The VolumePR Team

The VPR Team

VolumePR was founded in 2001 by Elizabeth Robinson, who now leads the company as President & CEO. While a proven PR thought leader and program development expert, Elizabeth’s skills represent only the beginning of VolumePR’s wealth of experience as VolumePR’s team of senior executives tip the scales in demonstrating the agency’s unique ability to serve client communication and publicity needs.

VolumePR Team Highlights/ Some Individual Achievements:

Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) by the PRSA
Former Reporter of 7 years
Award-Winning Columnist
Recipient Colorado Press Association’s Highest Award
Nevada Press Association “Best Business Writing”
Anthologized Poet
Former College Professor teaching composition, business writing, business ethics, poetry and lyric as well as public relations, including development of curriculum for an online university’s public relations course
PRSA Silver Pick Award
Society of Technical Communicators: “Excellence” Award
BrandWeek Magazine’s “Guerrilla Marketer of the Year”
Colorado’s first NASCAR NEXTEL PR Manager
Publicist for multi award-winning feature and short films
PR manager for 7 corporate social responsibility alliances
Published PR Thought Leaders
Multiple Recipient of LACP Awards for Communication & PR
IABC Bronze Quill Award Recipient for Best PR Product Launch
Former reporter for 12 years
Multi-year winner of the Society of Professional Journalists' writing awards
Winner of Colorado Press Association "Best Business Story"
Writer's Digest finalist
University of Colorado featured panelist 2005, 2006, 2007 "Careers in PR"
Ghost writer for Fortune Global 500 Executives

Elizabeth Robinson, President & CEO

As president and founder of VolumePR, Elizabeth leads the strategic management of client campaigns, ensuring they remain infused with expert tactics and innovative strategies that consistently increase the clients’ market share.

Having sat on both sides of the table – with previous career roles as a corporate communications professional as well as an agency manager - Elizabeth is keenly aware that her corporate counterpart’s success is often measured by their ability to achieve marketing, sales and business development goals.

By filtering these client goals through the lens of public relations, Elizabeth and her team consistently develop fully customized programs for their clients that not only support the accomplishment of pre-defined goals, but do so through a combination of bullet-proof PR programs and creative integrated marketing solutions that redefine the term “PR innovation.”

Prior to founding VolumePR in the spring of 2001, Elizabeth was already deeply entrenched in the practice of building technology and consumer brands and positioning executives as industry thought leaders from her tenure with Ogilvy Public Relations and The Boeing Company. A graduate of Pepperdine University with a Bachelor of Arts in organizational communication with an emphasis in business administration, Elizabeth has been twice awarded the International Association of Business Communicators' (IABC) Bronze Quill award, the League of American Communication Professionals (LACP) Spotlight and Magellan Awards on six occasions, and has grown VolumePR to be named one of the fastest growing private businesses in the state of Colorado by the Denver Business Journal. In 2008, the Denver Business Journal named her to the prestigious “40 Under 40” list, which highlights the rising stars of Denver’s business community.

Lee Ann Fleming, APR, Senior Account Executive

A communications professional with more than 20 years experience, Lee Ann Fleming brings skills in public relations, marketing, strategy, community relations, crisis communications, technical writing, copy editing and journalism.

She’s developed successful media relations programs for clients in industries as diverse as healthcare, higher education, high tech, government, nonprofit and tourism. Because she is a former newspaper journalist, she brings an insider’s expertise to media placement, training and coaching. She is experienced in community relations, crisis communication and dealing with hostile audiences. Her technical writing background includes work in the energy and telecommunications industries.

Lee Ann brings marketing skills to bear as well as the classic PR expertise in media, writing and strategy. She has experience in B2B and start up company marketing, competitive research, pricing strategies, positioning and web navigation and design for optimized e-commerce performance.

Lee Ann holds a Master of Arts in English, Master of Arts in corporate communication, and Bachelors of Arts in English and history. She has written and taught a college course in Public Relations which is currently being offered through an online university. She earned her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2003 from the Public Relations Society of America.

