TODAY – If you feel like you dance with two left feet, wait until you meet Robert “Bobby” Barnett, who turned 100 on May 6 and is still in his dancing shoes.
Barnett, who grew up in Washington state and was born in 1925, discovered his love for ballet while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. On liberty in 1945, he saw the American Ballet Theatre perform in Los Angeles. A prior tap dancer, he had discovered his calling.
In 1958, after years of studying ballet in New York, London and elsewhere, Barnett and his wife, Virginia Rich Barrett, received invitations to become principal dancers and associate directors of the Atlanta Civic Ballet, later named Atlanta Ballet. Elevated to artistic director in 1962, he stayed in the position for 32 years.
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.