Advisory Board
Board Members Attending:
Joe Erwin (current city: Greenville)
Currently: President - Erwin Creates and Endeavor
Formerly: Co-Founder and Former President, Erwin Penland
Education: B.A., Political Science, Clemson ‘79
About: After growing Erwin Penland from 2 to 400 employees, Joe left the agency in 2015 to open Endeavor, a coworking space for creative/marketing services professionals located in the heart of downtown Greenville (below Clemson's space in the ONE tower). Celebrating its 1st anniversary in May 2017, Endeavor's membership is "125 and growing," with a mission to help creative freelancers, independent agencies and client-side marketing professionals achieve greater success - and to further Greenville's reputation as a destination for today's entrepreneurial creative class.
More: https://issuu.com/businessblackbox/docs/bbb17_q1/28
Singleton Beato
Currently: Chief Diversity & Engagement Officer, McCann Worldgroup
Formerly: EVP, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Talent Development, 4A’s
Education: MS, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Org. Development, Business Law
About: Singleton Beato joined McCann Worldgroup in the global position of Chief Diversity & Engagement Officer in 2017. In this role, she is responsible for designing and leading strategic workforce diversity and engagement solutions that drive business performance and innovation across MWG agencies.
Singleton was previously Executive VP, Diversity Strategy and Talent Development at the 4A’s, where she developed and led strategic initiatives to advance the talent leadership and diversity agenda across the advertising, media and communications industry.
While at the 4A’s, Singleton was called upon by top agency executives to provide leadership, partnership, guidance and support in the design and application of best practices in diversity and talent development that increase organizational capacity and growth. Her accomplishments include the design and development of The Face Of Talent symposium as well as industry’s only national Talent Leadership Conference, Talent@2030 along with the transformation of the industry’s legacy Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP) and the renowned 4A’s Foundation.
Singleton has over 20 years of experience as an accomplished human resources executive and is recognized for her success driving large scale people and organizational change initiatives across a wide range of industries, having held talent leadership roles at J. Walter Thompson, Crunch Fitness International, and Bloomberg L.P.
Singleton, who has an MS from Fairleigh Dickinson University, has served on several non-profit boards and has received numerous accolades as a change agent and diversity educator for her work from the American Advertising Federation, ADCOLOR and the World Diversity Leadership Summit.
John Dillon (Spartanburg)
Currently: SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, Denny's
Formerly: Denny's since 2007; Houston Rockets, YUM! Brands/Pizza Hut
Education: B.S., Marketing and Business Analysis, Baylor ‘93
About: As SVP, CMO of Denny's Corporation, John is responsible for directing all marketing efforts, including the development and execution of marketing strategies and initiatives, brand positioning, advertising campaigns and menu development. John joined Denny's in June 2007, bringing a wealth of experience in consumer branding and marketing strategy. Prior to joining Denny's, he held multiple marketing leadership positions with various organizations, including 10 years with YUM! Brands/Pizza Hut, and was Vice President of Marketing for the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets.
John Featherston (Atlanta)
Currently: Sr. Director/New Ventures, Chick-fil-A
Formerly: 24 years at CFA; VP Income Property, Wells Fargo
Education: B.A., Economics, Duke University
U Pennsylvania - The Wharton School, Advanced Management Program
About: The father of a current Clemson student (Bohler Featherston, ‘19, Marketing/College of Business), Chris Peters introduced John to Joe Erwin as a potential Erwin Center Speaker Series presenter. John graciously accepted the invitation, where he was a big hit before a standing-room-only student audience. John joined Chick-fil-A in 1993 after ten years in the banking industry with predecessor institutions of Bank of America and Wells Fargo. His current role at CFA is focused on establishing the business in NYC, developing a Model for International Growth, and shaping new investments beyond the core restaurants. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, ICSC and IFA (Int'l Franchise Association), and is active in Care for Aids, Young Life, and Music to Light the World.
More: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-featherston-4b44aa9/
Dr. Dan Haygood (Elon, NC)
Currently: Department Chair, Advertising - Elon University
Formerly: DMB&B NY and Toyko; University of Tennessee
Education: B.A., NC State, Business Mgmt & Speech Communication
M.A. and Ph.D., UNC Chapel Hill, School of Journalism and Mass Comm.
