Charles Ryan Associates (CRA), one of the largest and most experienced communications firms in the Mid-Atlantic region, has added four employees to its roster. A women-owned firm, CRA now employs a total of 42 people among its three offices in Charleston, W.Va., Richmond, Va. and Columbus, Ohio.
These professionals join CRA’s client services, creative and digital teams, and will work closely within these departments as well as with the agency’s media and film teams to create integrated, multi-dimensional strategies for it clients.
Susan Lavenski, chief executive officer of CRA, said, “These team members are talented, enthusiastic individuals who will offer our team and our clients innovative ideas and strategies, and we’re happy to welcome each of them into the CRA family.”
A digital and government relations expert, Paula Taylor joins CRA as a communications strategy manager and will work with clients primarily in the energy sector from strategy development to digital marketing. A communications graduate of Marshall University, Taylor worked previously at the West Virginia governor’s office and 11 years in West Virginia’s broadcast and print media sectors.
A seasoned news reporter, Rusty Marks comes to CRA as a copywriter and media specialist. His ability to craft compelling messaging is a great asset for clients and CRA. Marks is a journalism graduate of Marshall University with more than 30 years in print journalism, including 25 years at The Charleston Gazette and three years at The State Journal.
Focused on digital media solutions, Alex Fisher joins CRA as digital media strategist, where he supports the media and digital teams from planning to execution. With degrees in public relations and advertising from DePaul University, and in business administration from High Point University, he’s a great addition to CRA. Fisher formerly worked at the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Maximizing the user experience through design, Christine Pomatto rejoins the CRA team as a UI designer. Pomatto returns to Virginia after having worked for three years in San Diego on projects related to design for mobile and other user portal projects. Prior to this, she worked as a graphic designer at CRA. A graduate of James Madison University, she provides the perfect blend of traditional and modern digital design experience to CRA and for its clients.
