About Us :: Bios

The Right Resources, The Right Team

The MarketWave team of top-flight communications professionals delivers big ideas within strategic programs that never lose sight of a client’s business objectives and brand positioning. Our clients view us as an extension of their team – a long-term partner immersed in their business. Our value is proven time and again with our responsiveness, quality work, and winning programs and ideas.

Tina Young
President

In 1998, Tina Young formed TechCom Partners, LLC, a technology PR and marketing firm on the heels of the buyout of a previous agency in which she held an equity position. At the end of 2002, Young restructured and re-tooled her company to target energy, health care, food/restaurant, and other industries with a PR and marketing service mix. The agency name was changed to MarketWave in 2003 to reflect a broader scope of services and work in a variety of industries.

The agency has gained local and national recognition for outstanding people and stellar results in the market, with the majority of new clients coming in on referral based on a solid reputation for quality and service. MarketWave has more than tripled its revenue in the last three years and is now consistently listed in the Top 10 agency rankings published annually by the Dallas Business Journal.

Young is a 20-year marketing veteran with extensive experience in corporate branding, consumer and B2B marketing, public relations, executive communications and community relations. Marketing programs led by her team have included multi-faceted consumer outreach campaigns, reseller partner alliance building and vertical market selling strategies, among others. Her PR experience includes notable media successes such as: Good Morning America, Today Show, USA Today, Associated Press, Business Week, Fortune, Dallas Morning News, D Magazine and the Dallas Business Journal.

Prior to starting her company, Young was a principal at GTT Communications, an Austin, Texas-based technology PR firm that was purchased by Edelman Worldwide in 1998. And, before GTT, she was with Bustin & Co., an Omnicom affiliate firm, and the Dallas office of Edelman Worldwide, a multi-national public relations firm, ranked in the top five of PR firms in the world.

She is a cum laude graduate of the University of North Texas with a bachelor?s degree in journalism. Young is on the Board of Directors of the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce and a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Word of Mouth Marketing Association, Women?s Business Council Southwest and the Public Relations Society of America. Community involvement includes work with the Entrepreneurs Foundation of North Texas, the United Methodist Church and the Collin County Sci-Tech Discovery Center.

Susan Yost
Vice President

Joining MarketWave 10 years ago, Susan Yost has been instrumental in building the business and helping the firm surpass the $1 million revenue mark for the first time in 2007, as well as the $2 million mark in 2008. A 13-year PR and integrated marketing communications (IMC) veteran, Yost serves as vice president of the agency and is responsible for new business development, strategic planning for the firm and its clients, as well as management of client relationships and directing daily activities of the team. Yost has extensive experience working with business-to-business and business-to-consumer programs for clients in the health care, nonprofit, restaurant/franchise, insurance, energy and technology market sectors.

In the last decade, Yost has led award-winning, record-breaking PR and marketing programs for clients, both large and small, such as Pizza Hut, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), Alzheimer's Association, Sprint, TXU Energy, Oncor Electric Delivery, Entrust, EADS Telecom, Baylor Health Care System and Elite Wellness (now Viverae). From sales training tools for Sprint Business to rebranding MADD's signature 5K fund raising walk to Walk Like MADD, she has spearheaded multiple programs that included internal communications, marketing collateral (traditional and online), advertising, social media, events marketing, product launches and media relations. Yost has long-standing trade, local and national media relationships that have resulted in a variety of stories, including hits with national outlets such as Good Morning America, CNN, BusinessWeek and Redbook.

Before joining MarketWave, Yost was marketing manager for the Baylor Health Care System's Baylor Tom Landry Health and Wellness Center, a 6,000-member health and wellness facility in Dallas. Prior to Baylor, Yost worked with IT Network, an interactive audio advertising company, managing hundreds of accounts from across the country, including the copywriting of all audio scripts.

Prior to IT Network, Yost worked at Bustin & Co., a Dallas-based marketing communications firm, where she assisted Tina Young, then director of Bustin's Technology Practice Area, with marketing research and media relations for Sun Microsystems and NEC America accounts.

