The acquisition expands Werth’s presence beyond Ohio and advances its capabilities in the Chicago market and across the Midwest.

“We’ve been looking for the right opportunity to build our footprint outside of Ohio,” said Sandra Harbrecht, Werth’s president and chief executive officer. “Generations Sync serves clients in multiple markets, and its senior team has built strong relationships in their fields of expertise.”

Marita Gomez, a health care public relations veteran, becomes the managing director of the Chicago office. Matthew Stone becomes the firm’s senior vice president of business development.

“Joining the Werth team gives us access to greater resources and allows us to accomplish more than we could do on our own,” Gomez said.

Gomez, a former journalist, worked for consumer health magazines and several ABC and NBC affiliates before joining a public relations agency in Chicago. She founded HealthInfo Direct, an integrated communications company and ran it for 15 years before selling the firm to a B2B agency. In 2008, she started Generations Sync.

Stone has more than 30 years of experience in direct marketing. He worked with several of the leading direct marketing companies in the Chicago area before becoming a partner at HealthInfo Direct and at Generations Sync.

Founded in 1963, Paul Werth Associates is an independent, full-service communications firm that helps grow businesses, launch brands and shape strategies for some of the Midwest’s leading organizations. Its core competencies include public relations, public affairs, marketing and branding, B2B advertising and research. Offering strategic counsel and a full array of creative services, Werth also builds digital solutions, social media strategies and Web 2.0 tactics into innovative and effective communications programs for its clients. Werth maintains a non-equity affiliation with MSLGROUP, one of the world’s largest public relations firms with offices throughout the United States, Europe, the Pacific Rim and South America. For more information about Paul Werth Associates, visit www.paulwerth.com.

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The pilgrimage included a stop at the Sunflower Bank, which sits on the site where the first White Castle restaurant was built in 1921. White Castle presented the bank with a commemorative landmark plaque that is a stainless steel etching of the first White Castle restaurant.

Learn more about this grand celebration: http://bit.ly/jaEPn6

Means is responsible for leading the concept development and design of integrated marketing initiatives. His constant focus is to deliver superior solutions that meet client needs through a blend of strategic planning, creative thinking, and innovative application of technology.

With 14 years of experience as an award-winning designer and creative director, Mean’s background spans multiple channels including print, video, Web, mobile, social media and event marketing. He also has extensive experience working within the health care, pharmaceutical and financial industries.

Prior to joining Werth, Means served as vice president, creative director at GSW Worldwide, an inVentiv Health company. Previous to working at GSW Worldwide, he spent nine years with a second inVentiv Health company, Blue Diesel. While leading interactive projects for clients such as Merck, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Cardinal Health, Champion Mortgage and Grange Insurance, Means was able to expand the agency’s capabilities and elevate the level of creative thinking across accounts. He partnered with clients to effectively extend brands into the digital channel and achieve measurable success while doing so. Means also worked with Out of the Box Integrated Advertising as an art director and as a graphic designer in the corporate communications department at Cardinal Health.

Means received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in visual communication from the Columbus College of Art & Design and graduated summa cum laude.

“We are excited to bring aboard someone with Matt’s caliber and expertise,” said Werth President and CEO Sandra Harbrecht. “Matt’s high level of experience adds an outstanding value to our clients.”

Vice President Kimber Perfect is responsible for leading account teams and for marketing the firm’s services including public relations, advertising, public affairs, research and interactive communications.

Joe Smith, our new Director of Editorial Services, is responsible for executive communications, including writing, editing, and management consulting for clients in health care, higher education, law, financial services and other professional services.

Said Werth President and CEO Sandra Harbrecht, “We are very pleased to provide our clients the remarkable expertise these two leaders bring. Both Kimber and Joe have extensive experience in the public sector and in marketing and communications. They add outstanding value to our client offerings.”

Kimber Perfect, Vice President

Perfect has over 25 years of experience in public affairs, public relations, marketing, brand development and economic development. Prior to joining Werth, Perfect served as chief marketing officer at the Ohio Department of Development, where she led efforts to share Ohio’s story in the global marketplace and oversaw all marketing and communications. She also guided the activities of the Ohio Tourism Division and the Ohio Film Office.

Perfect also has served as vice president for advancement for the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA), vice president for marketing and development at COSI, executive director of the Children’s Museum of Utah and director of institutional advancement at The Buckeye Ranch Foundation.

She also was director of communications for Limited Brands, Inc. where she managed media relations, administered corporate philanthropy and orchestrated special events.

Perfect is passionately committed to community service. She is active on the board of the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, where she chairs the Public Relations Committee. She is a past member of the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls and has served on the boards of the North Market Development Authority, the Short North Neighborhood Foundation, the Contemporary American Theatre Company (CATCO) and the YWCA of Columbus.

A native of Johnstown, Ohio, Perfect holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University.

Joseph Smith, Director of Editorial Services

Smith has responsibility for executive communications and oversees speech writing and the authoring of white papers. He provides speech coaching and consults on executive social media strategies. He also works with clients to develop and execute media relations’ strategies.