About: Dan brings 20+ years of experience to his advertising and communication classes at Elon. He was VP/group account director for iconic agency DMB&B in NY, before being recruited to lead the agency's joint venture in Tokyo (later serving as interim managing director for the Beijing office). His research interests focus on advertising/media history and sports broadcasting/advertising. He has been published in Journal of Advertising Research, Journalism History and International Journal of Instructional Media. He previously taught at UT, where he was awarded the UT College of Communication Outstanding Teaching Award.
More: https://www.elon.edu/e/directory/profile.html?user=dhaygood
Lisa Holladay - (Washington, DC)
Currently: VP and Global Brand Leader, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Formerly: Mercedes-Benz, Edelman PR
Education: B.S., Secondary Education and Teaching, Clemson
M.A., English, Georgetown University
About: Lisa is responsible for building and executing the global brand marketing strategy as well as leading corporate brand marketing, eCommerce, CRM, brand partnerships and field marketing activities for the Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve and St. Regis Hotel brands. Prior to this role, Lisa was the VP of Brand Management, where she led the organization's brand-wide initiatives - including defining the guest experience, from building brand preference for customers and investors, to on-site product and service touch points. Lisa is also a member of the Association of National Advertisers and the Forbes Executive Women's Board.
More: http://ritzcarltonleadershipcenter.com/2015/08/lisa-holladay-vice-president/
Wallace Mack (New York)
Currently: Coordinator, Partnership Marketing - Disney and ESPN Media Networks
Formerly: Digital Media Planning at CARAT; Intern at Anheuser-Busch, Ogilvy, BET
Education: B.A., Communication Studies-Advertising, Clemson ‘15
About: A Greeleyville, SC native, Wallace was a student at Clemson when the Erwin Center was founded, and by graduation he'd taken every course he could schedule. At Clemson, he served as a social media analyst with Clemson Computing and Information Technology, was VP and Social Chair for Kappa Alpha Psi, and served as an Orientation Ambassador. Wallace's skills range from digital media planning to video production, design, strategy and event activations. He is a dynamic and infectious ambassador for the Erwin Center.
More: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wallacemack/
Andy Mendelsohn (Greenville)
Currently: Founder, Upper West Creative; Partner, Bright+Co
Formerly: Erwin Center Executive Director; Erwin Penland, Warwick NY, Saatchi
Education: B.A., History, Hobart College
About: After a 30+ year career in advertising, Andy moved from his position as Erwin Penland's Chief Creative Officer to become the Erwin Center's first Executive Director. After 18 months, Andy left to concentrate on his own fast-growing creative agency, but remains a key (and extraordinarily popular) member of the Erwin Center faculty. Andy has won most major national creative awards, worked at leading agencies Saatchi & Saatchi, Warwick Baker O'Neill, SSC&B and Lintas, and lead brand work for Heineken, Panasonic, Verizon, Denny's, Tylenol and many Procter & Gamble brands.
Dave Paulus (Denver)
Currently: Global Network Growth Officer, Merkle
Formerly: TransUnion, Abacus Direct, Return Path, Merkle since 2002
Education: B.S., Business Administration/Marketing, Clemson ‘87
About: With 20+ years of CRM agency experience, Dave has oversight of Merkle's new business development strategies, client relationships, and delivery of services. Prior to joining Merkle in 2002, Dave helped develop and launch Return Path, Inc., a provider of strategic email solutions. As that company's vice president of sales and business development, he drove direct sales efforts and coordinated reseller partnerships. He previously served as vice president of new market development at DoubleClick/Abacus, and as VP/GM at TransUnion, where he worked in various roles within the insurance and direct marketing divisions.
More: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV0_VdC_NaI
Mac Renfro (Cincinnati)
Currently: Founding Partner, Initiator
Formerly: AcuPoll Research, Heinz Pet Products, Sara Lee, Bristol Myers Squibb
Education: B.S., Industrial Management, Clemson, 1987
MBA Marketing, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, 1991
About: Following a career in business and marketing, Mac founded Initiator in 2003. The new product and innovation consultancy is based in Cincinnati, where Mac is an active member of the Cincinnati Clemson Club. Mac honed his marketing and strategic skills with Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sara Lee/Haneswear and Heinz. At AcuPOLL Research, he applied his expertise in idea identification and communication to help drive growth for a wide assortment of brands including Kraft, Kellogg's, Johnson & Johnson and Bank of America. Mac was elected to a 3-year term on the Clemson Alumni Association Board in 2012.
