













A Note from Georgette
By: Georgette Pascale
Borderless Bylines
By: Suzanne Miller
Simple Tips and Tricks for Working from Home
By: Devon McSorley
Networking: Tips for Success
By: Allison Potter
Reflections on an Intersection of Generations
By: Deb Holliday
Do You Have The Perfect Pitch?
By: Amy Nesbitt
Silence is Golden?
By: Audra Berman-Friis
Job 2.0 - The Future of Work
By: Christopher Preis
The Role of Social Media in Healthcare PR
By: Rosemary Valenta
Health Care PR and Marketing: The Common Bond
By: Jamie Hall
A virtual PR firm, Pascale Communications (PC) truly knows the pharmaceutical and medical device marketplace. A focus solely on healthcare PR, coupled with our ability to cultivate and maintain relationships with the people that matter most, is what differentiates PC from other firms. With combined backgrounds in medical writing, event planning, trade/consumer public relations and integrated marketing, our team understands the intricacies of a well run healthcare PR campaign.
GEORGETTE PASCALE President and CEO
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From fashion and travel titans to corporate leaders and iconic musicians, Georgette has an impressive, diverse portfolio of marquis public relations (PR) expertise. With a B.S. in marketing communications from the Fashion Institute of Technology, she made her foray into the PR world by interning at Bender, Goldman and Helper in New York City, now Bender/ Helper Impact, whose sampling of past and current clients include entertainment giants such as 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, DreamWorks Home Entertainment, Lionsgate Entertainment, MGM Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Mobile. Georgette then joined the powerhouse PR firm of Hill & Knowlton where she worked on large corporate accounts such as Delphi Automotive, Puerto Rico Tourism Company and GAP. She worked with music greats such as Bruce Springsteen and Shania Twain while at Shore Fire Media in Brooklyn and also emerging and established corporate stars of the e-commerce and technology sector while working at ExcitePR, where she successfully designed and led PR campaigns in both times of rapid economic growth and in economic slow down.
Prior to launching her own, virtual, company, Pascale Communications, LLC, Georgette was Director of the healthcare practice at RLM PR. She formed Pascale Communications to address an underserved niche within healthcare PR by successfully forging meaningful relationships with editors, publishers and clients.
Clients, physicians, editors and third party organizations have called Georgette "efficient", "effective", "the best medical public relations person ever encountered" and "impressively knowledgeable." Whether the “product” is a musician, pharmaceutical drug, or software application, Georgette knows how to capture the spotlight and leverage brand exposure, uniquely differentiating herself from the pack early on in her career. Pascale Communications’ current clientele spans geographically from California to Israel, proving that a virtual company can serve clients just as effectively as a brick-and-mortar one. Her extensive travel for both business and pleasure has helped shape both her work ethic and culturally diverse perspective when serving clients, adding tremendous value to propelling brands in their native and non-native environments. Also, while every current client started as a project, each has since turned into a full time retainer client.
Georgette is highly involved nationally and locally and routinely provides her marketing and public relations expertise to advance the objectives of several non-profit organizations such as Prevent Blindness America (PBA) and Ophthalmic Women Leaders (OWL). She is on the marketing committees for both organizations, and serves as secretary for the latter. As a committee member, her duties include leading all networking and PR functions. She also served on the Board of Directors for The Children’s Home and Lemieux Family Center, supported by The Mario Lemieux Foundation for several years, The Children’s Museum in Pittsburgh, PA and the Italian American Collection Advisory Board of the Heinz History Center.
Georgette also served as the Executive in Residence for Chatham University, an all women’s undergraduate and men and women’s graduate school, which is focused on preparing their students for leadership in business and other fields. As Executive in Residence, she was a frequent lecturer at several undergraduate and graduate classes and University events. She also served as a mentor to students, and continues to do so, providing one-on-one guidance for both business development as well as networking.
In light of her mentoring efforts, Georgette was selected as finalist for the 2009 Stevie Awards for Women in Business “Mentor of the Year”, a prestigious international award which honors female executives and entrepreneurs who provided the superior guidance to other women. She has also been named one of PharmaVoice’s “100 of the Most Inspiring People” and “Woman of the Year” by the National Association of Professional Women.
Georgette currently resides in Fairfield, CT with her amazing (and equally busy) husband, Rob, their three children and two dogs.
