Heather Rush

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors LLC recently welcomed Heather Rush to its team as associate creative director. She arrives with more than 20 years of experience in everything from graphic design, photography, and copywriting to creative direction, art direction, and brand development.

“Heather brings a wealth of creative energy and expertise to our agency,” said Michelle Abdow, president and CEO of Market Mentors. “She provides a holistic perspective to all aspects of the creative process and oversees our entire creative team, including copywriting, design, photography, and web design and development.”

In her previous roles, Rush has been immersed in all things creative, from storyboarding, strategizing, and conceptualizing to brand development and implementation, photography, and video shoots. Over the past six years, she managed a marketing team of designers and project editors and launched campaigns and products through digital and print channels.

A graduate of Elms College with a degree in commercial arts, Rush is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. She has received the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for book-cover design and layout, and several awards for book-series design from BookBuilders of Boston, which also awarded her the 2017 iPad App UX/UI design award. An avid painter, she recently spent two weeks in Italy on a watercolor painting intensive.

Active in the Hampshire County community, Rush is a team captain and team organizer/top-50 fundraiser for the Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage, a member of the Easthampton Farmers and Makers Market committee, and a volunteer with Easthampton Arts.

Geoff Rice

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, LLC, a fully integrated marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, recently welcomed Geoff Rice to its team as a senior Content Marketing specialist. In this role, he applies his two decades of marketing, communications, and creative experience to every challenge, from brand launches to engaging content for websites, social media, and campaigns of all sizes.

“Geoff is a fantastic addition to our experienced content marketing team,” said Michelle Abdow, president and CEO of Market Mentors. “He brings an abundance of creativity and enthusiasm to the role, offering keen insights for clients across the many industries we serve.”

Prior to joining Market Mentors, Rice focused his talents on the health and beauty industries, and he now extends his expertise to clients from a diverse range of businesses, including manufacturing, energy, insurance, and others. He is a graduate of Colgate University with a degree in English literature.

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, LLC, a fully integrated marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, recently added two new specialists to its multi-disciplinary team. Jack Antkowiak joined the agency as a digital marketing specialist, and Paige Auger started her role as a financial administrator.

Jack Antkowiak

“We are excited to add to the depth and breadth of our in-house talent with the expertise Jack and Paige offer,” said Michelle Abdow, president and CEO of Market Mentors. “They both hit the ground running and are already making notable contributions.”

As a digital marketing specialist, Antkowiak manages, reports on, and optimizes paid digital ads and SEO campaigns. This involves taking deep dives into ad performance and website analytics data to uncover actionable insights and trends that can be used to improve both campaign performance and the overall user/customer journey. A graduate of the University of Connecticut, Antkowiak combines tried-and-true best practices with a deep understanding of the target audience to build engaging and impactful campaigns.

Paige Auger

With a degree in business administration as well as management experience in accounting, Auger joined the Market Mentors finance team to handle accounts payable, accounts receivable, billing, reconciliation, and 1099 reporting. She collaborates across departments to ensure accuracy in data input and is skilled at summarizing large amounts of data and presenting meaningful information for review. A graduate of Western New England University, she received the 2017 Lawrence H. Nath Management Award.

Market Mentors continues to expand and currently has opportunities for an account director, media director, and college interns.

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, LLC, a fully integrated marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, announced the addition of two Enfield, Conn. residents to its account-services team. Chelsea Shelander has joined the agency as an account executive, and Kaitlyn Smith has joined the agency as an account coordinator.

“We are delighted to welcome Chelsea and Kaitlyn to our team,” said Michelle Abdow, president and CEO of Market Mentors. “In the short time they’ve been on board, their contributions have been notable; their passion and energy are contagious. We love having them here and are excited about all we can accomplish together.”

Shelander provides client support and ongoing communication and research as well as proposal and presentation development. Prior to joining Market Mentors, she worked in public relations and brand management at BioSafe Systems and as a service and retention consultant for the Aspire Group at UConn Athletics. She earned an MBA at the University of Dayton in Ohio after receiving two bachelor’s degrees — one in business administration with a concentration in marketing, and one in sports management — from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.

