By Landis Staff
What is your favorite PR campaign you’ve worked on at Landis?
I have so many; I can’t pick just one. I loved being part of the team that opened the expanded Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. There were amazing positive stories to tell. I currently work with Graton Casino Resort and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. Tribal governance fascinates me, and I’m so proud to be associated with a group that puts environmental stewardship at its core. Working with AEye to explain the importance of lidar to roadway safety feeds the tech nerd in me – which is funny since I don’t particularly love driving.
Can you tell us about your background?
Born and raised in and around New York City, I have a fondness for ethnic food and gold hoop earrings. Headed to the San Francisco Bay Area after working in fashion, advertising and publishing. I landed here and immediately hated the pizza and loved the weather. I’ve really been a generalist in PR and marketing – in-house at Sunset Publishing and CNET (and too many failed start-ups to mention), a consultant for over a decade, and I’ve been here at Landis for over 20 years. I’ve opened retail chains, promoted packaged goods, worked in the interior design sector, healthcare, casinos, hospitality, nonprofit, you name it!
What is your favorite part of your job?
Selling. I handle new business here at Landis, and every day is completely different. I love the variety and meeting all these people/companies. When my phone rings, it could be a start-up or a giant conglomerate. I feel like my primary job is to make sure that any prospect gains enough insight in our first call to understand what it is they want from an agency relationship. My belief in karma has been proven a few times – I’ve sent prospects to other agencies when I knew we weren’t right for them, and when we were – they came back around.
What is your least favorite part of your job?
Constantly having to learn new database technologies. I feel like my brain’s hard drive is filled to 93% some days.
If you weren’t working at Landis, you would be…
I’d be a host on QVC. If you can sell luggage, kitchen gadgets, floor cleaner and cubic zirconia – you can do anything.
What do you do in your spare time?
I don’t have a lot of free time and a busy family, but I love to hike the hills on the San Mateo County Coast. I cook (because I like to eat) and love live music and theater. During COVID, I got into birding a little…which is what nerds do when outdoors ?.
What is a fun fact about you?
I took my family to Comic-Con 4X. They thought I did it for them.
What are three books you’ve read recently?
- Inspired by Matt Richtel. He’s a great writer and contributor to The New York Times. I’ve loved all his books – fiction and nonfiction.
- Give Unto Others by Donna Leon. I love good mysteries and the character of Commissario Brunetti is a classic. Also, the descriptions of the food he eats in his native Venice make me happy. I love Italian food.
- The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. It’s a fictionalized story of the real Belle da Costa Greene, JP Morgan’s personal librarian.