AMA Virtual Conference: Nonprofit & Cause Marketing

Adam Vasallo

Adam Vasallo is the Chief Marketing Officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Adam joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in January 2018 and leads the marketing department in generating awareness for the Big Brothers Big Sisters mission, inspiring volunteerism, and bringing the organization’s brand and commitment to youth equity and empowerment to life on national stages, through strategic partnerships and in communities nationwide.

Prior to joining Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Adam spent 11 years at HSN, where he held several senior-level development and marketing roles including Director of New Business Development and Entertainment Marketing. In that role, Adam cultivated and grew multi-year corporate and media partnerships by driving customer engagement, generating incremental revenue, and acquiring new customers through storytelling, unique experiences, and multichannel marketing programs anchored in content.

Adam is a 2-time Big Brother and is currently matched with his Little Brother Giovanni. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from the University of South Florida and a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.

Adam and his wife, Robyn, are the proud parents to three children, Addison, Zachary and Sophie.

Elizabeth Powell

Elizabeth Powell is a Solutions Marketer focused on how Cvent solves problems and provides event technology solutions for Associations and Non-Profits. Prior to working at Cvent, Elizabeth gained seven years of first-hand experience as an event planner and marketer for non-profits, associations, and higher education institutions. Outside of work, Elizabeth enjoys twirling on the salsa dance floor or spending time with her family.

Megan Burns

Megan Burns is a Senior Client Success Advisor at Cvent and has been with the company for 3 years. Her passion for mission-oriented events drives her success with non-profit clients. Over the past few years, she has advised event planners and marketers on the pivot to virtual and hybrid event formats for countless events. In her free time, Megan loves traveling, reading, and trying new restaurants.

Jeremy Spaso

Jeremy is a lead generation specialist and has built campaigns across multiple channels. He started at Lipman Hearne as an intern and quickly became a full-fledged member of the account team. After a brief detour at an agency specializing in digital marketing, he jumped at the chance to return and work for our mission-driven clients. Jeremy is an aspiring comedian and has written a sitcom pilot that (surprisingly) has not been picked up yet by any major networks. He also is a passionate golfer and serves on the Board of Trustees for his fraternity.

Tom Fitzjerrells

Tom brings a wealth of experience in a variety of industries. His agency stints include JWT, Integer and Hogarth Worldwide for clients like Ford, P&G, MillerCoors, Bissell and Massage Envy. He was also instrumental in University of Phoenix rebranding with their in-house team. Tom has a B.S. in Mass Communication and Business Administration from Baker University. He also studied Public Relations at the graduate level, attending Rowan University. A Colorado native, Tom loves anything outdoors. He’s a multi-marathon finisher, backpacker and drives an old-school Jeep.

Thomas Ranese

Ariana Keil

Ariana Keil is a marketing manager at Canto, where she oversees both North American demand generation and ABM programs. Since joining Canto in 2020, she has focused on developing marketing campaigns which resonate with Canto’s target markets in the non-profit sector, as well as in higher education, retail, travel & hospitality, and manufacturing. Prior to that, she cultivated experience in both marketing and sales roles at B2B financial firms and agencies.

Katie Ferrell

AMA Foundation Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Panel

Katie Ferrell, Director of Marketing & Communications, Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana has been named the 2022 AMAF Regional Nonprofit Marketer of the Year! The AMAF NPMY Award honors nonprofit marketing professionals’ leadership and achievements in the field of nonprofit marketing.

Katie Ferrell spent 12 years in the television news industry as an anchor and reporter before joining Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana in 2018. As Director of Marketing & Communications for the nation’s largest Make-A-Wish chapter, she now tells inspiring and uplifting wish stories full-time.

Like a wish has the power to unite and inspire, she passionately believes marketing can do the same. Katie calls Columbus, Ohio, home with her husband and two daughters and enjoys traveling, Peloton & reading in her free time.

Cindy Rahman

AMA Foundation Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Panel

Cindy Rahman, Senior Vice President, and Chief Marketing Officer, March of Dimes has been named the 2022 AMAF National Nonprofit Marketer of the Year! The AMAF NPMY Award honors nonprofit marketing professionals’ leadership and achievements in the field of nonprofit marketing.

Cindy Rahman currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the March of Dimes, where she brings twenty years of experience in marketing, public relations, crisis communications, corporate communications, nonprofit brand building and more.

In her role at March of Dimes, Cindy oversees all marketing and communications functions, in addition to all direct marketing (fundraising) programs. Cindy reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer and serves as a member of the organization’s Executive Leadership Council. Cindy works across the organization to create synergies, drive growth and lead the development of fully integrated, strategic marketing and communications plans that support the organizations mission driven goals.

In her three years with March of Dimes, Cindy has made significant gains in growing mission understanding, and specifically revitalizing the brand among younger, more diverse audiences. Cindy has restructured the marketing department into an integrated, cross-functional 40-person team that acts as a valued partner to the organization overall. Under Cindy’s direction the department now works strategically by leveraging expertise in brand building grounded in audience insights and directed by data-driven decision-making to engage the global community.

Prior to joining March of Dimes, Cindy spent more than fifteen years specializing in health, wellness and social responsibility initiatives at a boutique marketing agency where she rose to a senior vice president position, securing various promotions over her tenure. Cindy was a member of the senior management team responsible for leading day-to-day operations, reporting directly to the President & CEO. She managed a 10-client portfolio of business totaling over $1.25 million, and growing annually, that included work centered on corporate social responsibility initiatives, philanthropic giving programs, consumer awareness campaigns, brand reputation, market research and more. Cindy’s clientele included Walmart and Walmart Foundation, Sam’s Club, Inova Health Foundation, MedStar Institute for Innovation, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Heart Rhythm Society among others.

Throughout her career, Cindy has been recognized for leading numerous award-winning campaigns, and received industry accolades including: PR News Agency Elite Award Winner, PRSA Silver Anvil Finalist for Reputation Management and American Marketing Association Integrated Marketing Campaigns Winner.

Cindy earned a BSBA degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MBA from The George Washington University School of Business in Washington, D.C. She has served on the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School Alumni Council for the past 4 years. Cindy has previously participated as a member of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, where she promoted local grants and scholarships for learners and participated in the “giving circle” as a decision maker.

Furthermore, as a mom to a 7-year-old son, she is very active in her community. Cindy has volunteered as assistant coach with the McClean Youth Soccer program, is a member of the local Parent Teacher Association chapter and currently volunteering at their local community center.