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Jen Clark, Events Account Manager
Marnie Ducato, Vice President of Communications
Jami Fichte, Account Coordinator
Meaghan Gipson, Marketing Communications Manager
Julie Jones, Senior Writer
Nicole Morgan, Account Manager
Ryan Rex, CEO
Daniel Thomas, Marketing Account Manager
Sandy Willmann, Vice President
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Jen Clark , Events Account Manager
Jen Clark joins Rex Public Relations as an account manager in the events division. Clark began working as a freelance events publicist for Rex PR in December 2006, helping Diversafest, Oklahoma’s largest music festival, grow from 15,000 to 40,000 attendees.
Today, Clark manages events and sponsorships for some of Rex PR’s most high profile clients. From tattoo and music festivals to boat shows and golf trade shows, Clark has the innovation and experience to increase her clients’ revenue.
Born and raised in Tulsa, Clark has organized events from New York City to Tulsa since attending Oklahoma State University. Some of her work experience includes an internship at NBC in the entertainment publicity department and contracting for The Dowd Agency, where her clients included Yahoo! and A&E Networks.
A professional spokesperson, Clark has been appearing in front of the camera and coaching clients behind the scenes for seven years. Clark has hosted numerous live segments for KOTV Channel 6 and has played a primary role in more than fifteen commercials for companies like Tony Roma’s and Wal-Mart. She’s also been featured in five national print campaigns and on billboards across the country. Currently, Clark serves as a spokesmodel for Jetta Products. Her abundant media experiences make her a tremendous asset when prepping clients for live news broadcasts, photo shoots, commercials and more.
In the community, Clark actively helps the Make a Wish Foundation. |
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Marnie Ducato, Vice President of Communications
Marnie Ducato’s love for the community led to a decade of non-profit work before joining Rex Public Relations as the vice president of communications.
Soon after graduating from Oklahoma Baptist University, Ducato moved to Texas and joined Big Brothers and Sisters of Tarrant County as a special events coordinator. Her time with the organization was well-spent implementing programs to recruit and retain volunteers and improve fundraising efforts.
From there, she got her first taste of zoo life working for the Fort Worth Zoo in Fort Worth, Texas. Ducato’s progressive attitude paired with her role as special events manager led to the introduction of two new programs – the Zoo Run and Safari Open – still occurring annually today.
After four years with the Fort Worth Zoo, Ducato brought her expertise to Tulsa and went to work as the director of marketing and public relations for the Tulsa Zoo. She spent another four years growing the Tulsa Zoo’s visibility and revenue in the community by implementing successful PR, marketing and promotional campaigns like the Tulsa Zoo Run, which is now the 5th largest race in the state. Because of her innovative efforts, the zoo won four best marketing campaign awards and was voted “America’s Favorite Zoo.”
In 2006, Ducato was honored as one of Oklahoma’s “Achievers Under 40” by the statewide daily newspaper, Journal Record.
She chairs Tulsa’s Young Professionals; sits on the board for the Tulsa Metro Chamber; authors a monthly column, “Chirp,” in the monthly magazine, Tulsa Kids; and is an active volunteer in her church. Ducato is also a graduate of Leadership Tulsa, Class 30.
Ducato lives in Tulsa with her husband and son. |
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Jami Fichte, Account Coordinator
A proficient public relations associate, copywriter and media relations coordinator, Jami Fichte moved up the ranks at Rex Public Relations from associate to account coordinator. In her current position, Fichte assists in account management, including research, media relations and administration, as well as the management of media databases.
Prior to her work at Rex PR, Fichte worked as a public relations intern for Saxum Strategic Communications in Oklahoma City, where she assisted with the research and development of news releases, opinion pieces and client collateral. She served as the account lead for Oklahoma FIRST Robotics — guiding a successful media campaign for the state’s 12 high school teams in the international science, engineering and technology competition.
Fichte graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and broadcasting from Oklahoma State University. While a student, Fichte worked for The Oklahoman, The Strip Magazine and The Daily O’Collegian. She currently serves as a member of Tulsa’s Young Professionals and the Public Relations Society of America.
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Meaghan Gipson, Marketing Communications Manager
Meaghan Gipson’s enthusiasm for marketing has made her a vital asset to Rex Public Relations. As a marketing communications manager, Meaghan has found her niche developing and implementing marketing plans for clients.
She brings creativity to the table, thinking up fresh, innovative ways to promote clients and their companies, as well as manages their accounts with professionalism and ease.
Meaghan has several years of marketing experience behind her. During college she began honing her skills as an advertising intern at Ackerman and McQueen and then as a marketing intern at Premier Promotional Products, Inc.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Broadcasting/Advertising and Sales from Oklahoma State University, Meaghan began her professional career at Littlefield, Inc., as an assistant media buyer and assistant brand manager. She then took her expertise to Cherokee Casino Resort where she worked as a media and traffic administrator.
Meaghan takes an active role in the community serving Tulsa’s Young Professionals as the special events chair, Tulsa’s Mayfest as a steering committee member and YMCA as a board member. She also currently serves on the Alzheimer’s Association as a board of directors’ intern. |
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Julie Jones, Senior Writer
Julie Jones’s writing skills lend a tremendous amount of expertise to the Rex PR staff. As senior writer, Jones is responsible for The University of Tulsa alumni, nursing and business publications, as well as an extensive arts and sciences newsletter. She also takes an active role writing press releases, brochures, web copy, radio scripts, TV scripts and more.
Her enthusiasm for writing and journalism began in high school when she wrote articles for the Tulsa World’s Satellite section. She went on to study journalism and creative writing at the University of Kansas. As a student, she began her career as a staff writer for Jayplay, the university’s weekly magazine, and later served as a staff writer and copy editor for The University Daily Kansan.