Wendy Manning, Senior Account Executive

Senior Account Executive Wendy Manning brings expertise in publicity, brand development and product positioning for VolumePR’s clients.

Prior to joining VolumePR, Manning was the Public Relations Manager for retail giant Furniture Row Companies for eight years, where she developed and executed campaigns for the company’s 350 retail store outlets, managing a half-dozen brands. In addition, she managed the company’s corporate social responsibility program, which included The Salvation Army, The National Arbor Day Foundation, and World Vision.

In 2005, Manning became the PR manager for Colorado’s first NASCAR NEXTEL CUP team, Furniture Row Racing. Securing major press hits with popular Cup drivers such as Sterling Marlin, Joe Nemechek, and Kenny Wallace, Manning became an expert in the fast paced world of NASCAR media. Manning also has a background in independent film production and publicity. Serving as both co-producer and publicist for the independent feature film “11:59,” she was pivotal in securing press as well as foreign and domestic distribution deals for the project in 2006.

Manning was named one of BrandWeek Magazine’s “Guerrilla Marketers of the Year” in 2003 for an independent film publicity campaign.

A native of Denver, Colo., Manning earned her Bachelor of Arts in mass communications from the University of Southern Colorado.

Jennifer Thomas, Strategic Communications Consultant & Media Liaison

Jennifer Grace Thomas brings nearly 20 years of strategic public relations experience to the table with concentrations in the travel and tourism, health and beauty, technology, construction and real estate, parenting, and defense industries.

Formerly having served as senior vice president and director of Hill & Knowlton’s (H&K) Washington DC Corporate and Technology Practice, Jennifer has a rich history of leading a multi-million dollar practice, developing annual strategic public relations and marketing programs for clients including Microsoft, Motorola, Raytheon, AMS, United States Army, YouCentric (acquired by J.D. Edwards), OpenNetwork Technologies, Facility Information Systems (acquired by FAMIS software), and others. She also served as senior vice president for The ProMarc Agency, a technology specialist firm acquired by H&K, where she spearheaded the launch of more than 40 technology companies.

A U.S. Veteran, Jennifer served in the Air National Guard for eight years, where she worked in public affairs, was editor of an award-winning newsletter, a reporter for OnGuard national newspaper, and served an assignment at the Pentagon.

A published author, Jennifer is a featured travel columnist for ASTA Network Magazine, Agent Life, and ASTAnetwork Entertainment/ What’s On Guide. Jennifer also writes for Tropical Family Travel blog and has articles published in Upgrade magazine, Boomer Market Advisor, Benefits Selling, SMA newsletter and has co-authored an article for the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) The Strategist magazine. She has presented at conferences including the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), PRSA, Counselor’s Academy, National Association of Convenience Stores, and more.

Jennifer earned her B.S. degree in Journalism and Theatre and completed graduate work toward her M.A. in Theatre from Bowling Green State University. She is an accredited member of PRSA and a member of PRSA’s Counselors Academy and the Florida Public Relations Association. Jennifer served on the American Express Representative Travel Services group and is a current member of the Cruise Line International Association and ASTA.

Melanie Shepherd Howard, Strategic Communications Consultant & Media Liaison

Melanie is a passionate public relations, marketing and communications executive with over 22 years’ broad-based successes in the health and wellness, hospitality, entertainment, real estate, education, and technology sectors. Her expertise spans strategic planning and positioning, branding, media relations, crisis management, marketing communications, public affairs and public policy, new product launches, and special events.