Smith liaises with the agency’s internal teams to identify client needs and develop and implement strategies to achieve their goals, using her organizational skills, attention to detail, and creative flair. Before coming to Market Mentors, she spent several years as an account manager for ADESA Boston, as well as a social-media manager for the DiGrigoli Companies. She earned her bachelor’s degree in media arts and analysis from Westfield State University.

SPRINGFIELD — As part of its 20th-anniversary recognition, Market Mentors LLC, a fully integrated marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, brought back its annual Pink Day campaign to raise funds for Baystate Health Foundation to support breast-cancer research and services. Selling MM Pink Day 2023 T-shirts, the agency raised a total of $4,000.

“We had previously held this event for several years, and with our milestone anniversary this year, we knew it was time to bring it back,” said Michelle Abdow, president and CEO of Market Mentors. “We reached out to our clients, vendors, and media partners and were thrilled with the response. They all purchased and proudly wore their pink tees on Thursday, October 26, the day we deemed MM Pink Day 2023.”

Participating companies included Adams & Ruxton; Allied Flooring, Paint and Design; Belt Technologies Inc.; BusinessWest; Cornerstone Bank; Dowd Insurance Agencies; EffecTV (Comcast); Excel Dryer; Freedom Credit Union; Giombetti Associates; Girard Heating & Air Conditioning; Koopman Lumber; Louis & Clark Pharmacy; Millennium Press; Noonan Energy; Prime Media; PDC Inc.; the Recorder; the Republican; Vlier Inc.; Western Mass News; and Women’s Health Associates.

“This was truly a labor of love for a cause we care about,” Abdow said. “Our whole team jumped in to make this happen, and we are grateful to everyone who participated and made this campaign a success.”

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors LLC, a fully integrated marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, announced the promotion of Chelsea LeBlanc, a Baltimore native who now lives in Windsor, Conn. She was promoted to account director in the Client Services department after joining the agency in February as an account executive.

“Chelsea has been a valuable addition to our team and quickly proved herself capable of taking on additional responsibility,” said Michelle Abdow, president and CEO of Market Mentors. “In her expanded role, she will oversee a full roster of clients, leading each account team to develop and implement marketing strategies that deliver results.”

Before joining Market Mentors, LeBlanc served as a channel marketing director at a hospitality and food-services company with a focus on brand activation, process improvement, and project management. In her growing role as account director, she will bring her 15 years of experience and strategic skill set to client planning, agency processes, and more. A graduate of Western New England University with a degree in marketing communications/advertising, LeBlanc is a Smartsheet product certified user, Project Management Institute member, and project management professional candidate.

“Chelsea has seamlessly adapted skills from her past roles and proven her ability to manage complex client projects and really understand the ‘why’ before digging into campaigns,” said Ashley LaRocque, director of Client Services at Market Mentors. “We are thrilled to add her insight to some of our larger retainer clients and new clients alike.”

Market Mentors continues to expand and currently has career opportunities for a senior account executive, media director, public relations specialist, and business development sales representative.

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, LLC, the region’s largest marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary with refreshed branding, a streamlined website (marketmentors.com), and a second location in Jupiter, Fla.

A woman-owned business, the agency was established in 2003 by Longmeadow resident Michelle Abdow, who initially focused on media buying for clients throughout New England. After two decades of growth and expansion, Market Mentors is now a fully integrated marketing agency serving clients with global reach.

“This is a major milestone for us, and we wanted to recognize it in an impactful way,” said Abdow, the agency’s president and CEO. “We’ve been busy helping our clients with their branding, marketing, advertising, and websites, and ours took a backseat for too long. We’re excited about the launch of our new look and site, which better represents the work we do and the creative and strategy we are known for.”

With regard to the agency’s second location, Abdow noted, “as our client geography has expanded, it made sense for us to have a second East Coast location. I see great potential in Florida, which boasts the fourth-largest economy in the country. I look forward to continuing to grow our client base here.”

