About The Authors
Merry K. Elrick
A 30-year public relations and marketing communications veteran, Merry founded one of the first integrated marketing communications agencies, Elrick Business Communications Inc. (EBC) in 1990.
She recently sold EBC and now focuses her attention on DataDriven MarCom Inc., a company she founded in 2003. DataDriven MarCom provides B2B marketers with full-service metric management of the data they need to determine the ROI of their communications.
An Addy, Tower, Pro-Comm, Tranny, Spectra and Silver Quill award winner, Elrick created the first nationwide broadcast and print campaigns for Wendy’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers.
Elrick is a former member of the board of directors of District 4 of IABC, a past president of the Chicago chapter of IABC, and a member of the Business Marketing Association.
Angela Jeffrey, APR
Angela is a multiple Silver Anvil/Gold Quill award-winning PR veteran. Nine years ago, her Houston, Texas-based PR firm developed PRtrak, the first affordable DIY solution to media analysis. In 2002, her firm was acquired by Surveillance Data Inc., an international analytics firm. As VP of the PRtrak division, Angela expanded databases and worked with colleagues to research the link between PR outputs and business outcomes through a new metric, “Share of Discussion.” In September 2005, VMS acquired the PRtrak division from SDI. Angela now represents VMS in the PR measurement community, and is working with VMS researchers to probe links between both paid and non-paid media and business success.
Angela Sinickas, ABC
Angela is the president of Sinickas Communications Inc., an international consulting firm dedicated to helping corporations achieve business results through focused diagnostics and practical solutions.
A pioneer in the field of organizational communication measurement, Angela has been measuring the effectiveness of communication since 1981. Her prolific publications and speaking engagements in 15 countries have made her name synonymous with measurement of organizational communication. She is the author of the manual How to Measure Your Communication Programs, a regular columnist for the magazine Strategic Communication Management, and on the editorial boards of two professional journals.
Angela’s work has been recognized with 14 IABC Gold Quill Awards.
Don W. Stacks
Dr. Stacks received his Ph.D. in communication studies from the University of Florida. He has earned numerous academic and professional awards for teaching and research, including Professor of the Year and Provost’s Award for Scholarly Activity. His professional recognitions include the Pathfinder Award for programmatic research, the Jackson Jackson and Wagner Behavioral Science Prize for applied research, and the Public Relations Society of America’s Educator of the Year award. His background is based primarily in corporate/governmental public relations and consulting. He has authored or edited numerous books, book chapters and articles. His most recent works are in the area of public relations measurement and evaluation and include the Primer of Public Relations Research and the Dictionary of Public Relations Research and Evaluations.
Ryan Williams
Ryan is president of twisurveys Inc. He specializes in behavioral and organizational research. He has eight years of experience with corporate, government and nonprofit clients internationally.
He speaks at conferences on surveying strategies and techniques for balanced scorecards, change management and employee engagement. He has spoken both internationally and nationally, as well as at local universities and colleges.
Ryan has received a number of awards for his client work. In 2004 he was part of a team recognized by the Public Relations Institute with their international Golden Ruler award of excellence. Ryan has also won an IABC Gold Quill Award of Excellence, Canadian Silver Leaf Award of Excellence and an IABC/BC Blue Wave Award of Excellence.