Prior to seeking out the rarified Colorado air, Melanie owned and operated an 8-person PR and marketing agency in Los Angeles, and also worked with PR giants Hill & Knowlton and Edelman Public Relations Worldwide. Among her personal successes was the launch of Whole Foods Market into Southern California and S.C.R.U.B.S. in 1995; the turnaround of Hooked on Phonics and its subsequent profitable sale; the launch of the Dr. Laura Schlessinger Show; and international media campaigns for Sally Field, Puerto Rico Tourism, and several Australian companies. She also succeeded in renaming a stretch of Southern California real estate and assisted former President Reagan with his famous multi-lingual press conference in 1987. Her clients have landed on covers of international publications and have also been written about in Forbes, Time, Wall Street Journal, and international network news. Recently, she’s successfully represented Rich Products Corp. (a Fortune company) and several local Denver companies including Steve Farber’s American Transplant Foundation, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, and Karsh/Hagan.

Melanie enjoys striving for the out-of-the-box media stories, increasing her client’s bottom-line and market share, and loves a great challenge. She is successful in garnering media impressions in all types of media, and B2C and B2B.

Melanie holds a BA in English/Journalism from UCLA and an AA in Marketing Communications from FIDM, Los Angeles. She is a member of the PRSA and a Director of the Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, Rocky Mountain Region.

As a strategic communications consultant and media liaison for VolumePR, Melanie also brings to the team her personal passion for the industry, integrity, and dedication to results-oriented, strategic communications campaigns.

Stephanie Council, Strategic Communications Consultant & Media Liaison

Stephanie Council is a results-driven strategic communications consultant with more than thirteen years’ experience overseeing public relations programs for Fortune Global 500 organizations, start-ups and non-profits. Stephanie’s career includes both agency and in-house PR experience, with a focus on guiding client teams, strategy and messaging to achieve coverage goals for technology and consumer clients. Throughout her career, Stephanie has been an instrumental part of her clients’ visibility successes. Her public relations expertise includes: media/analyst relations and article placement; public relations and communications strategy; executive and employee communications; investor communications; strategic writing (releases, articles and collateral); press tours; media training; crisis communications; tradeshow planning; message development; speaker placement; awards program management; and product launches.

A brief roster of Stephanie’s clients includes Flextronics Corporate, Minden Grill, Nortel Networks, Sun Microsystems, Brio Software, Netpliance, BizRate.com, eCash and ClearCommerce. Her media contacts at Forbes, Business Week, Newsweek, American Way Magazine, Bloomberg, Reuters, LA Times, Wired, Investors Business Daily, and other national and regional media have led to industry-defining coverage for her clients.

Amy Bryer, Strategic Communications Consultant & Media Liason

Amy Bryer has worked in the media industry for more than 13 years with extensive experience in journalism, public and community relations, media relations, writing and copyediting. With a unique understanding how a newsroom ticks combined with a proven strength at articulating her clients’ stories in a way that resonates with the right people and gets her clients noticed, Amy has a history of tremendous success securing features for her clients in both print and broadcast media outlets.

Beginning with a career in journalism spanning more than a decade — most recently as a reporter and columnist with the Denver Business Journal, Amy quickly became an expert in the beats she regularly covered, including, telecommunications, the airline industry, nonprofits and higher education. She now translates that expertise to support clients in a broad-range of industries, from financial and educational institutions, to private corporations and nonprofits.

Amy earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism with a minor in political science from Michigan State University. She serves on The Denver Foundation Communications and Marketing Committee with leaders from broadcast, cable and print news industries.

Samantha Britten, Assistant Account Executive

As the youngest member of the VolumePR team, Samantha assists in many crucial aspects of the agency’s work, including targeted and comprehensive media research and monitoring; media trend analysis’; maintaining project management tools; performing administrative assistance for the entire team and generally being our favorite go-getter in whatever task she’s been assigned.

Samantha also maintains the VolumePR website and client document centers, consistently expanding key information and complimentary educational resources for clients and the industry at large.

An avid photographer and philanthropist, Samantha enjoys working with non-profit organizations aimed at involving younger generations in our country’s political world.

Prior to joining VolumePR, Samantha was a student at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a cultural studies emphasis as well as a minor in film studies.