Van Dyke Horn Public Relations (VDH), following the announcement of joining forces with Lambert, has announced Kelsey Hartung and Antonice Strickland have joined the firm as senior account executives and Jerel Jones and Sabira Rahman have both joined as account executives.
“Our new hires join our existing staff and senior leadership, bringing more skills and talents into the fold,” says Georgella Muirhead, founder and CEO of VDH. “We continue to break down walls, and barriers to serve our employees, clients, and community. This is our home.”
Hartung has nearly 15 years of experience in public relations, community engagement, and event planning and management. Before VDH, Hartung handled corporate communications for Ilitch Holdings Inc. in Detroit. Prior to that, she led communications and event planning for the legal staff at General Motors Co., served as director of communications and public affairs for the Public Lighting Authority, and worked at VDH from 2011 to 2014, when the agency was Berg Muirhead and Associates.
Strickland is a public relations and communications professional with experience across nonprofit, Fortune 500, and entertainment industries for a decade. In her previous roles, Strickland headed up marketing and public relations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, served as a senior account executive with Truscott Rossman, and was the communications manager for Black Women’s Health Imperative from Washington, D.C.
Rahman is an experienced communicator with a concentration in PR, digital marketing, content creating, and writing. Prior to VDH, she supported Featherstone, the Children’s Foundation, and Beaumont Health with PR, digital marketing, and media relations. Rahman is fluent in English, Bangla, and Arabic.
Jones previously worked as a freelancer for Upwork and supported the Detroit Health Department with communications and social media before joining VDH. He has experience leading media relations and marketing campaigns for diverse clients through Lovio George, a communications and design agency.
Hartung and Strickland will serve as day-to-day contacts for clients and teams in their new roles. They will lead the development of communications plans, reporting and analytics, communications campaigns, and marketing strategies. Jones and Rahman will play a critical role in implementing program strategies, assisting in PR and marketing plans, while conducting thorough research, media monitoring, and drawing analytics.
“We remain committed to providing the highest quality of services to our clients and our community,” says Marilyn Horn, president and CFO of VDH. “We are eager to bring new capabilities to the table alongside Lambert–including creative services, video production, website design and more. VDH continues to grow in size, services, and spirit. We are going back to our roots, which will be at the core of our new name and brand.”
