Northern Virginia freelance writer Hope Katz Gibbs has been a newspaper and magazine reporter since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1986. After studying for her master’s degree in educational leadership at The George Washington University, she launched her freelance writing business in 1993.
Hope’s articles have appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, The Miami Herald, dozens of association, business, education and general interest magazines, and many alumni publications including her own alma maters, the University of Pennsylvania and The George Washington University.
She won two awards for feature writing from the Florida Magazine Association, and a six others honors for newsletter writing from the National School Public Relations Association. She has been listed in Who’s Who in Media & Communications since 1989, and Who’s Who of American Women since 1993.
In 2008, Hope founded Inkandescent Public Relations, a PR / publications / media relations / marketing firm that helps small businesses get the visibility they need. Along with her award-winning team, she creates high-end marketing materials, writes and edits press releases, newsletters, and white papers, and works closely with reporters to help get the word out about her clients. Hope also plans and organizes events, co-writes and ghostwrites books, and maintains her clients’ websites so they are up-to-date and provide an accurate, impressive image.
View Hope’s entire bio here, and read her published journalism clips at www.hopegibbs.com.
Michael Gibbs has been a freelance illustrator and designer since attending Pratt Institute as a photography and illustration major in the mid-70s. His award-winning artwork has appeared in Newsweek, Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Worth Magazine, Consumer Reports, Harvard Business Review, and publications for United Airlines, Verizon, IBM, Sears, American Airlines, CitiGroup and Oracle. He has also illustrated the covers and features of dozens of alumni magazines including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, the University of Chicago and American University.
His illustrations have been recognized by prestigious art publications such as Communication Arts, 3×3 Magazine, Print, and Spectrum. His work has also been exhibited at a variety of museums and galleries including the Society of Illustrator’s Museum of American Illustration in New York City, the Billy Shire Fine Arts Gallery in Los Angeles, and in Washington area at the Corcoran Museum of Art, the Sumner School Museum, Montgomery College Gallery and the University of Maryland Gallery.
View Michael’s portfolio at www.michaelgibbs.com.
Discover his award-winning alter ego M Glenwood at www.mglenwood.com.
Max Kukoy has been a Washington DC based freelance web developer/designer since 2000. Max earned his master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Oklahoma in 1993, then started working in public health and environmental policy at Washington DC based non-profits. After a few years of policy work, he started working on his organizations web site, eventually deciding to start working as a freelancer under the name maxwebworks.
Sites range from simple database-driven sites, to ones with e-commerce capability. Max uses widely used and supported open source software applications to build web sites. He believes the site should be easy for the client to use and maintain and emphasizes building accessible web sites.
For more, view Max’s website www.maxwebworks.com.
In the 20 years that Washington, DC photographer Steve Barrett has been taking pictures, the likes of Michael Jordan, Margaret Thatcher, Hosni Mubarak, Spike Lee and Boris Yeltsin have found their way to the end of his lens. He has photographed George Clooney, James Earl Jones and Bill and Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain.
His photos have been featured in Vanity Fair, Time, Newsweek, Fortune, USA Today and Washingtonian, among others business and general interest publications. Alumni magazines have always been some of his favorite clients and he has taken cover and inside feature shots for Harvard Auburn Stanfrond, the Career College Association and Vanderbilt.
“Since I live so close to Washington, DC, dozens of alumni magazines call on me regularly to photograph their DC-based alumni, and also hire me to photograph the politicians and DC insiders that they may be writing about,” he says. “I work hard to be as effective as possible for my clients. I know they are the boss, and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to do what I do.”
Speaking of living his dream, Steve plays bass in the rock band, Longtooth, and mandolin in the acoustic Americana band, The Parklawn Ramblers. Both groups regularly perform in ale houses, parks, pools, and other venues around the Washington, DC area.
View Steve’s photo portfolio www.stevebarrettphotography.com.
Adrianne Hamilton is a PR Specialist at Inkandescent Public Relations, where she works closely with clients to get them into the news. She’s also the managing editor of “Be Inkandescent Magazine,” the company’s online journal for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs.
Having spent decades working in marketing and sales positions, she brings an ability to communicate well with reporters and our Inkandescent entrepreneurs. Past positions include working as the director of market research, designing logical databases, heading up meeting facilitations, and raising funds for charitable organizations.
Adrianne received a Bachelor of Science degree in Italian from Georgetown University in 1990, then went on to get get a Master of Arts degree in Italian Literature from New York University. She is fluent in Spanish and Italian.
A rock star at heart, Adrianne is the lead singer of the rock band, Longtooth, and the acoustic Americana band, The Parklawn Ramblers. Although she admits being in a band is one of the great achievements of her life, her proudest accomplishment is being mom to her three children.
Micaela is the assistant editor at Inkandescent Public Relations and Be Inkandescent Magazine.
