Heather WhalingFounder @GebenComm • Develop & implement PR/social media strategies • #pr20chat on Twitter • Fan of sports, red wine, food without meat & reading.
Heather Whaling, President
As president of Geben Communication, Heather leads new business development, client relations and strategic planning for the firm. Plus, she is heavily involved in implementation, helping clients integrate traditional and digital PR strategies to excel in today’s social world.
An avid Twitter user, Heather can trace 75% of Geben’s business back to relationships that began online. This ability to turn social networking into business outcomes has helped Geben evolve into a highly respected, sought-after, award-winning PR firm. In addition to helping clients secure coverage in a range of high-profile media outlets – from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal … to Huffington Post and TechCrunch – Heather has been quoted in Inc.com, Entrepreneur and BusinessWeek about technology’s impact on communication and business.
Heather was selected as one of Columbus Business First’s “Forty Under 40” and named one of Columbus’s top 10 entrepreneurs by The Metropreneur. In addition to authoring her own public-relations blog (www.prTini.com), Heather contributes a monthly column on digital PR and social media to Mashable and AmericanExpress Open Forum. She also co-moderates the popular PR 2.0 chat (#pr20chat on Twitter), a weekly live discussion exploring social media trends and best practices.
Heather was one of five women bloggers to join Fairwinds Trading and Macy’s in Haiti in March, 2010 to learn about the “Heart of Haiti” economic development initiative. She was also one of three social media correspondents selected by Outback Steakhouse to document the 2012 Outback Bowl via social media.
Just for fun: Thanks to her iPad, Heather rediscovered the joy of reading – especially books like Half the Sky and Pray the Dressmaker that show women overcoming the odds. Always up for happy hour, Heather won’t say no to a good glass of Zinfendel or craft beer. When Heather’s not working, you can probably find her catching up on the latest Shonda Rhimes show, attempting to become a runner or experimenting with meat-free recipes. Heather is most definitely one of the 91% of people who keep their iPhones within three feet at all times.
Favorite Pandora Station: Depending on the day, Indie Dance or the custom station I created based on music played during the cocktail hour at my wedding.
Shane Haggerty, Director of Public Relations
As the Director of Public Relations at Geben Communication, Shane Haggerty focuses on developing media relations and outreach strategies for clients. Working closely with Geben’s account managers, Shane oversees local and national media relations and blogger and influencer outreach strategy and planning. Prior to joining the Geben team, Shane ran his own marketing and PR firm, securing high-profile media for clients in outlets such as The Today Show, CNBC, Family Circle, Entrepreneur and Tech Zulu, to name a few. He also served as the marketing and communications director for an Ohio school district, where his work was honored as an Official Honoree at the 2010 Webby Awards and his campaigns earned accolades at the Central Ohio PRism Awards and the Ohio School Public Relations Association Achievement Awards.
Shane has degrees from Huntington University, the University of Dayton and Xavier University and spent six years working as an English teacher and assistant principal before venturing into the world of PR.
Just for fun: Shane is a true creature of habit and can typically be found outside of work in Columbus at places like Matt the Miller’s, Bernard’s Tavern or MoJoe Lounge. A big fan of sports, Shane is most at home with his friends watching college football or basketball and enjoys attempting to play golf.
Favorite Pandora Station: None. Shane is an advocate of Spotify, where his musical tastes range from country to alternative to bubble gum pop.
Amy Taylor, Director of Content & Community Strategy
As the Director of Content and Community Strategy at Geben Communication, Amy Taylor helps businesses ignite conversation and foster relationships with customers and fans. Driven by a desire to build talkable brands, Amy is passionate about creating share-worthy content that celebrates product, people and purpose, inspiring sustained and meaningful engagement beyond a single transaction.
Amy began her career in government public relations and marketing, eventually joining a word of mouth marketing agency where she put her strategic mind and creative skills to the test. Throughout her career, Amy has contributed to the visioning, development and implementation of online and offline marketing, content and social strategies, as well as ambassador programs for several award-winning and nationally-recognized brand movements and communities. Her work has been placed and featured by Mashable, WebMD, Huffington Post and Forbes, just to name a few.
Just for fun: In her spare time, Amy enjoys the company of family, friends and her rescue dog, Rocky. She is a Columbus enthusiast, aspiring oenophile and a proud advocate for pet adoption.
Favorite Pandora Station: Indie Holidays Radio
Megumi Robinson: Account Exec @GebenComm who loves cooking, crafting, traveling, socializing, PR, reading, J. Crew and good design. Let’s connect!