ALLISON POTTER Manager: Social and Professional Media
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Allison Potter joined the Pascale team in March 2008 and has taken the reigns on several leading ophthalmic accounts and continues to expand her experience in projects in diverse healthcare subspecialties and local consumer projects. Her work at Pascale Communications includes writing, event planning, project development, account management, executive management, new business initiatives, and editor/physician liaison, among other things. Prior to working at Pascale Communications, Allison worked with Business Records Management in Pittsburgh, working on several marquee accounts for the company. She also worked with Jack Horner Communications, based in Pittsburgh, where she gained extensive knowledge in the PR realm and agency life. She has eagerly applied her public relations knowledge to the healthcare field in her position as Senior Account Executive at Pascale Communications.
Allison is currently a member of Ophthalmic Women Leaders (OWL), serving on the PR Committee, Prevent Blindess America (PBA), serving on the Social Media Commitee, and has been an active volunteer for various organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Special Olympics, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and more. Allison was part of the 2011 class of Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest, which raises much needed funds to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. During her involvement, she raised $7751, as part of $247,000 raised through the group of 50 Pittsburgh professionals.
Allison is a graduate of Clarion University with a BS in Communication and focus in Public Relations. Allison is a Clarion, PA native, with roots in Pittsburgh, and currently resides in La Jolla, California. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, playing with her dog (Dori) and delving into the occasional new hobby.
AUDRA B. FRIIS Media Specialist
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Audra B. Friis is a media specialist and consultant with over 15 years PR experience. Her proactive approach to PR has landed her clients on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, CNBC and FOX News Channel; as well as features in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today and several top-tier parenting and women's publications. She is an award winning publicist, and has gained recognition within the industry by both top level PR firms and members of the media.
In 2000, she moved abroad and worked in Dublin, Ireland, for a year. At that time, she gained knowledge of the global industry, and was responsible for introducing International companies into the Irish marketplace.
She has a BA in English Literature from the State University of New York at Oneonta and an MS in Publishing from Pace University in New York City. Audra resides in New York City with her husband, two kids and dog.
SUZANNE MILLER International PR Specialist
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With 17 years of international business communications experience servicing clients in the healthcare sector, Suzanne has developed market-specific, comprehensive business communications programs for clients looking to expand their profile and position themselves with their customer and investor base beyond their home market. Her specialization has been to work with U.S. and European companies seeking exposure in foreign markets.
Suzanne worked at some of the top business communications agencies in the U.S. including Ogilvy PR, where she was a member of the healthcare practice, Morgen-Walke Associates, and Taylor Rafferty Associates, where she founded their media department and specialized in bringing European companies to the U.S. market. She was a director at Blanc & Otus, where she worked with a venture capital client base and their portfolio companies including several venture-stage biotech companies. Having lived in Europe for six years, Suzanne brings the unique, on-the-ground experience of what makes a successful cross-border PR campaign.
Suzanne holds a B.S. in International Affairs from St. Louis University and an M.B.S. from University College Dublin’s Smurfit School of Business.
ADRIANNE RESEK Medical Writer
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Adrianne Resek has over 12 years of experience composing professional communications, a remarkable record in successful project management and is noted for her exceptional analytical skills. She started her career in international marketing at Neutrogena/Johnson & Johnson in Los Angeles working on professional marketing materials for the Asian and Latin American markets and then expanded her horizons to become the project manager for the non-profit organization Look Good ... Feel Better® in Washington, DC. There she was responsible for spearheading diverse media and public relations projects as well as coordinating activities between the 14 international sister programs. The last few years Adrianne has concentrated in contract medical writing for the ophthalmology industry while living in Argentina. Adrianne holds a BA in Humanities from Brigham Young University and a MA in International Trade and Investment Policy from The George Washington University. She currently lives with her husband and son and enjoys exercising her creativity through myriad hobbies.
AMY NESBITT Project Specialist
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As a project specialist at Pascale Communications, Amy Nesbitt brings a broad range of experience to the table. She started her career in NYC on Wall Street, and then transferred those skills to financial public relations: mergers & acquisitions, investor relations and corporate takeovers. After moving to Boston, she worked for Arnold Worldwide as the lead of the financial services group working with Ameritrade, Brown Brothers Harriman and PNC Bank. There she counseled clients on both IR and PR strategies and executed all media relations on a national level. She then switched to the corporate side and joined Avid Technology, to broaden her skill-set in technology and the entertainment industry. While at Avid, she oversaw collaborations with high-profile clients, such as USC's Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts, LivePlanet (an integrated media company founded by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck), and the Sundance Film Festival.
Amy then moved to Dublin, Ireland and worked at Hill & Knowlton, primarily on Hewlett Packard and its offices throughout Europe; gaining extensive international experience. After returning to her hometown of Pittsburgh, she worked at Blattner Brunner managing the public relations and advertising for Respironics, a medical device company.
Amy has a BA from Westminster College and lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and two daughters.