Market Mentors represents regional, national, and international brands and offers all the services its clients need in-house, thanks to a team of generalists and specialists who possess a depth and breadth of experience across the marketing spectrum.

“We connect brands to customers — with unmatched market experience — and have fun doing it,” Abdow said. “Our experts provide valuable communications solutions via strategic marketing and public-relations plans, integrated advertising campaigns, exceptional content creation, data-based media buys, superior creative execution, and skilled website design and development.”

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, the region’s largest marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, announced the promotions of two of its employees. Megan Wehbe was promoted from account executive to senior account executive/strategic planner, and Kevin Jack was promoted from digital marketing specialist to senior digital specialist.

“In the two years Megan has been with Market Mentors, she has become an integral part of our team,” said Michelle Abdow, the agency’s president. “Most recently, she reinvented our client planning process, lending her strategic skills to build our business and the business of both existing and new accounts. In her expanded role, she will continue to counsel the team in strategic planning to strengthen and grow the agency’s skills in this area.”

Abdow continued, “since Kevin joined our team two years ago, he has become the driving force behind many successful digital strategies and campaigns. In his growing role, he will continue to expand our expertise and advise the digital department in campaign strategies and tactical implementation to further broaden our agency’s digital capabilities and services.”

Wehbe, a graduate of Grand Valley State University in Michigan, has more than a decade of experience in new-business development and account management, including long-range planning, strategizing, and executing client projects and campaigns. With previous experience working on accounts for USAA and Audi, she now lends her expertise to a wide variety of clients at Market Mentors.

A graduate of Temple University in Pennsylvania and holding Google Ads and Analytics certifications, Jack plans, executes, optimizes, and reports on digital marketing campaigns for clients across a gamut of industries, including healthcare, banking and finance, retail, manufacturing, and more.

“Adept at managing complex clients and proactively seeking solutions and improvements to grow their businesses, Megan has consistently proven her skills in her account executive role,” said Pamela Soisson, chief operating officer. “She advocates for the client and the agency in balance and pushes both to elevate their game. She has earned the respect of clients and colleagues alike.”

About Jack, Soisson noted that, “regardless of the complexity of the task at hand, Kevin regularly demonstrates his skills and adaptiveness as a digital marketing specialist. He is adept at balancing campaign efficacy and industry best practices and is not afraid to think outside of the box and push the boundaries for new technologies.”

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, the region’s largest marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, is proud to announce the addition of four new team members, adding to the depth and expertise of its staff. The hires span multiple departments, including account services, media buying, and administration.

“We are always looking for top talent to join our growing team,” said Michelle Abdow, president. “Each of these four new members has a depth of expertise in our industry. They have already been serving up results for our clients, while also allowing us to accommodate new business.”

John Miarecki joined the agency as director of Growth and Development. A marketing guru with almost 15 years of experience in various roles, as well as degrees in marketing and psychology from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, he is tasked with assisting with business development, client services, internal operations and talent development.

Shawna Griffin is the agency’s new media planner/buyer, bringing with her two decades of experience in the field. A graduate of Hofstra University, she is adept at creating comprehensive media plans that drive action and results.

Erica Moulton joined the agency as an account executive with nearly 20 years of expertise in all things communications, including social media, public relations, referral relations, fundraising, account management, and more. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the Catholic University of America and has extensive expertise in the healthcare and nonprofit verticals.

Susan Mayhew made her return to Market Mentors as office manager, a position she previously held for four years before moving to Colorado and then South Carolina. With more than 25 years of business administration experience, she is responsible for office management, including financials (including accounts payable, accounts receivable, and reporting) and some human-resources duties.

Market Mentors partners with clients locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally across a range of industries, including automotive, banking and finance, education, energy, healthcare, home improvement, legal, manufacturing, nonprofit, political, and retail.

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, the region’s largest marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, announced the addition of a director of Agency Operations, Pam Soisson, a 30-year marketing veteran. This new position was created to provide guidance and day-to-day oversight as the agency grows.