Yost earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of North Texas. She is a long-time member of PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) and currently serves as the PR Executive Committee Chair for the Board of Directors of the Greater Dallas Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

Allison Holliday
Account Director

Allison Holliday joined MarketWave in 2007 as an account director with more than 13 years of public relations and marketing experience. She has worked extensively with numerous financial services and consumer clients, including Bank of America, ConocoPhillips, Shell MasterCard, Dannon, USAA, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Before joining MarketWave, Holliday was a vice president with BlueCurrent Public Relations, a sister company to Fleishman-Hillard, where she worked for nearly five years. While at BlueCurrent, Holliday managed reputation management and brand awareness projects for USAA, touching nearly all aspects of the business – property and casualty insurance, life insurance, banking, investments and financial planning. In addition, Holliday served for nearly two years as an on-site account representative at the company’s headquarters in San Antonio. Through various media relations campaigns, USAA was able to increase its volume of news stories year-after-year, with high-profile placements in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, The Dallas Morning News, The San Antonio Express-News and Associated Press.

During her BlueCurrent tenure, Holliday also led proactive media relations efforts for well-known consumer brands ConocoPhillips and Shell MasterCard, securing coverage in publications such as USA Weekend, BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters News Service, and msnmoney.com

Prior to that, Holliday was an assistant vice president with Bank of America, where she served as a media relations specialist for the Asset Management Group and as a public relations manager for Texas. In those roles, Holliday supported media relations, branding, crisis communication and project management.

Holliday has a bachelor's degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and the Junior League of Dallas.

Elizabeth Conrad
Creative Director

Elizabeth Conrad brings 12 years of creative design and brand-building experience to MarketWave. Conrad has worked with a variety of clients in industries ranging from food and restaurant to technology and health care. She has created design campaigns for well-known brands including Dr Pepper, Hawaiian Punch, Nature Sweet Tomatoes, 7 UP, Jose Cuervo, Red Lobster, Bennigan's, Brach's, Weight Watchers, Nokia and Nortel Networks.

Prior to joining MarketWave, Conrad was a senior art director at Latitude/The Richards Group. During this time, she managed designers, illustrators and photographers, supervised the production of designs and layouts, collaborated with the print producer on various projects and provided creative direction on new business presentations.

Conrad's extensive experience includes the creation and development of collateral, banners, brochures, mobile marketing graphics, direct mail, logos and stationery systems, point-of-sale displays, menus, newsletters, sales kits and tradeshow graphics. She has defined graphics and brand standards for clients such as Alliance Systems, The Shops at Willow Bend, and Weight Watchers, as well as developed Web site designs for companies such as Provista and VHA.

Conrad has been recognized for her creative direction and results-driven design. Her portfolio of work demonstrates innovative thinking and distinctive, memorable designs backed by a strategic process that has helped her clients increase brand awareness, product sales and long-term loyalty from customers.

Conrad earned her bachelor's degree in communication design from Texas State University.

Gailee Cardwell
Account Supervisor

Gailee Cardwell brings more than 10 years of communications and marketing strategy experience to her role as account supervisor at MarketWave. She leverages strong skills in project management, media and client relations, event planning, creative writing and research to implement campaign initiatives for a variety of clients in the nonprofit and energy sectors. Currently, she leads a group of MarketWave team members that plan and execute the award-winning Take A Load Off, Texas campaign in cooperation with Oncor Electric Delivery.

While at MarketWave, Cardwell served on the MADD account team. She managed two large metropolitan media events in Nashville and Orlando. Both events earned large attendance and positive media coverage from major media outlets including NBC, FOX and other local affiliates.

Prior to MarketWave, Cardwell worked for Oncor, where she held several positions ranging from media relations to employee communications. She planned and implemented a multi-faceted external media campaign for the unveiling of new company brand, Oncor. She also developed and implemented a media campaign for TXU's Urban Tree Farm and lead a multi-faceted external Oncor Safety campaign.

Cardwell also brings years of crisis management experience to her clients. During her time as a public information officer for the Florida Department of Emergency Management, and as the public affairs director for the Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security, she created effective communications plans for a variety of situations from natural disasters to employee layoffs.