DEVON MCSORLEY Director of Business Development
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Having ten years of corporate communications and event management experience, Devon has advanced skills in: corporate meeting and event coordination, business development, and sales. Prior to joining Pascale Communications, Devon worked as a Sales Coordinator in Washington, D.C. for OnSite Productions, a reputable corporate event management firm. After leaving the nation's capital, Devon returned to her hometown of Pittsburgh, where she has worked as a Corporate Communications and Events Consultant for both Bayer Corporation and Productivity Quality Consulting. Devon graduated cum laude from Allegheny College with a B.A. in Communication Arts. In addition to her educational and professional portfolios, Devon is an active Board Member for YPA (Young Preservationists Association, of Pittsburgh) and serves as a committee member for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.
JAMIE HALL Senior Account Executive
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Jamie brings six years of experience in project management to Pascale Communications, LLC. She started her career in Southern California as an Account Coordinator at DevicePharm, Inc, a medical marketing agency where she fulfilled marketing, copywriting and event planning roles. She also served as an Account Executive at Pacific Communications, a medical and pharmaceutical marketing agency, also in Southern California where she was able to delve into a more active role in marketing planning and management. At both agencies, Jamie was recognized for her hard work and commitment to her team and projects. In 2009 Jamie returned to Pittsburgh and worked in business development for a short time until she transitioned into her role with Pascale.
Jamie graduated from Duquesne University in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Her focus was on journalism and news writing. While in school Jamie wrote for the Duquesne Duke and won an award for Ongoing News Coverage from the Keystone Collegiate Awards and a First Place for enterprise reporting from the regional Society of Professional Journalists for her work in a criminal justice course. Jamie was also involved on the membership committee of the Pittsburgh Chapter on the American Marketing Association.
Jamie lives in Pittsburgh with her husband Harold, dog Holly and cat Lester. They are expecting their first daughter in mid November 2010.
Mona Finston Media Specialist
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Mona brings a wide and varied range of PR experience to Pascale Communications. With 20+ years in the field, she has launched celebrity wines; mounted a fashion show of unusual biking togs for Cycles Gladiator Wine in New York’s Grand Central Station; scaled the mountains of Vail, Colorado with Jacques Pepin for the Grand Marnier Chef Ski Races; accompanied former White House Chef Henry Haller on tour for Cointreau and crafted numerous press releases for Bacardi and many other spirits. She’s also launched international sandwich shops, “green platform” gadgets and one of the very first lip-plumping cosmetics on the market. Mona has specialized in developing and implementing programs for local, national, and worldwide not-for-profit organizations. Working as an individual practitioner for the past 15 years, she is a seasoned media specialist, who has forged lasting relationships with reporters and producers throughout the country. As a writer she is often called upon to lend a comedic or compelling “punch” to press materials. In fact, her most memorable PR moment was an appearance as a client spokesperson on TV, reciting her product-related poetry, while dressed in a 7’ tall hot dog costume.
During her years in public relations, Mona has also had the opportunity to work with iconic brands such as Target, eBay, Waterford Crystal, Baldwin Home Accessories, Harlequin Books, and Avon. Her extensive work with non-profits includes Americans for Fairness in Lending (promoting credit card reforms), the International Trachoma Initiative, Home 2 Homeroom (an awareness program as to the dangers of OTC cough medicines), the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) and the Black Youth Project (a research project with the University of Chicago). Both Chicago projects were through a Ford Foundation Grant.
Mona began her career as a singer/actress and toured throughout the US, Greenland and Cuba for over 15 years. As a singer and pianist she also worked for several years in top clubs and restaurants in the New York area while recording jingles and demos. Most recently, she completed work on a new musical for which she composed the music, wrote the lyrics and penned the script. Mona has a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin; studied memoir writing at The Skidmore Writer’s Workshop and currently studies musical improv in New York and with Chicago’s Second City.
Michele Gray Project Specialist
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Michele brings 14 years of public relations experience to Pascale Communications,
LLC. She began her career in Paris where she worked as an editorial assistant
for several McGraw-Hill Companies publications, including Business Week, Data
Communications and Nucleonics Week. In 1997, Michele moved to New York City
to begin work at public relations firms The Rowland Company and in 1999, Edelman.
At both agencies, Michele efficiently and successfully managed projects and media
relations, and served as writer and event planner in many specialized industries,
including optometry and ophthalmology, photography and imaging, data storage, and
information technology, among others. Her clients have included Canon, Cognizant
Technology Solutions, Eyetech, Fujifilm, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Pfizer and
Reuters. For the past seven years, Michele has worked as a public relations consultant
for VISTAKON, a Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, focusing on professional
trade media and KOL relations.