“Pam brings a wealth of experience to this role,” company President Michelle Abdow said. “We are thrilled that she agreed to join our team and has already made a strong impact. She’s extremely methodical, seeking order and ways to improve efficiencies in process and procedures. This mindset, paired with leadership experience, makes her an especially effective member of our management team.”

Soisson most recently served as vice president of Marketing Strategy for Rebel Interactive Group in Southington, Conn. At Market Mentors, she is responsible for the development and success of both the agency’s team members and the agency itself.

With her strategic-planning acumen, Soisson prides herself on asking better questions to get to the heart of issues. “I love getting to the root of challenges so that we can develop the best solutions that lead to client growth,” she said. “I’m delighted to join the team of creative professionals at Market Mentors. They truly extend themselves to provide every client with exceptional service.”

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, the region’s largest marketing, advertising, and public-relations agency, announced it has received certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping women-owned businesses thrive and grow.

“We had previously received certification through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Because we have clients outside of the state, pursuing this national certification made sense,” company President Michelle Abdow said. “We’re honored to be a part of a group of such successful and driven women entrepreneurs.”

WBENC certification provides Market Mentors with access to a vast network of support, including targeted business opportunities and increased visibility in corporate and government supply chains, education, and development programs. It is also an approved third-party certifier for the SBA’s Women-Owned Small Business federal contracting program.

“This certification opens the door so we can pursue opportunities with government agencies and programs, public schools and universities, and companies with supplier diversity and inclusion programs,” Abdow explained.

WBENC certification validates that a business is at least 51% owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women. One or more women must have unrestricted control of the business, a demonstrated management of day-to-day operations, and a proportionate investment of capital or expertise. To become certified, business owners undergo a thorough vetting process, including review of business documentation and a site visit.

After working in media for more than a decade, Abdow founded Market Mentors in her home in 2003. Over the past 18 years, it has grown into a team of more than 20 professionals with multiple areas of expertise and breadth of experience across a range of industries.

SPRINGFIELD — Market Mentors, a marketing, advertising and public-relations agency, announced the addition of five new team members. The hires span multiple departments, including account services, copywriting, digital advertising, and public relations.

“Over the past year, our agency and our people have demonstrated their exceptional talents and resilience in the face of adversity,” company President Michelle Abdow said. “We are growing in every sense of the word and are excited to welcome these five new hires, each of whom brings a wealth of expertise.”

Elizabeth Barry joined the agency as a public-relations specialist. She has extensive experience gleaned from time spent producing morning news at FOX61 and WFSB in Hartford, Conn. A graduate of Endicott College and Southern New Hampshire University, Barry holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in communications. In her new role, she writes press releases as well as short- and long-form copy, and works to earn media opportunities for clients.

Chase Hoffman joined the team as an account executive. He possesses previous agency experience and is a graduate of Westfield State University, earning a communications degree with a public relations concentration.

Christopher Proulx joined the agency as a digital advertising specialist. A graduate of American International College and Westfield State University and holding Google Ads and Analytics certifications, he runs digital advertising campaigns on Google and across social-media channels. In addition, he researches and develops keyword strategies as part of SEO/SEM best practices.

David Smith joined the firm as a content writer, penning short- and long-form copy for digital and print placements, websites, blogs, and social media. After earning his degree in communications at the University of Connecticut, he worked in broadcast media at WWLP-22 News in Springfield and FOX61 in Hartford.

Sara West serves as an account director, leveraging her education at the University of Colorado at Denver and experience amassed from working her way up in the industry. Her primary responsibilities include managing accounts and creating, managing, and executing multi-channel marketing campaigns incorporating SEO, social media, inbound marketing, HubSpot, e-mail, mail, and print campaigns, as well as events to drive customer acquisition for clients.

“Beyond these wonderful new hires, our team continues to grow,” Abdow said. “We currently have other open positions, with plans to add more in the coming months.”

Market Mentors boasts a wide variety of clients in industries including automotive, banking and finance, education, energy, healthcare, home improvement, legal, manufacturing, nonprofit, political, and retail.