Prior to joining MarketWave, Cardwell was employed with Mercer Human Resource Consulting Dallas Communication Practice, where she developed communication strategies and work plans. In addition, she edited and drafted employee communication materials including benefit, compensation and organizational change communications.

Cardwell earned her bachelor's degree from Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas. She is an active member of the American Marketing Association.

Dione Martin
Account Supervisor

Dione Martin brings ten years of public relations and marketing experience to the team, and has worked with a wide-range of consumer clients and industries including insurance, financial services, energy, technology and non-profit.

Prior to joining MarketWave, Martin was a managing supervisor at BlueCurrent Public Relations, a sister company to Fleishman-Hillard, where she worked for three years. Martin played an integral role in developing and managing USAA's military communications program, increasing military media reach and generating more than 1 million exposures among military members and their families through articles on life-event and personal finance topics. She also supported the agency's work for ConocoPhillips, securing media coverage in The Dallas Morning News, The Wall Street Journal and Fortune.

Martin also was the project lead for the agency's pro bono account, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater DFW, helping the organization double race participation for their 2007 Elvis Run. The campaign earned several industry awards including a Silver Spur from the Texas Public Relations Association and a Platinum MarCom Award from the Association of Marketing and Communication.

Prior to joining BlueCurrent, Martin was a market segment manager at USAA, where she developed and executed direct mail and Internet marketing programs and campaigns targeting the youth market segment. She earned an IABC Bronze Quill Award of Excellence for the "Home Event" marketing campaign, a financial education program that focused on the steps to home ownership.

Before USAA, Martin was a communications manager at GSD&M Advertising/Idea City in Austin, where she helped manage internal and external communications and media relations for the agency.

She earned her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Minnesota-Morris and her master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.

Melissa Gullickson
Senior Account Executive

Melissa Gullickson, a marketer with experience spanning multiple markets and projects in a variety of industries, manages and executes strategic communications campaigns for MarketWave, deepening the relationship between clients and their audiences, and increasing brand awareness.

Currently, Gullickson serves primarily as a project lead on the Ask Oncor. We Deliver. initiative for Oncor Electric Delivery. In this role, she manages statewide event coordination, develops ongoing strategy for customer outreach, supports the creation of marketing collateral, and handles advertising planning and placement. Gullickson also is responsible for coordinating and implementing various marketing and public relations activities at MarketWave, including strategic planning, research, creative idea generation, press materials development, collateral development and media relations.

Prior to MarketWave, Gullickson worked for MassMedia Corporate Communications, a public relations and marketing agency based in Nevada. There, she conducted new business outreach and managed marketing campaigns in industries including BtoB, consumer, healthcare and government for clients such as Colliers International, Freed's Bakery, Premier Physicians Insurance Company, the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) and the American Heart Association. In 2009, her 18-month campaign for the State of Nevada's Division of Welfare and Supportive Services earned a Pinnacle Award and Best of Show in Marketing Communications from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Las Vegas Chapter for her work on Supporting Nevada's Children, a campaign raising awareness of services available to custodial parents from the state government. Additionally, Gullickson led the agency's move into the online marketing arena, including Web site design and development, SEM campaigns, social media outreach and more.

Before joining MassMedia, Gullickson worked for Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's Entertainment where she supported the marketing team in branding and outreach for the 150-member meetings and conventions team of Harrah's Entertainment in Las Vegas. She also assisted in media outreach and collateral development for the meetings group properties, including Caesars Palace, Bally's/Paris, the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Flamingo and Harrah's.

Gullickson earned her bachelor's degree in communications with a specialization in public relations from Michigan State University, and is an active supporter of the U.S. Green Building Council, American Heart Association, and Pets in the City.

Angela Peña
Account Executive

Angela Peña has worked with clients on both consumer and business-to-business programs including those in retail, restaurant, energy, healthcare, technology and non-profit.