More: http://initiatorfirst.com
Dave Ridley (Dallas)
Currently: Retired; Senior Advisor to the CEO (limited), Southwest Airlines
Formerly: SVP/CMO, SVP People and Leadership Development, Southwest
Education: BBA, Honors Business Program, UT Austin, 1975
MBA, Southern Methodist University, 1981
About: Dave retired from Southwest Airlines in 2015 after a 27-year career, where we served in a number of leadership roles and as a member of the Executive Committee. Until recently, he retained an office at Southwest and served as Senior Advisor to the CEO on a limited basis. Dave now presents keynote speeches and consults with organizations across the world sharing lessons learned in his career at Southwest regarding building a world class brand based on service excellence, the type of leadership required to do so, and the importance of a healthy corporate culture in sustaining it. Dave's daughter's family - including grandchildren - live in Greenville, where he spends an increasing amount of his time.
More: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCCTwGjtiAE
Will Roland (New York)
Currently: EVP Account Director, ZenithOptimedia Group/The ROI Agency
Formerly: CARAT USA, Starcom MediaVest, Crispin Porter
Education: B.S., Marketing, Clemson
About: Will's career began at one of the hottest agencies in the world - Crispin Porter + Bogusky - where he served as a Media Supervisor on the Burger King account. From there he moved to Starcom and then CARAT, adding Allstate and Diageo brands (Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Guiness) to his portfolio. Now an EVP at ZenithOptimedia in New York, Will is a member of Verizon's dedicated agency within Zenith - where he plans to welcome 1 or 2 Erwin Center interns this summer to work with both the Zenith and Verizon account teams.
More: http://archives.thetigernews.com/printStory.php?aid=3695
Leslie Sims (New York)
Currently: Chief Creative Officer, Y&R New York
Formerly: 16 years at McCann/McCann Erickson; AdWorks, Washington, DC
Education: B.S., Marketing, Clemson ‘91; The Portfolio Center ‘93
About: A highly awarded creative leader, Leslie has been recognized as one of the top 10 Chief Creative Officers in the U.S. Prior to joining Y&R, Leslie held a series of roles at McCann New York, beginning as a copywriter and rising to Executive Creative Director. At McCann, she oversaw creative for 18+ General Mills brands, as well as Avis, Dos Equis, MasterCard, Staples, Verizon and United Way. She created the "Easy Button" for Staples - which not only became a powerful marketing message for the retailer but also the company's single largest selling product. Leslie also led the launch of Nature Valley "Trail View," an innovative and beautifully rendered digital preservation platform for the U.S. National Parks that garnered numerous accolades, including two Gold Lions at Cannes.
More: http://www.workingmother.com/50-most-powerful-moms-2016#page-31
Jennifer Smith
Currently: Director, Image and Brands, Michelin
Formerly: Strategic Planning Analyst, VSP
Education: B.A., Washburn University, Psychology
About: Jennifer Smith’s career has focused on effective application of change management techniques in large corporations to help major initiatives succeed and deliver results faster.
A Change Management alumnae of Accenture, Jennifer worked with clients Toshiba, Hewlett Packard, BASF, and Weyerhaeuser on both change projects and ERP implementations. She served as Director of People Development for Silicon Valley-based technology consulting firm Netigy, managed training and development and collaborated on the development and implementation of their knowledge management program. Prior to joining Michelin, Jennifer worked in Corporate Development for Vision Service Plan in Rancho Cordova, California. At Michelin, Jennifer was responsible for change management and communications for a multi-year change program within the North American Small Tires division, developed the Michelin Brand digital strategy, and managed the digital ecosystem (including the website, search, display advertising, consumer email program, YouTube channel and the official Facebook page of the Michelin Man). As the Marketing Communications Manager, she was responsible for communications and media planning for the passenger car and light truck tire business. Jennifer now oversees the corporate Image and Michelin, BFGoodrich and Uniroyal brands across all product lines in North America.
Jennifer’s outside interests include serving as Chairman of the Board of the Piedmont Health Care Foundation, running, cooking, traveling and chasing after her two children in Greenville, South Carolina. She is a graduate of Washburn University (BA-Psychology).