Smith has over 30 years of editorial expertise. He was most recently executive communications specialist to Chief Justice Eric Brown and Chief Justice Thomas Moyer of Ohio’s Supreme Court. Smith wrote the Chief Justices’ speeches, including the annual State of the Judiciary Address, remarks to Joint Sessions of the Ohio General Assembly and the annual address to the Ohio State Bar Association. He also oversaw the release of the final reports of the Ohio Courts Futures Commission and the Ohio Courts Racial Fairness Commission.

An Ohio native, Smith spent 22 years working in public radio, including more than 12 years at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., where he was producer of NPR’s award winning program Morning Edition and editor of NPR’s Washington Bureau. After returning to Ohio in 1990, he became senior producer at the NPR station in Cleveland, WCPN. There he also served as the Cleveland bureau chief of the nationally broadcast business program, Marketplace.

Mr. Smith majored in economics at George Washington University.

Werth President and CEO Sandra Harbrecht said, “We are delighted to be able to offer clients top-notch marketing and interactive services. These two professionals deepen our company’s expertise in a rapidly changing environment.”

Bridget Weizer Granger, Director of Project Management

As director of project management, Granger provides interactive marketing for the firm and oversees all production and project management efforts for Werth’s creative and interactive clients. She ensures clients receive the highest quality services, delivered on time and on budget.

Before joining Werth, Granger was Vice President of Web and Interactive Media at Mills James, a creative media firm in Columbus. She was charged with overall team leadership, brand development and stewardship, and new business development for the company. Granger led the strategic development of branded websites, flash games, online videos, interactive exhibits and e-learning initiatives.

Prior to Mills James, she served as associate director of development for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, responsible for all aspects of the marketing efforts for the Orchestra’s $2 million annual fund campaign.

Granger also served in account management and project management positions at GSW Worldwide and Blue Diesel (part of the Inventiv Health family of companies). At Blue Diesel, she worked as project manager for a large portfolio of multimedia projects for health care clients, including Ross Products, Abbott Laboratories and CIGNA Health Insurance. She held similar responsibilities when she worked at Gerbig, Snell/ Weisheimer and Associates.

Granger, a native of Central Ohio, is on the board of the Central Ohio chapter of the National Hemophilia Association and serves as an advisor to the Computer and Information Services Advisory Board of Franklin University.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Marketing at Franklin University.

Brian Warner, Lead Developer

Brian Warner leads Web and interactive marketing development projects for Werth clients, including The Ohio State University Medical Center, The Ohio State University Davis Heart and Lung Institute, Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Center and Moody-Nolan, Inc.

Before joining Werth, Warner worked on development projects for White Castle, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), Verizon Wireless, the Keep Ohio Beautiful campaign and a variety of other clients. He began his career as a consultant for EDS and has held positions with Delphi Corp., Lucas Systems, Inc., Liebert/Emerson Network Power and several website development firms.

Warner has deep expertise in dynamic website development. He knows a range of development languages, including C#.NET, PHP, Java, JavaScript. He develops Web applications using ASP.NET, WordPress/Drupal, Java Struts/Tiles, Web Services, HTML/DHTML, CSS, AJAX and jQuery. He also develops software and applications using the Windows OS/Server platforms and Apache, and develops Web applications using the Facebook, YouTube and Google APIs.

He also has extensive experience in all System Development Lifecycle (SDLC) phases for Web and windows applications using open-source and .NET technologies. He is skilled in Object-oriented programming, N-tier architecture and database development using Microsoft SQL Server 2005/2008 and MySQL.

An Ohio native, Warner earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Sciences from Youngstown State University.

Ms. Harbrecht told the audience that she learned from an early age from her father who in 1963 started the marketing and public relations firm that bears his name. “He believed that public relations was first and foremost about building trust and credibility for his clients with their customers, shareholders, employees and the communities in which they did business.”

Ms Harbrecht shared three ideas for helping to protect one’s credibility and reputation:

• First, develop an internal compass so that you are never in doubt about who you are and what principles will guide your life.
• The second essential element of reputation-based decision making is to acknowledge and respect reality.
• A third essential element for reputation-based decision-making is to extend your horizon.

The other award recipients who addressed the luncheon today are Mr. William Lhota, President and CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority and Mr. Robert Weiler, Chairman of the Robert Weiler.  All three speakers are recent inductees to the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame.

Paul Werth Associates is an integrated communications consulting firm that has been recognized for leadership in public relations, advertising, public affairs, interactive and research services – raising awareness, building credibility and mobilizing public opinion for clients in the private and public sector since 1963.

“So much of motivating people, managing people and inspiring people, it’s not about you,” Sandy says. “It’s about them. It’s understanding what motivates them, what gets them up in the morning and what is personally meaningful for them. Then it’s finding a connection between that and where you believe the team needs to go.”

This client-centric and service-centric approach defines Sandy’s leadership style. At the helm of Paul Werth Associates since 1983, Sandy leads the firm’s diverse and talented staff celebrating the company’s nearly five decades as a Columbus communications powerhouse.