Today we are pleased to share the news that Lori Russo has been promoted to the position of President of the firm. Lori joined Stanton Communications in 1999 at the entry-level position of account coordinator, progressively assuming increasing responsibility over her 16 year tenure with the firm. Today, she leads the agency’s Washington, D.C. and Baltimore offices as MD Mid-Atlantic while continuing to serve clients and facilitate new business growth. Lori is especially focused on marketing communications and expansion of the firm’s digital practice.
Peter Stanton will retain the title CEO. This change in our leadership structure is emblematic of the firm’s vitality as it enters its second quarter century.
In her new position, Lori will be responsible for directing and growing the agency’s work in support of clients in the technology, consumer products and professional services sectors while further developing the firm’s digital and creative services business. Long recognized for her expertise in leveraging social platforms for marketing communications and business development, Lori has frequently been called upon to speak at industry forums including the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit, the PR News Social Media Summit and Ragan’s Breakthrough Strategies for Corporate Communicators Conference, sharing the dais with executives from LinkedIn and other leading corporations. A member of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., she serves on the Club’s distinguished Luncheon Speakers Committee. She chaired the inaugurals for five presidents of the National Press Club and co-chaired the committee organizing the Club’s presentation of its Fourth Estate awards to acclaimed interviewer Charlie Rose and veteran journalist Andrea Mitchell. Lori was among the first in the field to be included as one of PRWeek’s “40 Under 40” rising stars in the industry.
Consistent with a core value of Stanton Communications, Lori will continue to be directly engaged in client work. Her clients, including the American Statistical Association, the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), MorganFranklin Consulting, and Quad/Graphics, will benefit from her counsel and support even as she assumes her new responsibilities.
“Lori and her team have proved quite adept at jumping into our technical world and helping us find ways to engage the general business community on complex Internet matters. We look forward to continuing our productive relationship with Stanton Communications under Lori’s leadership as President.”
— John Curran, President & CEO of ARIN
Lori also will build on the agency’s strengths to grow the business in new areas. Most recently, she led the pitch that won AOR designation from Florida-based apparel firm, Madda Fella, building on Stanton Communications’ long history of representing consumer lifestyle brands including W. L. Gore & Associates, makers of GORE-TEX® products, and Sprint. It is this expansion of existing practice areas that will be her primary new business emphasis.
Lori and Peter will execute the agency’s strategic plan for growth through policy communication, international client engagement, and innovation in marketing communication. Examples include the American Statistical Association for which the agency created the “This is Statistics” campaign to promote careers in the statistical sciences; Germany-based Fraunhofer IIS — Audio & Multimedia division which has been developing audio coding and multimedia technologies for more than 25 years, and Dig-It! Games, an educational gaming company creating mobile apps and PC-based learning tools for middle school students. Stanton Communications also is providing media logistics planning and coordination support for the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to New York.
