DMA Leadership Team

Bob Allen is interim president and chief executive officer for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA today represents nearly 3,100 companies from vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies.

A seasoned marketing executive, Allen previously served as president and chief executive officer of The Vermont Country Store, a multichannel retailer of hard-to-find products. Beginning as assistant to the president in 1982, he advanced to president in 1994 earning the distinction of the first non-family president of the business. He is credited with The Vermont Country Store's evolution from strictly traditional media to digital.

Allen currently serves as a director for six companies: Gardeners Supply; Cuddledown; Susan Sargent Designs; JK Adams; Danforth Pewterers; and Kalow Technologies. In 2004, he received the lifetime achievement award from Catalog Success Magazine, and another in 2008, from the New England Mail Order Association (NEMOA). He is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island.

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Linda A. Woolley is executive vice president of government affairs for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA today represents nearly 3,100 companies from vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies.

In this role, Woolley is responsible for strategically managing DMA’s advocacy, legislative, and political efforts, supporting its overall business and marketing objectives, and building upon DMA’s significant position in the greater marketing community and the business world at large. She also works to establish strong working relationships with DMA members and influential external constituencies, including the Administration and federal, state, and local government officials.

Prior to joining DMA in August 2008, Woolley was the principal of LegisLaw, a full-service public affairs and government relations consulting firm that she founded in 1999. The firm specialized in lobbying, particularly in the tax and trade areas, and in providing PAC-related services. Clients included Fortune 500 companies and trade associations from a wide range of industries, including transportation, manufacturing, chemicals, healthcare, energy, building materials, banking, and defense.

Woolley, who is an attorney, has extensive government relations experience, having worked for Congress, a trade association, and two Fortune 200 corporations. She began her career working on environmental legislation, and over the years has worked on a wide range of legislative and regulatory issues, including tax, trade, pension, health, energy, defense, and communications.

From 1995 to 1999, Woolley was director of public affairs for ITT Industries (a spin-off company of ITT Corporation) where she managed the company’s Washington office, lobbying on issues of critical importance. Prior to that, she was director of public affairs for ITT Corporation from 1983 to 1995, where she was a lobbyist and chairman of the corporation’s PAC. She participated as an auditor in ITT Corporation’s environmental auditing program and worked extensively with the United Nations Environmental Programme. Woolley has also held senior positions with the US Chamber of Commerce and the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Health & Environment.

Woolley holds a B.A. in Government from Hamilton College and a Juris Doctorate from American University in Washington, DC.

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Terri L. Bartlett is the president of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF). In this role, Bartlett oversees all aspects of the Foundation, which works to attract, educate, and place top college students by continuously improving the teaching of world-class direct/interactive marketing, thereby expanding and enriching the talent pool of trained, market-ready multichannel direct marketers.

Prior to joining DMEF in August 2006, Bartlett was the executive director and founder of the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF). There, she established core national initiatives, including The Toy Bank, the first industry-wide program of its kind, which delivered more than five million new toys to America’s disadvantaged and at-risk children; The Power of Play program, a curriculum-based grassroots effort to ensure play opportunities for homeless children; and the National Play & Learning Initiative, a partnership with children's museums, serving children and their families in the nation’s neediest neighborhoods.

From 1996 to 2003, Bartlett served as vice president of communications at the Toy Industry Association, pioneering proactive communications activities on behalf of the American toy industry.

Bartlett previously served as vice president for Robert Marston and Associates, Inc., where she created and managed consumer marketing communications programs for The Dial Corporation and environmental awards programs. She has also held public relations positions at The Rowland Company and Ruder-Finn.

Bartlett holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising/communications from Texas Tech University, and a Foundation Fundraising & Administration certificate from New York University.

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Sue R.E. Geramian is senior vice president and chief communications officer at the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), which is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. Geramian is responsible for all media and public relations activities at DMA including member communications. She also oversees DMA’s public, communications and media relations activities with regard to its Government Affairs, Consumer Affairs, and Corporate & Social Responsibility programs, as well as for the DMA’s Nonprofit Federation (DMANF) and the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF).  Geramian is also the publishing director of DMA’s online publication Point. DMA today represents nearly 3,100 companies from vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies.

Before joining DMA in July 2007, Geramian served as senior vice president of corporate communications for Bertelsmann’s Bookspan. Prior to that, she was vice president of corporate communications at Gruner + Jahr USA Publishing, where she oversaw corporate communications and publicity activities. She created and administered Bertelsmann’s US magazine division’s Community Giving activities.