At MarketWave, Peña is responsible for coordinating and implementing various marketing and public relations activities, including strategic planning, research, creative idea generation, press materials development, event coordination and media relations. She also plays an integral role on the Oncor Smart TexasSM Consumer Education Campaign and the public relations program for Beryl, the nation's leading healthcare-exclusive call center.

Peña has extensive media relations skills that have resulted in national, trade and local placements for her clients in publications, such as O Magazine, Nation's Restaurant News, Inside Weddings, D Magazine, The Dallas Morning News, Organic Spa Magazine, Engadget, ZDnet and Design World Magazine.

As part of the Oncor Smart TexasSM team, she assists with the creation of marketing collateral, advertising placement and planning, and coordinating consumer education events. As a Beryl team member, her focus is on media relations. She also manages the external promotion and social media activities for the MarketWave brand.

Prior to MarketWave, Angela worked at Shelton Group, a Dallas-based integrated communications firm. Her responsibilities at Shelton included strategic research, media and industry analyst relations, monitoring competitive news and drafting press materials for clients such as Fish City Grill, LOLA Jewelry, Fraiche, Alereon, NTRglobal, AmberWave Systems, Silicon Border, Syndiant, and Inphi Corporation.

Angela earned her bachelor's degree in Corporate Communications & Public Affairs from Southern Methodist University.

Meredith Corte
Account Executive

Meredith Corte supports public relations and marketing programs, creative collateral development, media writing and pitching, event planning and social media programs for clients. Her main account is the Take A Load Off, Texas® energy efficiency program for Oncor, where she plans and coordinates all aspects of the program from inventory to event management. Corte also plays an important role in the social media account for her client PrimaCare by assisting in the maintenance of Facebook and Twitter pages.

Prior to MarketWave, Corte interned on the food and agricultural team at Fleishman-Hillard (FH), where she assisted in the development and launch of an educational website for RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment)®, a national non-profit trade association representing producers and suppliers of various types of pesticides fertilizers used in residential areas. During her time at FH, her daily tasks included creating media lists for specific markets, proof and editing documents such as press releases and brochures, researching information for client programs and developing coverage reports.

Before joining the team at Fleishman-Hillard, Corte worked as a teacher’s assistant for the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications at Texas A&M University. In this position she assisted and taught communication and journalism courses focusing on media writing, copy editing, public relations, and magazine layout and design. Corte also assisted in the coordination of a student intern program with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo through the department. She organized informational meetings for interested students, collected paperwork and contact information, and assigned students to their designated work schedules.

Corte earned her bachelor’s degree in agricultural leadership and development with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in communications at Texas A&M University. She continued her education there and received her master’s degree in agricultural communications and journalism after completing her thesis titled, "The effects of individual and routine forces of gatekeeping on student editors and journalists of university newspaper publications."

Valerie Hanneken
Assistant Account Executive

Valerie Hanneken handles marketing, copy editing, event planning, creative idea generation, research and coverage reports on a variety of MarketWave clients. The majority of her time is spent working on the Smart Texas program for Oncor, where she helps plan and coordinate all aspects of the program, whether organizing events or developing social media campaigns.

Prior to MarketWave, Hanneken worked as a marketing coordinator for Enseo Inc, a Richardson-based technology company that specialized in the manufacturing of both hardware and software for media engines for digital signage. During this time, she worked as a liaison between Enseo and their PR firm, as well as helped edit and develop new marketing collateral. Before she left, Hanneken assisted her CEO in nominating and receiving the Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Before Enseo, Hanneken was at Weber Shandwick Public Relations. There she worked on large accounts such as Verizon Wireless and American Airlines. She developed and wrote pitches, conducted media and market research, and built quarterly coverage reports. While there, she was part of a team that developed and executed a media campaign for a local non-profit organization, Heroes for Children that resulted in media coverage in D Magazine and Texas Monthly.

Prior to Weber Shandwick, Hanneken completed internships at CBS television in Dallas and C Pharr & Company.

Hanneken is a cum laude graduate of Abilene Christian University with a bachelor's degree in both Integrated Marketing and Communication, and Business and Professional Writing. Hanneken is an active volunteer with the Watermark Community Church in Dallas.