EMSI Team
Marsha Friedman, Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Marsha Friedman doesn’t like sitting still. As a prominent business woman, she has run her pay for performance public relations firm successfully through prosperity and adversity, ironically having one of her best revenue years in the midst of 2009’s recession. As a publicity expert, she recently debuted her new book, Celebritize Yourself, and began a national media tour.
Marsha Friedman launched EMSI in 1990. Her PR company represents corporations and experts in a wide array of fields such as business, health, food, lifestyle, politics, finance, law, sports and entertainment. Some of the more prominent names on her client roster are Teamster’s President, Jimmy Hoffa Jr., Sergeant’s Pet Care Products, Former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane and the famous Motown Group, the Temptations.
She consults individuals and businesses on a daily basis and is frequently asked to speak at conferences about how to harness the power of publicity.
As a radio personality and public speaker, Marsha can be heard every week on the nationally syndicated talk radio show “The Family Roundtable” where problems that modern families face are discussed. Marsha and her co-hosts have enjoyed interviewing family experts as well as celebrities such as Tony Curtis, Ed Begley Jr, Augusten Burroughs, Faith Evans, Vicki Lawrence, Denise Jackson, Janine Turner and Rose Rock.
Outside of the office, Marsha is also the founder of a non-profit organization called the Cherish the Children Foundation. In 1996 the White House recognized her charity which sets out to raise awareness of the plight of underprivileged and foster children.
Steve Friedman, Partner & Chief Business Development Officer
The phrases “people person,” “good communicator” and “people skills” could have been coined to describe Steve Friedman. Prior to joining his wife Marsha in the running of EMSI several years back, Steve pursued a sales career in industries spanning insurance to home security. His real passion in life and business is to help others to realize their goals and dreams, and he loves the opportunity afforded at EMSI to assist other business owners, authors and professionals to flourish and be known in their fields.
For the EMSI family of clients, Steve takes this caring approach to a level rarely seen in business. With each client he strives to find the most optimum solution to help them achieve celebrity though excellent PR.
For the EMSI staff, they are family to Steve as well. The well-being of the team here at EMSI matters to him as though they are family – indeed, he considers them as such.
Marti Carlson, Executive Assistant to the CEO
Marti’s career includes 10 years in public relations, during which time her responsibilities included national program supervision of social reform groups and the oversight of training for PR personnel worldwide.
Prior to joining EMSI, Marti’s experience as an Executive Assistant spans a number of industries, including investment, sales, and internet marketing enterprises.
As Executive Assistant, Marti impeccably manages the multitude of diverse activities and endeavors embarked on by Marsha Friedman – CEO, author, public speaker, and founder of a charitable organization.
Marti, who exhibits a blend of skills derived from her artist mother and engineer father, is a born and bred Iowa farmer’s daughter who completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Iowa State University. She relishes going back for lazy days at the family cottage on a bluff overlooking Lake Okoboji. She enjoys photography, page-turning fiction, music from classic to rock, movies, and power walks on beautiful Clearwater Beach.
Rich Ghazarian, Senior Campaign Manager
Rich Ghazarian came to EMSI with a strong broadcast media background. He enjoyed much success in radio and television for 15 years as an on-air personality, program director and music director in stations from California to New York City. Ghazarian has led several stations he programmed to #1 ratings.
After leaving the broadcast medium, Ghazarian worked for several advertising agencies in New York City in multiple capacities for clients: account representative, creative director, copywriter and media planning and execution. Ghazarian joined EMSI in 1998 as an account manager and has been with the company ever since.
As a result of his being on the “other side”, Ghazarian understands what makes for good programming and how to present his clients message attractively to producers.
Tony Panaccio, News Director
Tony’s career dates back to his days as a crime beat journalist for both The Clearwater Sun and The Tampa Tribune from 1985-1989. After his work during that period won him the Florida Press Club Award in 1989, Tony moved on to Miami where he wrote the crime and investigative beat for the Hollywood Sun-Tattler and the Miami Herald’s Tropic Magazine. Soon, he shifted over to public relations, and quickly began working with companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Sony, Warner Bros., and AOL, as well as luminaries like Bill Gates, William Shatner and Stan Lee.
His agency experience includes stints as a VP at Edelman PR Worldwide and The Weber Group, as well as Managing Director at Hill & Knowlton . He also has a considerable pedigree in the not-for-profit arena, with pro-bono PR work for The Katia Solomon Foundation (www.katiasolomonfoundation.org) and as ongoing counsel for The Hero Initiative (www.heroinitiative.org).
After he left Hill & Knowlton, he became the Senior VP at CrossGen Entertainment, which at the time was the nation’s third largest publisher of comics and graphic novels. There, he ran the licensing business for the company, working with film producer Michael Uslan (Batman, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Constantine, National Treasure) to license CrossGen’s properties into film and television. Before CrossGen was purchased by Disney, he had licensed CrossGen’s comics into 34 countries in 10 languages, established a complete line of CrossGen licensed apparel, developed the first Web-based online comics content site, and struck deals with video game companies for the CrossGen properties.
Since then, he has worked as a freelance consultant, writing speeches for political candidates, helping companies reposition themselves, handling public relations campaigns and writing Web sites for corporate clients.
Lisa Hess, Television Campaign Manager
Lisa Hess joined EMSI with a degree in Public Relations from Towson University. She has a natural talent for pitching our clients to the media and securing quality exposure on shows around the country. Lisa is an ace at developing client segments and visuals that TV producers are looking for.