Previously, Geramian was vice president and director in the marketing practice of Burson-Marsteller, where she provided strategic counseling in business-to-business issues and consumer product publicity, and directed projects for diverse premier global clients.

Prior to Burson-Marsteller, Geramian was director of marketing and public relations for Lister Butler, a brand identity consultancy. She also managed public relations for Advertising Age, overseeing publicity efforts, conference planning, publisher support, and special events.

Geramian is an active member of Women in Communications, Advertising Women of New York (AWNY), and the Business Marketing Association. She serves as co-chair of AWNY’s public relations committee and was also a member of the public relations committee for the Magazine Publishers of America. Geramian has also been a special guest lecturer at Columbia University and New York University. Currently, she serves on the planning/media advisory board of S.K.I.P. of New York, an organization dedicated to helping families of chronically ill children, and she is one of the founding committee members of P.O.P./Punch Out Parkinson’s, a group committed to raising awareness of the disease among the media community. In 2007, Geramian was named Working Mother of the Year by AWNY and Working Mother magazine.

Geramian holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Emerson College.

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Senny Boone is DMA’s Senior Vice President for Corporate & Social Responsibility. In this role, she leads the DMA’s self-regulatory programs, including the DMA’s Ethics Policy Committee, Ethics Operating & its recently established Committee on Corporate & Social Responsibility, each comprised of top marketing experts providing guidance on responsible marketing practices. She works with the leadership of the DMA to provide multichannel marketing best practices through DMA conferences, publications and other educational resources to DMA’s membership and offering world-class self-regulatory solutions and initiatives for the direct marketing community to ensure consumer choices are honored. Additionally, Boone oversees the DMA Nonprofit Federation (DMANF), an organization of nearly 400 nonprofit organizations and 90 fundraising and marketing companies.

Boone has been involved in legal, public policy and legislative work in Washington D.C. for over 17 years after receiving her Juris Doctor from Catholic University with a specialized focus on communications and First Amendment law. Boone is a member of the DC and NJ State Bars and has served on the Postal Service’s Mailers Technical Advisory Committee, Independent Sector, and the ASAE’s legal section. She graduated from Temple University’s School of Communications and Theatre with a degree in Journalism. She lives in Southern Maryland with her husband and daughter.

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Jerry Cerasale is senior vice president of government affairs for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). In this role, Cerasale represents the multichannel marketing community’s policymaking interests on Capitol Hill and before key federal agencies, including the US Postal Service (USPS) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Cerasale began his legal and government relations career in the USPS’s legal department. He served for 12 years at the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) in a number of advisory roles, including seven years as legal advisor to PRC Chairman Janet Steiger. He then became attorney/advisor to FTC Chairman Janet Steiger. Immediately before joining DMA in 1995, Cerasale was deputy general counsel for the US House of Representatives Committee on Post Office and Civil Service.

Currently, Cerasale is secretary/treasurer of The Mailers Council’s Board of Directors. He has also been a member of FTC’s Advisory Committee on Online Access, and vice chairman of the Postal Matters Subsection of the Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Section of the American Bar Association.

Cerasale holds a juris doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in government and economics from Wesleyan University. He served in the US Army from 1970 to 1972.

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Kenneth P. Ebeling serves as senior vice president of member and segment services at the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). Ebeling, who has been a valued member of the DMA team for more than 20 years, spearheads membership loyalty initiatives aimed at delivering superior customer service. This includes enhancing segmented value propositions through DMA Special Interest Councils, and creating new and innovative ways to engage members with DMA.

With his extensive expertise in membership development, Ebeling brings a deep understanding of DMA’s diverse membership base to his work. Focused on achieving a “360-degree” view of the DMA membership benefits, Ebeling provides members with a richer understanding of the many advantages DMA membership offers to representatives of the multichannelled direct marketing community.

Prior to joining DMA in 1984, Ebeling held a variety of sales and marketing positions with JBS Financial Services. He began his career as a math and economics instructor at the college preparatory level.

Ebeling holds an MBA in finance from Fordham University, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Colgate University.

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Julie A. Hogan is senior vice president, conferences and education services for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), where she oversees DMA's rich array of conference offerings, attended by thousands of professionals each year.

Hogan came to DMA in 2005. She was promoted to vice president in 2006 and to her current position in 2007. She brought to DMA leadership skills and experience drawn from more than 10 years in the field of marketing and events, during which she spearheaded a wide range of activities, from boutique events to major convention center conferences and tradeshows.

Hogan has received awards and honors for her leadership in programming large-scale conferences. Events under Hogan’s direction have been featured in publications such as BtoB Magazine, Crain’s Chicago Business, and DM News. She also has served as a contributing events expert for industry publications such as Expo Magazine.

