Bill Carlos has been developing successful advertising, communications and public relations programs for more than 20 years for some of the nation's best-known brands.
He began his career as a news reporter with a passion for writing and making complex stories easy-to-understand and fun to read. Later, as a regional editor for the Atlantic City Press, he honed the art of headline writing, of describing an entire story in a few short words. This artform proved to be more valuable than he ever dreamed, as he transitioned into the world of business communications. Selected by Caesars New Jersey to serve as its first Public Relations Manager and to open Atlantic City's second hotel-casino, Bill soon began working and writing alongside some of the best agencies in New York and Los Angeles in developing major Public Relations and Advertising programs.
The non-stop, frenetic pace of the casino industry evenually convinced him to cash in his chips for a VP of Communications title in the (then) more stable world of financial services. A few mergers and acquisitions later, in 1987, he was named Director of Advertising and Communications for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey. He spent the next 15 years with direct responsibility for every major communications activity the healthcare giant embarked upon, including the $10 million name change to Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield in 2000. Throughout the period he also coordinated New Jersey programs with those of the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
In 2002 he was selected to serve as Director of Brand Identity for Quest DIagnostics, the world's largest medical laboratory. With a portfolio of nearly 20 major brands, Bill analyzed each brand's value and recommended how they should be aligned with the core Quest Diagnostics brand.
He founded Avow Communications in 2008. Because of his strong belief that each brand must stand for a unique value, or brand promise, he named his firm Avow Communications. Return to top of page.
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Marybeth Ream gained corporate experience in marketing, communications and public relations while at Kraft Foods, formerly RJR Nabisco, and Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Jersey.
At Horizon BCBSNJ she headed a team of writers, planned external corporate communications and advertising programs and was responsible for writing and producing all of the company’s materials, including, newsletters, brochures, letters and advertisements over a period of years.
While at Kraft Foods, Marybeth developed marketing analyses on consumer trends to guide marketing programs.
Previously, Marybeth served as public relations manager for Allen Associates, in West Orange, New Jersey. While there she was responsible for orchestrating the election campaign of Sheriff Armando Fontoura in Essex County; providing public relations counsel to Allied Signal and the New Jersey School Boards Association and devising and implementing a media plan for the grand opening of Recycled Paperboard in Clifton.
In the social services arena, Marybeth served as public information specialist for the Union County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction and served on the New Jersey Task Force for Women and Alcohol. While at the Council on Alcoholism, she helped write and produce the first public service announcement for hearing impaired alcoholics. She has served as a member of the Division of Youth and Family Services Essex County Advisory Council.
As a freelance writer, Marybeth has worked extensively with the Atlantic Health System to help promote the Men’s and Women’s Cancer Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital and has performed public relations duties for Mountainside Hospital and Overlook Hospital. She has worked closely with the Overlook Hospital Foundation on its development goals and projects, as well as promoting special events. Marybeth also has extensive fundraising experience working closely for several years with a New Jersey private all-girls’ school to expand its development and alumnae relations office.
John Flores, Online Marketing Strategist
John lives and breathes the Internet, which is a good thing, because as Online Marketing Strategist, he must have his finger on the pulse of change. Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Ning, mashups, Web 2.0 and so on… this is the language of the new web and John’s job is to counsel clients on their use. Truth be told, not all of it works for all people or all clients, and John’s not blind to the realities of business. So his plans are typically built upon hard data and aimed at specific business goals. They all emanate from the same philosophical core – find out what people want from a brand (sometimes clear, sometimes elusive) and use technology intelligently and elegantly (not gratuitously, not self-aggrandizingly) to fill that need. Easy to say, often hard to do.
John has been immersed in the Internet for nearly 15 years and has provided his services to a wide range of clients, including Century 21 Real Estate, Hasbro, AT&T, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Pharmacia, C.R. Bard, Schering-Plough, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, and many others. He’s contributed to work that has won awards and industry recognition, but strangely enough he’s more interested in looking at graphs that show increased site traffic, lead conversion, email click-throughs, improved search position, customer satisfaction, sales, etc… He brings this experience with him to every client while still managing to see challenges with a fresh eye.
When not dreaming about the Internet, John is mysteriously drawn to two wheels – both motorized and self-propelled. He’s visited many parts of the country and world while holding a pair of handlebars, and is a contributing editor and photographer to RoadRUNNER magazine, the country’s pre-eminent motorcycle touring publication.
Denise Smith With more than 18 years of experience in development, design, navigation and usability for electronic media, Denise Smith is a skilled manager with expertise in web communications, brand management and online media. She also has extensive experience in corporate training, which has helped her guide users and clients through web application development and use.
From 1989 through 2005, Smith was with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey where she was an integral member of the Internet Initiatives Team that plotted Horizon’s web strategy in its formative years. She went on to join the Online Services area within the organization’s Communications function, which was accountable for developing and executing the corporate web strategy and online brand guidelines. In this role, Smith led two successful site redesign projects and was responsible for all online sales strategy and applications.
Denise’s has served as Global Web Communications Manager for BASF Catalysts LLC, one of 14 global operating divisions of BASF, the world’s largest chemical company. Smith’s most recent accomplishment was the development of a new web site, which showcases both the BASF corporate brand, as well as the innovative technology developed by BASF Catalysts.
Before BASF, Smith was with Engelhard Corporation where she spearheaded the redesign of the company’s web site and served as brand and usability consultant for the company intranet redesign project. Engelhard was acquired by BASF in June of 2006.
Smith earned a B.A. in Mass Media Communications with a minor in Marketing from the University of Connecticut. She also holds a Project Management Certificate from Rutgers University and a Webmaster Certificate from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
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Anne Bullenspecializes in art direction, graphic design and identity development. As Art Director and Principal of A.R.B. Art, she designs for a wide range of clients. She designs medical journal covers for Elsevier, the world's leading publisher of science and health information and provides graphic design services to the American Diabetes Association.
Anne works in concert with writers, photographers and printers. In addition to those mentioned above, Anne has worked for Atlantic Cape Community College, Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort, The College of New Jersey, Fischer Flowers, Glenn Insurance, Hidden Creek Golf Club, Ivy League Mortgage,
Jewish Family Service, Rowan University, the ShopRite LPGA Classic and Tilton Fitness, among others.
She previously served as Art Director for The Magazine Group and Environmental Action. She is a graduate of Parsons School of Design and Connecticut College. Return to top of page.
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Harvey Barry has worked professionally in the graphic design / advertising business since 1974. His career includes corporate and service side design, art direction, sales, marketing, and project management positions, as well as consulting for design firms and advertising agencies in New York City and New Jersey.
As a valued colleague, Harvey has been providing graphic design and corporate identity services to Avow Communications for more than a year. His project management and consulting includes advertising campaigns for Binney & Smith (Crayola division), Pepsi-Cola, CBS Entertainment Videos, Hershey’s; and corporate identity for American Express.
Doing business as VisionWorks Unlimited, LLC, Harvey offers design services for branding, packaging, advertising, printed literature, sales promotion, corporate identity, the web and interactive media. Return to top of page.
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Marybeth Ream 
Anne Bullen