Meet the Board

President

Hank is an author, speaker, podcast host and Sr. Manager of Client Success at iContact, a j2 Global company (Efax, PCMag, Mashable, IGN, Ziff Davis, Campaigner, and more). With a passion for all things digital and social, combined with more than 20 years of experience in sales and marketing, he has been dubbed the Digital Marketing Infotainer because he makes marketing fun and successful. You can reach Hank by emailing him at hank.hoffmeier@amatriangle.org.

President Elect

Hayden Brooks is a travel enthusiast, pop culture guru and fashion junkie! By day, Hayden is the Division Director of The Creative Group and works with hiring managers to place specialized creative, digital and marketing talent throughout the Triangle and the Triad. When she’s not working, volunteering with the AMA or in the community, you can find her exploring the Triangle nightlife and looking for her next travel adventure. You can reach Hayden at hayden.brooks@amatriangle.org.

Immediate Past President

Elizabeth Ruf is an integrated campaign & content marketing professional with more than 10 years of experience spanning a variety of industries, including nonprofits, higher education, marketing agencies, for-profit and startups. By day you’ll find Liz balancing client calls for her consulting firm with a midday yoga class. She is a constant do-gooder and is driven by excellent branding + the influence marketing can have on philanthropy. Driven by caffeine and good music, she loves the collaborative energy in the Triangle. Liz holds a bachelor’s degree from UNC Asheville and a Master of Public Administration from NC State. You can reach Liz by emailing her at elizabeth.ruf@amatriangle.org.

Chief Operating Officer

Victoria Centeno supports clients in the world of finance at the fin-tech startup Finexio. She’s an optimist and a hockey enthusiast. Fun fact, she’s been roller skating since she could walk and has her own pair of skates to this day! You can reach Victoria by emailing her at victoria.centeno@amatriangle.org.

Chief Strategy Officer

Through building her career in PR, digital marketing and analytics, Misty focuses on end-to-end strategy based on extensive analysis, psychology, interpersonal communication and an insatiable desire to learn. Though marketing will always be her passion, she sees the industry aligning itself with the tech and data world more and more every day. As a result, she works alongside Data Scientists at PRA Health Sciences during the day, while fulfilling her creative passions through her freelance and philanthropic work at night. You can reach Misty by emailing her at Misty.Wilson@amatriangle.org.

General Counsel

By day, John-Paul is a lawyer with Schick Law PC, which focuses on business law and commercial real estate. He reads and drafts a lot of contracts and helps clients buy, sell, lease and operate businesses and commercial properties. John-Paul is also a life coach with Schick Life & Leadership Coaching. He partners with people who are committed to creating their destiny. By night, John-Paul lives in Durham with his wife, Stacy, and their two sons, Xander and Sebastian. His degree in philosophy is from Davidson College, his law degree is from UNC-Chapel Hill, and his formal coach training was through Accomplishment Coaching. Born and raised in Venezuela, John-Paul is fluent in Spanish. And he is an avid rock fan, with an emphasis on 1980’s metal. You can reach John-Paul by emailing him at john-paul.schick@amatriangle.org.

Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Nicole Filippo is a communications manager at Elon University, where she applies her communications, marketing and event planning skills while supporting students in their academic careers. She previously served as AMA Triangle’s director of DEI and director of collegiate relations. Nicole is also a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and serves on the board of directors for the Meeting Professionals International Carolinas Chapter. You can reach Nicole at Nicole.Filippo@amatriangle.org.

Vice President of Employment Services

Known for her contagious enthusiasm, Sarah Finnerty loves live theatre and music, traveling, and laughing with friends. She is Senior Client Advisor at Kelaca, a local talent acquisition and advisory firm working nationally. She grew up in Houston, studied theatre at Austin College, and has lived in 13 cities in 9 states.

Vice President of External Communications

Rob Ainbinder is a digital brand marketer with a passion for marketing and the difference it can make in brand experiences for its customers. Rob is CEO of Why People Click (https://www.whypeopleclick.com), where he helps brands with digital brand strategy, SEO, PPC and web site design. Rob holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. You can contact Rob via email at rob.ainbinder@amatriangle.com.

Vice President, Partnerships

Chuck Hester is a nationally renowned executive LinkedIn trainer and speaker who helps clients get the most out of LinkedIn. He works with organizations to help them build Corporate Social Responsibility programs and build brand equity with the communities they serve. Chuck is also Co-Founder of the Pay it Forward Tuesdays Initiative, and the virtual marketing agency, A Purpose Partnership. To reach Chuck, email him at chuck.hester@amatriangle.org.

Vice President, Internal Communications

Tarah is an accomplished marketing communications professional with a background that encompasses strategy, storytelling, web development, email marketing, public relations and event management. She also works as an adjunct instructor teaching strategic writing and storytelling to area college students. Prior to joining the board as vice president of internal communications, Tarah served as director of email marketing for AMA Triangle.

Vice President, Programming

Jennifer Best brings nearly two decades of leadership experience in digital and demand marketing to her role as the Vice President of Marketing for AAE Speakers Bureau. Joining the AAE team in March 2020, Best was part of the organization’s coordinated and successful effort to shift product offerings to support virtual events in response to the pandemic.

Prior to joining the AAE team, Best managed high-performing digital marketing teams in both the healthcare tech and cybersecurity industries. Best began her career as an SBA-award-winning entrepreneur for her digital marketing agency, Lewis Web Creations, where she helped hundreds of small, home-based, and non-profit businesses with online marketing and web design services. She received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Delaware.

Vice President, Membership

Emily Almasy is a strategic marketing planner and communications manager with 25+ years of experience across a wide range of industries including professional services, health care, technology, pharma, medical device and emerging markets. Her expertise extends to corporate and product branding, marketing strategy & planning for B2B and B2C organizations, digital strategies, advertising and social media.

By day, Emily is the director of business development at Nexsen Pruet, a southeast regional law firm where she supports attorneys and their clients in all of their varied communications needs. When she isn’t working, Emily and her husband Pete are traveling to visit their college-age daughters, organizing local youth lacrosse events, going to movies and concerts or playing with their border collie Roxy at their home in Raleigh.

Chief Financial Officer