Chernoff Newman is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021. This is an outstanding track record for an agency at the heart of a profession that continues to rapidly evolve as communication channels grow and are increasingly dominated by technology.
Founders Van Newman, Willie Saylor and Ralph Gregory of Newman Saylor & Gregory and Marvin Chernoff of Chernoff Silver would have a difficult time identifying all of the changes that have taken place since 1971.
Our firm’s success and longevity are anchored by an entrepreneurial spirit that has resulted in a series of planned successions of leadership and ownership. This strategic approach has served our clients well and has created greater opportunities for our professional team members.
Rick Silver, David Anderson and David Campbell joined me 20 years ago to create the second generation of leadership and ownership with the merger that created Chernoff Newman.
This week, we are announcing the third generation of agency leadership and ownership. This team will continue to emphasize Chernoff Newman’s reputation as a fully integrated communications firm, firmly rooted in a blend of advertising, branding, public relations and issues management.
To strengthen the unique focus on each of these disciplines the new structure will create a leadership team with three senior executives leading agency professional resources.
President of Advertising – Heather Price
Long-time senior vice president and chief creative officer, Heather Price, has been promoted to president of advertising. Heather joined the agency straight out of college and has spent her entire career with our firm. Heather will have responsibility for creative and client engagement.
President of Public Relations – Peter LaMotte
Peter LaMotte, most recently senior vice president and general manager of the Charleston office, has been promoted to president of public relations. We recruited Peter from a large global issue management firm in Washington, D.C., four years ago. Peter will lead agency public relations, social media and issues management resources.
Chief Operating Officer and Vice-Chairman – David Campbell
David Campbell has been promoted to chief operating officer and vice-chairman. David has spent more than twenty-five years with our firm in operations and finance. David will be responsible for overseeing finance, media/channel strategy, digital and information technology.
They will be joined in the new ownership group by Tye Price, executive vice president of brand strategy, Adam Bernstein, APR, senior vice president and general manager of the Charlotte office, and Prolific, an Indianapolis-based growth capital and management consulting firm that partnered with Chernoff Newman in August of 2019 and has assisted in making the succession process possible.
I will continue to assist this new leadership in my role as chief executive officer and chairman and, most importantly, have more time for spending with clients. David Anderson and Rick Silver will continue in their roles as vice-chairmen and their ongoing work with our clients. All three of us are excited about the future of the agency and are committed to helping to make this transition successful and poised for growth for the next 50 years.
This move will allow us to better serve our clients and create greater opportunities for our team as we expand our influence throughout the southeast and nation.
Please join me in congratulating Heather, Peter and David, and let’s cheers to the next 50 years!