In February 2020, the SMPS board approved the creation of a task force to suggest initiatives and strategic objectives to increase awareness of and support for diversity, equity, and inclusion for our membership, the marketing profession, and our members’ firms.
What else did 2020 bring? A worldwide pandemic, the continued senseless killing of unarmed Black and brown people leading to worldwide protests and demands for social justice reform, and the most tumultuous presidential election season of my lifetime. It was the most difficult year of my career personally and professionally.
As staff liaison to the task force, I’m empowered, along with my esteemed colleague Natalie Gozzard, to help SMPS find and clarify its place in the DEI space. The task force is chaired by Asheya Warren of SMPS Dallas and principal of Praxis. The members, which are listed below, are dynamic, passionate and full of ideas to advance a culture of inclusion at SMPS and throughout the A/E/C industries.
Stay tuned because there’s more to come soon. Cheers to 2021!
Antonio
Article written by SMPS Chief Financial Officer, Antonio Payne, CPA.
The SMPS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force includes the following SMPS members:
- Whitney Allred, Marketing & Communication Lead, TVA Architects
- Alexandra Brown, Marketing Manager, Kaufman Lynn Construction
- Donald Butchko, Manager, Marketing, Richard L. Bowen + Associates
- Tracy Callaway, Director of Design Strategy, Level 1 Global Solutions
- Briana Carter, Manager of Corporate Marketing, Murphy Company
- Tiffany Cartwright, CPSM Business Development Coordinator, Walter P Moore
- Thy Daniels, Senior Proposal Coodinator, Bora Architecture & Interiors
- Deirdre Gilmore, FSMPS, CPSM, President, TankGirl Marketing
- Maisha Christian Hagan, Marketing Director, Beauty & the Boss
- Sarah Hoff Owner, Creative Director, Hoffhaus Creative
- Nicole Hopkins, Business Development Manager, Dewberry Architects
- Jennifer Huebel, CPSM, Creative Manager, Clark Construction Company
- Courtney Kearney, CPSM, Owner, CKearney Consulting
- James Kent, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Thornton Tomasetti
- Grenee Martacho-Celuch, CPSM, CEO, Concord General Contracting
- Pipper Mosley, CPSM, LEED Green, Associate, Business Development Executive
- Andrea Narendorf, Business Development Director, Hill International
- Jennifer Nix-McGerald, CPSM, Team Leader, Proposal Coordinators WG
- Elizabeth Paul, CPSM, Director of Communications, AIA Philadelphia
- Kim Pipkin, President, Black Kite
- Julie Reimann, Director of Business Development, HE2PD
- Katie Spurlock, Marketing Director, Salter
- Ramsi Taylor, Director of Programs for SMPS Chicago
- Lisa Thoele, APR, LEED AP, CPSM, Business Development & Marketing Manager, RS&H
- Kim Thompkins, FSMPS, CPSM, SMPS At-Large Director, Director of Proposals, Cumming Management Group
- Uniqueka Walcott, CPSM, Proposal Manager, Moffatt & Nichol
- Asheya Warren, CPSM, Principal, PRAXIS
- Alicia Washington, Director of Marketing & JEDI ERG, HRP Associates
- Joy Woo, CPSM, LEED AP, Associate Vice President, AECOM
