ATLANTA – April 28, 2016 – Cookerly Public Relations, a leading Atlanta-based agency, announced the addition of two teammates to its professional staff. After a five year hiatus, Chip Stewart rejoins the agency as a senior vice president and Ben Rickles comes on board as an assistant account executive.
Stewart’s primary areas of responsibility will focus on the agency’s crisis and issue management practice plus overall support for client services. He has more than 35 years of experience in the communications industry, spanning positions in journalism, broadcast and 18 years at Cookerly, prior to serving as a director at his alma mater, the University of Georgia.
“Chip and I have had a great working relationship for nearly 25 years and have shared many successes as the agency grew from a start-up into one of Atlanta’s top firms,” said Founder and President Carol Cookerly. “I am elated to have Chip back and look forward to him helping our agency grow and continue to provide world-class service to our clients.”
Ben Rickles, a graduate of the University of Alabama, comes to the agency from Six Flags Atlanta Properties where he served as a PR supervisor. While in the world of theme parks, he helped Six Flags unveil a new waterpark and two new kids’ areas, break a Guinness World Record and introduce North America’s first-ever virtual reality roller coaster. Rickles will provide support for clients spanning retail, finance, hospitality and healthcare sectors.
“Ben is an outstanding young man and we are excited to have him on board,” said Jane Stout, executive vice president. “His ‘can do’ attitude, thoughtful approach to client service and exemplary work ethic are great assets that complement our team’s capabilities.”
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.