with clients in several practice areas and industries including building products, Northeast Ohio non-profits and entertainment. Stephanie is a 2011 Kent State University and PRKent graduate, where she served as President of the Kent State PRSSA Chapter and was part of the 2010 Bateman team. Since graduation, she has served on several boards including AAF-Akron, PRSA Akron and the Akron Zoo’s Summer Safari fundraiser. Stephanie lives in Cleveland with her husband and her pet rabbits, Penelope and Einstein. As an overly-obsessed soccer fan, she can be found at a soccer game with her husband on any given weekend.
Stephanie can be found on Twitter at @stephaniemduffy and LinkedIn.
Stephanie can be found on Twitter at @stephaniemduffy and LinkedIn.
Professional Advisor: Sheila Vandergriff
Sheila Vandergriff is a lifelong resident of Northeast Ohio. She has over 20 years of nonprofit communications, development and public relations experience working with independent organizations, in higher education and in healthcare. With a bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University, she began writing engineering reports for a global manufacturer. Afterwards, she worked at a nonprofit organization where she wrote grants, cultivated partnerships and developed educational programs.
Sheila joined the Hiram College development department assuming responsibility for leadership giving, student projects and cross-country events. She then transitioned to Summa Health System where she built the fundraising communications platform for the Foundation and formulated publications.
With a passion for animal welfare, Sheila returned to an independent nonprofit as the executive director. It was a chance to provide direction, to use her expertise and to be part of an exceptional group of people dedicated to helping animals in need. It also led to collaboration with civic leaders, law enforcement and other animal welfare agencies.
Today, Sheila is the Director of Development at Glenbeigh, a Cleveland Clinic affiliate specialty hospital. She is responsible for internal and external communications, website development and management, social media oversight as well as fundraising and development functions. Sheila teaches ADA Title III compliance and oversees the community benefit initiatives for the organization.
Sheila holds a master’s degree from Kent State University in Journalism, Mass Communications and Public Relations. She’s served on various boards and is a graduate of Leadership Portage County. Outside of work, Sheila travels, enjoys photography and gardening, and is an avid genealogist.
Sheila joined the Hiram College development department assuming responsibility for leadership giving, student projects and cross-country events. She then transitioned to Summa Health System where she built the fundraising communications platform for the Foundation and formulated publications.
With a passion for animal welfare, Sheila returned to an independent nonprofit as the executive director. It was a chance to provide direction, to use her expertise and to be part of an exceptional group of people dedicated to helping animals in need. It also led to collaboration with civic leaders, law enforcement and other animal welfare agencies.
Today, Sheila is the Director of Development at Glenbeigh, a Cleveland Clinic affiliate specialty hospital. She is responsible for internal and external communications, website development and management, social media oversight as well as fundraising and development functions. Sheila teaches ADA Title III compliance and oversees the community benefit initiatives for the organization.
Sheila holds a master’s degree from Kent State University in Journalism, Mass Communications and Public Relations. She’s served on various boards and is a graduate of Leadership Portage County. Outside of work, Sheila travels, enjoys photography and gardening, and is an avid genealogist.