Fabio Tambosi (Portland)
Currently: Senior Marketing Director, Global Football Brand Marketing and Digital Services, Nike
Formerly: Nike Women's, Nike Global Football World Cup, Nokia, IBM
Education: B.S., Corporate and Organizational Communication w/Minor in Sports Mgmt., Clemson ‘02
Executive MBA, Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, 2013
About: At Nike, Fabio drives the strategy and execution of marketing support for soccer training apparel and services, and leads the development of a training framework to enable consumers to become better players in 16 key cities worldwide. He is also a key player on the team that is resetting the traditional brand management approach at Nike to one that leads with digital. Prior to Nike, Tambosi served in marketing positions at Nokia & IBM. As a member Clemson's men's soccer team, he helped win the ACC Tournament championship in 2001.
More: http://clemson.world/fast-feet-stay-in-the-game-fabio-tambosi-02/
Andy Thomas (New York)
Currently: VP Marketing and Communications, MacLaren Automotive
Formerly: BMW, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Jaguar Land Rover
Education: B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Clemson ‘90
About: Andy's love of automobiles lead him to a somewhat-unanticipated career in marketing. After serving in several roles for Jaguar Land Rover, he joined Ferrari North America as a Regional Sales Manager for the Southern Region, then moved to Rolls-Royce North America as a General Manager for Marketing. His knack for delivering irresistible experiences to key prospects eventually landed him the role of Global Brand Manager for Rolls Royce Motor Cars. In 2012 he joined BMW North America as Experiential Sales and Marketing Manager, until MacLaren, particularly appreciative of his engineering background, lured him away in 2015 to become VP of Marketing and Communications.
More: http://www.pfaffauto.com/2016/03/03/driving-the-mclaren-570s-in-florida-on-road-and-track/
Ty Thornhill (Knoxville)
Currently: SVP/Group Account Director, The Tombras Group
Formerly: Erwin Penland; Clemson and Erwin Center Adjunct Faculty (2005-present)
Education: B.S., Marketing, Clemson ‘98
About: Without Ty, there would very likely be no Erwin Center. Joining Erwin Penland as an Account Manager straight out of Clemson, Ty thrived in the fast-paced, demanding environment, supporting brands including First Union, Wachovia, Michelin, Uniroyal, GM and BI-LO. Teaching at Clemson, Ty recognized the possibilities for a brand communications program, and with Joe Erwin developed the idea that became The Erwin Center. In 2016, Ty was recruited to join The Tombras Group - AdAge's 2015 Small Agency of the Year - where he leads accounts for a truly impressive (and growing) variety of national brands. His positive and lasting impact on Clemson and the Erwin Center's students cannot be overstated.
Jay Watson (Austin)
Currently: CEO, Forefront Networks, 3Can Events, nfusion
Formerly: IBM and Dell; Trinity Episcopal School, First Tee Greater Austin
Education: B.S., Industrial Mgmt, Computer Science Concentration, Clemson ‘85
About: Jay has an array of client, venture and agency experience that spans his 30-year career. He has held sales and marketing positions in the technology field with IBM and Dell, and invested in, launched and managed several marketing and event-focused start up companies including nFusion, Forefront Networks and 3Can Events. Jay has also held community leadership positions, serving on the boards of Trinity Episcopal School, St. Michael's Catholic Academy, Clemson University's President's Advisory Board, and The First Tee of Greater Austin.
More: http://www.thefirstteeaustin.org
Shannon Wilbanks (Greenville)
Currently: Managing Partner, Erwin Creates and Endeavor
Formerly: Erwin Penland, Greenville Chamber, U.S. Senator Ernest F. Hollings
Education: B.A., History, College of Charleston
About: Prior to joining Joe to create Endeavor, Shannon served as Erwin Penland's SVP/Business Development for 15 years. She began her career as an intern for U.S Senator Fritz Hollings, was offered a permanent position after 3 months, and ended up working in the Senator's Washington office for the next 9 years. She returned to SC in 1993 to work with the President and Board of the Greenville Chamber, where she first met Joe Erwin. Years later, Joe recruited Shannon to serve as Erwin Penland's first permanent Business Development employee, leading the new business "courtship" process and managing the internal teams whose work would grow the agency's employee base from 65 to almost 400.
Administration and Faculty Support:
Chris Peters
Senior Director of Development, Clemson University Foundation, 2005-present
B.S. and M.S., Finance; MBA, Clemson ‘91
Dr. Lori Pindar
Assoc. Director of Undergraduate Studies, Clemson University, 2012-present
B.A., Communications Studies, Clemson ‘09
M.A., Journalism and Mass Communications, UGA ‘11
Ph.D., Educational Leadership, Clemson ‘14