Megumi Robinson, Account Manager
From strategic social media planning and day-to-day implementation to traditional and digital media outreach, Megumi is a jack-of-all-trades at Geben Communication. She focuses on local and national media relations, blogger outreach, content creation and research. Before joining Geben, Megumi served as public information officer for the Ohio Department of Agriculture, where she gained experience in crisis management and strategic communication with multiple stakeholders. She was also a PR coordinator at a marketing agency in Columbus, focusing on healthcare and non-profits. She’s a proud graduate of Taylor University (made famous thanks to a flashmob that Justin Beiber retweeted and shared on Facebook). Each week, Megumi volunteers at an inner-city elementary school.
Just for Fun: A true Martha Stewart at heart, when Megumi’s not hanging out with Team Geben, she’s most likely trying out a new recipe, dreaming about how to decorate her future home that she’ll completely remodel (DIY-style, of course), pinning beautiful craft projects (which she’ll actually create!) and planning the next shindig she’ll host. Having grown up in a city of 1,000 people, Megumi takes advantage of living in the “big city” and is often out and about exploring new places and dining at delicious restaurants.
Favorite Pandora Station: Mumford and Sons (Rain or shine, this always puts her in a good mood!)
Taylor Ray Orsbon: PR Pro @GebenComm • Organizer Extraordinaire • Hopeful Idealist • Loves: fashion, family, food, live music & laughter
Taylor Ray Orsbon, Account Manager
As account executive and media relations strategist, Taylor is responsible for day-to-day implementation of traditional and digital media outreach for several Geben Communication clients. Taylor is a creative storyteller, with experience in technical, news and feature writing; event planning; online monitoring and research. Her strengths include media outreach, blogger relations, project management, content creation and online community management.
Before joining Geben, Taylor worked at a full service marketing communications agency, serving a variety of clients in the tourism, consumer, technology, business-to-business and nonprofit industries. When she’s not spending time with Team Geben, she’s actively involved in Central Ohio’s Public Relations Society of America chapter. Taylor graduated Cum Laude from Bowling Green State University, where she was the director of PRSSA’s Student Run PR Firm, the PR Chairman of her sorority and a member of the philanthropic organization Reading is Fundamental (RIF), the largest children’s literacy nonprofit in the United States.
Just For Fun: Continuously exploring all that Columbus has to offer, Taylor is an avid seeker of live music and a good craft beer. Both a coffee connoisseur and proud foodie, Taylor enjoys embracing new tastes and dining at a variety of restaurants. While at home, she admits she likes to indulge in the latest guilty pleasure sitcoms, but you can also catch her out and about at local events like dime-a-dog night at a Clippers game or OSU tailgates with her friends and family.
Favorite Pandora Station: Today’s Country (Raised a country girl, she just can’t seem to shy away from her southern roots.)
Jeana Harrington: content & community manager for @gebencomm | professional bridesmaid/
wedding crasher | bibliomaniac | loves cooking, happy hour & family
Jeana Harrington, Content & Community Manager
An original member of “Team Geben,” Jeana became the company’s first full-time employee in 2011. She has worn many hats since, transitioning from intern to account executive in just over one year. In her current role as content and community manager, Jeana specializes in content creation, measurement and marketing – as well as online community management – for Geben’s clients. She assists with research, reporting and business development, plus coordinates team-building activities as the team’s “Cruise Director.”
Jeana is a self-proclaimed Twitter stalking ninja (If you’ve ever shared your email address on the web, she’ll find it!) with a black belt in editing, research and blogger outreach. She regularly helps clients win both PR/social media and industry awards, plus she has secured placements in leading publications, including Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Huffington Post, Inc.com and FastCompany.com. A proud member of Otterbein College’s final graduating class (after she graduated in 2010, the school was renamed Otterbein University), Jeana has a long history of PRSSA & PRSA involvement. Most recently, she co-founded Central Ohio PRSA’s New Professionals committee in 2012 and began advising students from Otterbein and The Ohio State University.
Just for Fun: An avid reader, Golden Girls/The OC fanatic and lover of anything with caffeine or sparkles, Jeana aspires to one day craft something worthy of Pinterest. With spare time and the right ingredients (directions are helpful too!), she’s also a surprisingly good cook. She never passes up an invitation to lunch or happy hour – especially when sangria and spinach dip are involved – and enjoys exploring Columbus and spending time with friends and family.
Favorite Pandora Station: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Go West or Amy Winehouse, depending on current weather conditions.