With a BFA in Scenic Design from SUNY Purchase, Micaela is proud to provide an unorthodox yet discerning eye and a perpetually broadening understanding of data entry and office management. Her educational background fostered and nourished her talent for conquering any task, no matter how daunting or random.
An artist by nature, Micaela works primarily with paint, but considers herself an Artist of Opportunity, exploring new and exciting media with curiosity and passion. Click here to view her portfolio: www.micaelabarrett.com.
“I am happy to be a part of the Inkandescent PR team, and look forward to a steady stream of new and exciting ways to learn as I continues to investigate life,” she says.
With more than 30 years of advertising copywriting experience, Lisa Resnick’s consulting portfolio features a range of advertising, marketing, and editorial materials (see her samples, below).
Her clients have included The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Discovery Communications, The History Channel, A & E Network, and FPG/Getty Images.
Lisa began her advertising career at Century Advertising in Denver, CO before moving back to her native New York City. She was also Creative Director/Print for Showtime and The Movie Channel, and head of Creative Services for Bravo cable channel. Most recently, Lisa was Director of Publications for The Teaching Company.
“Although the companies and clients I have worked for have varied, my commitment to developing creative advertising solutions has remained constant,” says Lisa. “When it comes to writing ad copy, I have a simple mantra: The right word is a vehicle that drives eye traffic.”
She also admits to being a sucker for a great headline.
Lisa graduated Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude from SUNY at Buffalo with a BA in English, and received a master’s degree from Emerson College. Both CTAM and Promax/BDA have rewarded her work in the cable television industry.
Inkandescent Public Relations welcomes Ann-Marie McHugh as its new Executive Producer and Video Director.
An Emmy Award-winning producer, she is the founder of Quincy Productions, based in New York City and Princeton, NJ, which creates internet based media, commercials, films and television shows for PBS, the Discovery Channel, MTV, The Food Channel, and others. She has also created commercial and informational media commercials and videos for Target, IBM, CognitiveARTS, Wachovia, WNBC, Johnson & Johnson and Ortho-McNeil.
About that Emmy: Ann-Marie’s Emmy Award came from her work on the PBS series ART BEAT. The award-winning segment was entitled Lion Taymor, and featured the infamous broadway musical designer Julie Taymor, the woman behind Disney’s stage performance of the Lion King.
Ann-Marie has also won accolades for the episodes she created for the television shows Assignment Discovery on the Discovery Channel, and “American Rooms” for the Smithsonian Institution.
Commercials and Feature Films: Ann-Marie works closely with the well-known New York City commercial, video and feature film company Kipany Pictures. Recent projects included a short social media film for MakeMineaMillion.org, and a short film entitled, “Angelo’s Cafe,” which was adapted from the play, “Sure Thing” by David Ives.
In addition, she was the Consulting Producer for the film Everything is Ordinary, by Noelle Brower and the Executive Producer-Director for the commercial “What Do You Tell Yourself?” — a HIV/AIDS piece about opening up to the seriousness of HIV/AIDS in the U.S.
Background and Education: A graduate of theater and film program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Ann-Marie also has a BA in literature from Douglass College. The native of Miami, then Dearborn, MI, currently lives in Princeton with her husband and sons.
Her favorite quotation is this Chinese proverb: “The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.”
Contact Ann-Marie McHugh at ann-marie@inkandescentpr.com.
Kimberly Villa, is the owner of Tall Girl Promotions and the promotions manager for Inkandescent Public Relations.
Her firm is an environmentally responsible promotional marketing company that provides promotional products, banners & signs, awards, corporate gifts, convention printing and logo’d apparel to our clients.
“We have a very strong commitment to the environment,” explains Kim. “So in working with our clients we suggest products that are made with recycled, organic or eco-friendly materials. We also recommend products that are of value to your customers so they stay out of landfills and in use, where you want them to be.”
Kim also specializes in working with trade associations to provide marketing and promotional products for their conventions. “I work closely with event managers to maximize their sponsorship dollars — and am available to travel with them to their site and manage their on-site printing needs using our vast networking of quality printers around the country.”
For more information, send an email to Kimberly Villa at Kimberly@InkandescentPR.com
A native of Washington, DC, Pat has over 20 years experience in Human Resources, Public Relations, Corporate Communications and Retailing. Her experience spans both the private sector in Fortune 500 companies as well as not-for-profits in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta and D.C.
An eye for detail has proven invaluable both in copyediting and in the antiques business Pat has owned for 15 years in Destin, Florida. Her goal is to search out the unique, one-of-a kind item on buying trips to fairs in England and Belgium and in the U.S. from Georgia to Massachusetts.
Pat earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree from the University of Maryland in Hearing and Speech Sciences. She resides in Washington, DC, with her husband, Russ, an executive recruiter.