When it comes to the relentless pursuit of the media, Lisa knows how to get it done. As a result, she has quickly developed relationships with producers (such as Good Morning America, Fox News, The 700 Club, CBS Early Show, MSNBC, Fox and Friends) that have astronomically benefitted each client’s campaign.
Rachel Friedman, Print Campaign Manager
Rachel comes to EMSI fresh from her 5-year stint as an International Corporate Trainer for a well-known food service brand. This position taught her vital skills in relationship management, information management and customer care, to name a few. In addition, this role provided her with fantastic exposure to the international marketplace.
Since joining the company as Print Campaign Manager, she has revolutionized the execution of our client’s print campaigns. After fine-tuning her skills under the wing of EMSI’s CEO, she has been able to push the successes of each campaign into a new realm. Aside from this, Rachel has a client-care focus second to none. She has a keen eye in developing print angles, a knack for picking and targeting publications that get results.
Her quick reaction time to any campaign hitches and excellent print relationships (National Examiner, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Quick & Simple and more) place her firmly in the position of driving each client campaign to the best success it can garner.
Rachel also loves to shop (especially shoes), played rugby during her college years, and is bilingual. She loves spending time with her family more than anything. She and her husband Damon (EMSI’s Director of Administration & Business Development) welcomed their new son, Mason, in January of 2009!
Ginny Grimsley, Media Production Assistant
Ginny started at EMSI as a teenager, and has since learned the business inside and out! She is the go-to gal to get anything done.
She has worked in every area of production, and currently handles all the administrative details which are so vital to a smooth-running operation. Ginny “keeps all of the trains on track” in the production department here at EMSI, including handling all the client communications regarding radio bookings, staying on top of materials needed by the production team, and sending out pitches for print, TV, and radio for our clients.
On weekends you can find her at an amusement park – she owns a season pass for just about all of them!
Damon Friedman, Sales Manager
Damon Friedman has worked in the entertainment business as a DJ & MC at Universal Studios, where he ensured the success of corporate parties and the enjoyment of their guests.
Growing up in the Friedman family, Damon was immersed in the PR business from a young age. While he pursued his independent aspirations at a young age, he always knew he wanted to join the family business in some capacity.
As EMSI’s Sales Manager, Damon uses his client and campaign handling skills to bring departments together and kick-start every client’s campaign!
On the weekends, Damon still enjoys working as a DJ. He also loves spending time with his wife, Rachel (EMSI’s Print Campaign Manager), and their new son, Mason.
Debra Bellmaine, Marketing Director
Debra brings to EMSI considerable experience in the sphere of Internet marketing.
Debra obtained her Bachelor of Science from California State University Fresno in Information Systems, Magna Cum Laude. Her career has spanned many years as a software engineer, all the way to overseeing Marketing and Administration for a Clearwater telemarketing firm.
Her community activities include more than seven years as the Entertainment Director for Clearwater Community Volunteers, a non-profit organization with the purpose of helping to create a better community for all citizens of the City of Clearwater and Pinellas County. CCV has raised money, food and toys for family and children’s charities such as the Boys & Girls Club, Everybody’s Tabernacle’s Homeless Emergency Project, the Red Cross, Victims of Katrina and Winter Wonderland.
Debra also loves to garden, cook and spend time with her family!
Meryl Heidenreich, Social Media Marketing Manager
Meryl recently joined EMSI after graduating Cum Laude from the Marketing program (ranked #6 among US public schools) at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business Administration. While at UF she also minored in Mass Communications.
As EMSI’s Social Media Marketing Manager, Meryl brings to the Marketing Department valuable experience achieved through working in promotions, sports marketing, and with a full-service marketing firm. Meryl’s expertise in online social networking is creating tremendous opportunities for EMSI clients to exponentially expand their base of contacts and fame. For Meryl, it’s all about “going viral!”
In her spare time, Meryl enjoys scuba diving, golf, and Gator Football!
Cheryl Smith, General Office Administration
Cheryl has been with EMSI almost since the company was founded…Marsha affectionately refers to her as “the memory” of the firm. And it is true—there is virtually no detail about the operation of EMSI, going back eighteen years, that Cheryl does not recall.
Cheryl currently wears a number of vital hats that keep the gears turning smoothly, including database management, tracking all the statistics for print production and also for the marketing department. She also is very nimble as Marsha’s Internet researcher.
Over the years, Cheryl has worked in most every area of EMSI, and so is uniquely able to quickly and accurately pull up arcane (but valuable) bits of information that often save the day.
Cheryl is also the mom of Ginny Grimsley, EMSI’s Media Production Assistant.
Terry Tinkelenburg, Finance Director
Terry joined the EMSI family in 2008, bringing years of valuable finance and accounting experience to the company.
She really enjoys using her financial skills and experience to help people and businesses get their “financial house in order,” so that they are able to expand and prosper. Her expertise is certainly appreciated here at EMSI!
She also loves to read, garden, knit, study philosophy, and help people.
Nikko, Company Mascot and Chief Security Officer
We are lucky at EMSI to have Nikko watching over us and ensuring the safety and security of our offices!
Nikko’s mommy and daddy are Rachel and Damon Friedman, and Nikko has accompanied them to the EMSI offices for the past three years. He is a six-year-old mini schnauzer, and as lovable as they come! We’re hoping that if the day comes when he actually has to enforce office security, he can scare off an intruder, but it is hard to imagine!
He is friendly to one and all, and each day makes the rounds to the office of every member of the team, to say hello and make sure all is well. And of course, get some petting, too!
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