Prior to joining DMA, Hogan served as director of events for CMP Media, where she oversaw a suite of large-scale conferences, tradeshows, and educational events, including one of the largest information security events in the country. Hogan also oversaw CMP’s entire educational seminar business. Before CMP, she worked for Warner Bros. Studios and Courtroom Television Network.

Hogan holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Regis University in Denver, CO.

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Jodie Sangster is senior vice president of global development & education services for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), where she provides a valued member benefit, providing training and education to DMA members in all areas of compliance and self-regulation by launching and managing a comprehensive global educational platform.

Sangster came to DMA in 2008 with an extensive background in legislation and compliance, as well as expertise and leadership in international marketing.  She has previously held roles in both the UK and Australian Direct Marketing Associations. 

Most recently, Sangster was in-house legal counsel and chief privacy and compliance officer for Acxiom Asia Pacific, where she was responsible for internal legal advice, services, and compliance throughout the Asia Pacific region including China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand.  Prior to her role at Acxiom Asia Pacific, she served five years as the director of legal and regulatory affairs at the Australian Direct Marketing Association.

Sangster holds a law degree from Kingston University in London, a master’s degree in law from University College London, London University, and has been admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.  

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Bob Greco is vice president of finance and controller for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), where he oversees all financial accounting and forecasting.

He brings to DMA budget and cost control expertise and provides regular business analysis, advice, and reports to management.  Prior to joining DMA in 1991, Greco served four years as a manager of budget and cost control for Enterprise Property Management Inc., a subsidiary of New Jersey Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

In that role he prepared and controlled multi-million dollar operating and facility budgets as well as controlled all capital and corporate projects and leasehold improvements.  Before Enterprise Property Management Inc. he held a number of finance positions at Sullivan & Cromwell.  He was promoted to his current position at DMA in 2008.

Greco holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and taxation from Pace University, and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from St. John’s University.

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Marie A. Adolphe is vice president of programming at the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF). In this role, Adolphe oversees DMEF’s program development and implementation, academic research, and image and promotion pertaining to the direct / interactive marketing community.

Adolphe’s interpersonal and management skills garnered from her 15-year career in human resources empower her to advance the Foundation’s mission of promoting direct / interactive marketing instruction on college campuses. Adolphe nurtures and develops relationships with professors at colleges and universities nationwide, helping facilitate the teaching of direct / interactive marketing and attracting new talent to the direct / interactive marketing profession.

Prior to joining DMEF in August 2007, Adolphe was instrumental in attracting and developing talent for a variety of organizations, and has worked with numerous schools, helping them prepare students for entrance into the workplace. She served as director of human resources at the corporate office of Bookspan, where she provided direction and support on a wide array of issues, including: talent acquisition and retention, management development, and employee relations. She began her career at the Park Central Hotel, where she worked in all areas of human resources, including recruiting, training, and labor relations.

Adolphe, a certified Senior Human Resources Professional, holds an MBA in organizational behavior from Pace University and bachelor’s degrees in both hotel administration and French literature from the University of New Hampshire.

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Ron Barnes is vice president of state affairs for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), where he represents the Association in issues of state advocacy. Barnes joined DMA in April 2007, as part of DMA’s ongoing efforts to expand the breadth of its advocacy capabilities.

Barnes came to DMA from CTIA–The Wireless Association, where he managed the organization’s state regulatory advocacy. Earlier at CTIA, he led the implementation of Section 225 (the disability access provision of the Telecommunication Act of 1996) and worked on CTIA’s industry and consumer education efforts on wireless phone and base station health effects.

Prior to joining CTIA, Barnes was a legislative affairs specialist with Holland & Knight LLP, where he focused on legislative and regulatory activities in the telecommunications, environment, and health care sectors. Previously, he served on the staff of US Senator Lauch Faircloth (R-NC).

Barnes holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina.

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Jerry Longo, CMP is vice president, Logistics and Operations where he oversees all operational aspects of DMA’s events. 

Longo came to DMA in 2006.  He was promoted to executive director in 2007 and to his current position in 2008.  Longo is a 22-year veteran in the conventions, meetings and events industry with an active and strong presence across various industry associations.  He maintains a board of director seat with Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and has been an active member for over fifteen years.  Longo has made a lifetime investment in his career by pursuing continuing education and has earned his CMP (Certified Meeting Planner) and CEM (Certified Exhibit Manager) credentials.  