Michele holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs and French from the
University of Colorado-Boulder and a certificate in French language studies from the
Université Michel de Montaigne in Bordeaux, France.
Michele lives on the Jersey Shore with her husband Carlos and their two young
sons Julien and Adrien. Michele loves all things international, has lived in Paris and
Bordeaux, France and Salamanca, Spain and speaks fluent French.
Gabe Wonderling Social Media Support
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Gabe made his entry into the PR World in May '2011 when his internship commenced with Pascale Communications. Outgoing and hardworking, Gabe is currently a senior at the University of Pittsburgh where he majors in Communications and minors in Anthropology. Gabe is on the Deans List, a member of the Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership and Honors Organization, as well as the Lambda Pi Eta and the Communication Studies Honor Society of the National Communication Association. He has also been a member of Pitt’s African Drumming and Dance Ensemble and an advocate for the Relay for Life and the fight against the learning disorder, Dyslexia.
Gabe enjoys staying active and is an avid runner. Hailing from the small town of Brookville, Pennsylvania, he is now a year round Pittsburgh resident.
Hannah Ishikawa Media Specialist
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Hannah comes to Pascale Communications, LLC with four years of experience in the health care industry already under her belt. She started out in the advertising and marketing side of the industry, where she worked at DevicePharm, Inc. as an Account Coordinator and over time was promoted to Account Executive and Events Coordinator. She received great praise for her skills in developing good client relationships, managing client marketing and branding, working closely with her team and being one great events planner. After a short break to explore motherhood, Hannah has very excitedly decided to take a leap into the world of health care PR.
Hannah received a bachelor’s degree in International Business from California State University, Fullerton where she also attained a minor in Spanish, and spent a semester abroad studying in Salamanca, Spain.
Hannah lives in Orange County, California with her husband Kevin and their daughter Fiona Simone and two dogs Nina and Chinook. She is also expecting baby number two this coming November 2011.
Cassy Dump Account Executive
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Cassy joined Pascale Communications in the Summer of 2011 as an Account Executive, working primarily with our Ophthalmology clients.
She brings nine years combined experience in professional writing, marketing, public relations and business development to PC. Her career began directly out of high school working in public relations in the health and beauty sector, and eventually moving on to a variety of other industries including finance, real estate development, hospitality, night life and e-commerce. As well, Cassy spent time as a Staff Writer at the San Diego Business Journal and has completed several other freelance writing projects for various other publications and clients.
She attended San Francisco State University and competed in soccer at a collegiate level. She played competitively for 15 years and still plays recreationally in her hometown of Santee, California, a suburb of East San Diego County.
An avid runner and competitor, Cassy is looking to complete her first full marathon in 2012. Additionally she will be competing to complete the Triple Crown Half Marathon Series in San Diego, consisting of three half marathons throughout 2012 to help benefit several philanthropic organizations, including the Alzheimer's Association, the American Cancer Society and the Doheny Eye Institute. She has worked with Habitat for Humanity and completed hundreds of hours of community service in the cities of La Mesa and Santee planting trees, working with children and participating in several public works projects. She is also a proud member of the San Diego Zooligical Society.
She currently resides in Downtown San Diego and if she isn't on a run, you can likely find her exploring a new coffee shop, eatery or boutique, or enjoying a hike somewhere along the breathtaking San Diego scenery.
Michael Elofer Copywriter
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Michael Elofer joined the Pascale Communications team as an intern in January 2012, at the beginning of his final semester of college. Michael’s work for Pascale marks his formal entry into the field of communications and PR, and he couldn’t be more excited.
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, he received Bachelor of Arts degrees in English Writing and History as well as a Certificate in Medieval & Renaissance Studies. While in school, Michael appeared frequently on the Dean’s List and Dean’s Stars, worked with the Three Rivers Review (a University literary publication), and enrolled in several honors societies, including the Golden Key International Honour Society and National Society of Collegiate Scholars. From January through June 2011, he lived and studied in the United Kingdom at the University of Exeter, where he studied medieval history – often firsthand. Michael formerly assisted a private PR and communications consultant, researching and building custom presentations for industry specialists. Between his studies and employment, Michael brings to Pascale nearly four years of writing, researching, and communicative experience.
Unsurprisingly, Michael’s passions include reading, writing, and history. An avid traveler, he has visited several countries around the globe, ranging from Germany to Israel to Japan – and no, he doesn’t have a favorite. Other hobbies include trying new cuisines, enjoying movies both good and bad, and spending time with his friends and family. He currently resides in Greater Philadelphia Area, where he was born and raised.