After graduating from the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Jones moved back to Tulsa and worked for several high profile publications. She interned at TulsaPeople Magazine before joining the team at Oklahoma Magazine as an editorial assistant. Most recently, she was able to capitalize on her writing skills as the writer and editor of Cherokee Casino’s monthly magazine while working as Cherokee Nation Enterprises’ copywriter for almost two years.
Jones is actively involved in the American Heart Association’s Tulsa Heart Walk, Camp Fire Boys and Girls and the Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa’s Buddy Walk. She is also a freelance writer for TulsaPeople Magazine.
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Nicole Morgan, Account Manager
Nicole Morgan has a knack for discovering the best possible outlet to tell a client’s story, gain maximum exposure, and create company, event and product buzz. Her targeted tactics have resulted in tremendous growth for her clients’ companies and have landed her numerous awards, including a 2007 SilverLink.
As account manager, Morgan is responsible for the planning and implementation of media and public relations campaigns for many of Rex PR’s high profile clients. And with a niche in technology, it’s no surprise Morgan has been successful in obtaining nationwide press for clients like Digital Forensics Professionals, eLynx and TU’s Institute for Information Security (iSec). She’s also organized health fairs for some of Tulsa’s largest companies, including Bank of Oklahoma, Cherokee Casino Resort, Reasor’s, PSO, TV Guide, DirecTV and Mid-Continent Tower, just to name a few.
Morgan holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in Spanish from Oklahoma State University. She currently serves as a board member for the Public Relations Society of America, the public relations chair for the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Hunt for a Cure, a board member intern for the Tulsa Ballet and the communications chair for Heritage United Methodist Church. She is a member of Leadership Tulsa Class 39, the Tulsa Press Club, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Studio Tulsa Tour’s public relations committee and Tulsa’s Young Professionals.
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Ryan Rex, CEO
With a passion for PR, progressive attitude and confidence built on experience, Ryan Rex is the foundation of one of the fastest growing communications firms in the region. He is accredited in public relations (APR) by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and is an accomplished professional with broad experience in strategic communications and public education campaigns.
Rex began his career at a leading political media firm in Washington, D.C. He directed the paid media strategy for several winning campaigns and became the youngest person ever to receive a Pollie Award from the American Association of Political Consultants, honoring the nation's best statewide television ads. After working as the director of communications for a technology company in New York City, he went on to join Oklahoma's oldest public relations agency before starting his own.
Throughout his career, Rex has consulted for some of the nation's most prominent individuals and corporations, including Air Products and Chemicals, American Council on Science and Health, CIT Group, Corporation Commissioner Denise Bode (OK), Governor Frank Keating (OK-Ret.), Philip Morris USA, QuikTrip Corporation, United States Beef Corporation, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Representative J.C. Watts (OK-Ret.). He was called upon in 2004 to help Republicans gain a majority in the Oklahoma House of Representatives for the first time since 1920, a successful effort that included leading all paid media efforts in more than 20 key races across the state.
In 2005, Rex was named "Public Relations Professional of the Year" by the Tulsa Chapter of PRSA.
An active supporter of his alma mater, The University of Tulsa, Rex is a former TU trustee and current president of the Alumni Association National Board of Directors. He served on the board of Big Brothers & Sisters of Green Country and as an executive committee member of the board of directors for the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals. He is a current member of the Tulsa Press Club and serves as a Community Advisory Board member for Public Radio Tulsa and Junior League of Tulsa. Rex is also president of the Public Relations Society of America, Tulsa Chapter.
He resides in Tulsa with his wife and two sons. |
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Daniel Thomas, Marketing Account Manager
Daniel Thomas brings creative strength and ingenuity to Rex Public Relations. As marketing accounting manager, he directs operational, strategic and tactical marketing recommendations for clients. He also develops and implements progressive marketing plans that include collateral, special projects and advertising campaigns.
Thomas has repeatedly achieved maximum results with his clients by strengthening their credibility as field experts and bolstering their image, most recently with the U.S. Army’s Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) — an endangered military program. Through key messaging, branding, collateral and media relations, Thomas helped prove to stakeholders that LMP had long-term viability, thus saving the program.
Thomas brings with him five years of experience, including his work as a project manager at CorpComm Inc. in Fredericksburg, Va., where he was responsible for working with government clients to provide internal and external strategic communications. The former Marine Corps combat correspondent holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. He also serves as a member of the government relations crew for Tulsa’s Young Professionals.
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Sandy Willmann, Vice President
Sandy Willmann recently joined Rex PR as vice president. She brings proven success in non-profit fundraising as well as the event planning process with respect to event management, creativity, organization and innovation.
Before joining Rex PR, Willmann spent more than 17 years at The University of Tulsa. She most recently held the title of senior director of alumni and donor relations and directed the staff that conceptualized, planned and executed events for alumni, donors and friends, as well as alumni sponsored trips, reunions and meetings.
Willmann also brings expertise in the area of non-profit fundraising. During her years at TU, she served as director of the Golden Hurricane Club for five years followed by three years as director of major gifts for the College of Business Administration.
Willmann has planned a wide variety of events, meetings and trips ranging from casual to black tie dinners for ten to hundreds of guests, board retreats and group travel for sporting events for hundreds of participants.
In all of her roles at The University of Tulsa, Willmann was responsible for implementing new programs, improving communication, increasing participation and visibility for the organization, recruiting volunteers and securing sponsorships.
Willmann is actively involved as a volunteer at the University School at TU. She has served as president of the Golden Hurricane Club at TU. Willmann resides in Owasso with her husband and son. |
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