Longo began his conventions and meetings career at Reed Exhibitions in 1987 and held multiple positions in event operations over a 5-year span.  Longo then spent the next 11-years working for a global medical device company where he built a conventions and meetings department to support their annual schedule of over 400 events. 

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Paul A. McDonnough is vice president, conferences and events for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), where he oversees the rich array of conference offerings, primarily all C-level forums and DMA’s Annual Conference, the global event for integrated marketing.

McDonnough came to DMA in 2004 with leadership skills from over 10 years of investment management and public affairs experience in both the public and private sector industries.  He was promoted to his current position in 2008.

Prior to DMA, McDonnough served as vice president/public-private sector development director for the Institute for International Research where he was responsible for the financial, creative, and strategic management and development of the public sector division.  Before the Institute for International Research, he worked for the Students for America Inc. Foundation, The Bank of New York, and Marriot Corp.

McDonnough holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Miami.

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Neil C. O’Keefe is vice president of the catalog and multichannel merchant segment for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), where he acts as the liaison between all DMA functions and capabilities, and its catalog and multichannel merchant segment.

He brings to DMA an extensive background in Internet marketing, catalog circulation, and database marketing, helping to provide the catalog and multichannel merchant segment’s membership with more relevant, focused, and timely access to DMA and its core assets in advocacy, self-regulation, education, research, and networking opportunities.

Before joining DMA in 2008, O’Keefe was vice president of marketing for Spiegel Brands where he redesigned the company’s planning processes by incorporating customer channel preference and increased Internet marketing investment.  Prior to that role, he served six years as the divisional vice president at Newport News.

O’Keefe began his career as a manger at Hanover Direct, and in the following years took on senior leadership positions at companies such as Spiegel Group in New York and Regal Greetings and Gifts in Toronto, Ontario.  

O’Keefe holds an MBA from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Saint John’s University.

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Lee Shufro is vice president of sales for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), which is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques.  DMA today represents nearly 3,100 companies from vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies.

Prior to joining DMA, Shufro served as vice president of everyday spend in the establishment services division of American Express, where he oversaw the company’s key strategic relationships with its largest US retail merchants in the Mass Merchant, Supermarket, Drug Store, and Oil/Gas industries.  In addition to cultivating and deepening American Express merchant relationships with these strategic accounts, he also managed key retail association partnerships with organizations such as the National Association of Convenience Stores and SIGMA.

Prior to that role, Shufro gained significant sales leadership experience serving as vice president of the US International Payments business for American Express.  Before joining American Express, he served as director of sales with Cendant Corporation, now Trilegiant.  He began his career with Cendant at Entertainment Publications as an account executive.   

Shufro holds an MBA from Cornell’s Johnson School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan.

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Rachel Nyswander Thomas is vice president of government affairs for the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). In this role, Thomas represents the multichannel marketing community’s policymaking interests on Capitol Hill and before key federal agencies.

Thomas came to DMA from The McGraw-Hill Companies, where she served most recently as manager for privacy and government affairs. In that role, she advocated the corporation’s agenda before federal policymakers on issues relating to privacy, data security, behavioral advertising, environmental and “do not promote” legislation. She also held chief responsibility for business compliance with the corporation’s customer privacy policy, auditing worldwide operations and providing regulatory compliance consultation to a global corps of privacy officials. In previous roles at McGraw-Hill, Thomas managed the corporation's global gender equity initiative and its multiple mentoring programs, serving as an internal consultant to a grass-roots infrastructure of regional networks on four continents.

Prior to joining McGraw-Hill, Thomas served as director of programs and projects for the Women Faculty Forum (WFF) at Yale University, developing and expanding programs to promote gender equity and conducting policy research to advance WFF advocacy on issues of mentoring, diversity, faculty development and family-friendly workplace policies.

Thomas holds a BA degree in Humanities from Yale University. She earned her Certified International Privacy Professional (CIPP) certification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals in 2008.

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Serenity Edwards
Director, Corporate & Social Responsibility

Rachael Feigenbaum
Group Show Director

Karina Pena Garcia
Senior Director, Marketing

Andrew Lazar
Director, Applications & Database Development

Helen Lee
Senior Director, Nonprofit Federation

Yasmin Melendez
Group Show Director

Jeanne Murphy
Director of Development, DMEF

Margaret Mulvihill
Director, Office of the President & Board Administration

Barbara Parker
Director, Awards Programs

Donna LoPorto
Director, National Sales for Conference & Events

Christopher Quinn
Executive Director, Nonprofit Federation

Lisa Merizio Smith
Director, Segment Services

Larry Worthey
Assistant Director, Creative Services

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