DMEF Announces 2009 'Rising Stars' and 'Corporate Commitment' Award Winners

Award Winners Demonstrate Commitment to Direct/Interactive Marketing

Honors Will Be Presented June 16 in New York City

New York, NY, March 27, 2009 — The Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) today announced the four winners of its 2009 Rising Stars Awards, and the one, prominent company that has earned its 2009 Corporate Commitment Award.

This year’s four Rising Stars are: Michael Becker, iLoop Mobile, Inc.; Gretchen Littlefield, Triplex Direct Marketing; Chuck Sharp, iCrossing; and David Ventresca, MAGHOUND Enterprises, Inc. This year’s Corporate Commitment Award winner is Litle & Co.

The Awards will be presented on Tuesday, June 16 at Bridgewaters, South Street Seaport in New York City during the DM Days New York Conference & Expo, which is being held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, June 16-18.

“Clearly, we hit a grand slam with this year's individual and corporate award winners, with our honorees not only representing the broad scope of career opportunities but also demonstrating the unique ways professionals are supporting education to ensure the future of the direct/interactive marketing field,” said Gary S. Laben, DMEF chairman and CEO of KnowledgeBase Marketing. “The Direct Marketing Educational Foundation’s sole mission is to ensure consistent, high-quality, market-ready talent among college and university students entering this field. Consistent with identifying excellence in the field, three years ago the DMEF introduced our Rising Stars Awards to honor the next generation of leadership in this field, specifically showcasing executives 40 years and younger representing the face of tomorrow’s leaders, and the corporation that sets the bar for nurturing generations of talent in this field.”

2009 DMEF Rising Stars Winners

This annual award honors professionals, 40 years of age or younger, for outstanding career achievements in the direct/interactive marketing field. The awards identify the rare executives who have demonstrated leadership abilities, the commitment to giving back through education, and those who mentor to support future generations in this field.

· Michael Becker, Vice President Mobile Strategies, Mobile Labs, iLoop Mobile, Inc. — Becker is a leader in the mobile marketing community, assuming the roles of entrepreneur, volunteer, and academic. He sits on the Mobile Marketing Association’s (MMA) North American Board of Directors, and is a member of DMA’s Annual Programming Advisory and Mobile Councils. In addition, he is an accomplished author and public speaker on mobile marketing. In 2007, Becker was awarded the MMA’s Individual Achievement Award for his contributions to the mobile marketing community.

· Gretchen Littlefield, President, Triplex Direct Marketing, an infoGroup company — With 16 years of expertise and a passion for fundraising, Littlefield is changing the way nonprofits communicate with donors as well as raise awareness and money for their cause. Her focus is on figuring out how the rising popularity of online social networks and the abundance of new marketing channels affect the direct response community and the world of nonprofits. In 2008 she launched an interactive division to address these needs. Currently, she serves as a co-chair for the DMA Nonprofit Federation 2010 DC Conference, and is on the Board of Directors for the Children of Uganda, a charity that provides support and education to orphans.

· Chuck Sharp, Managing Director of Analytics & Business Intelligence, iCrossing — With deep roots in direct and interactive marketing, Sharp founded his technology start-up, Sharp Analytics in 2001. He also began teaching entrepreneurship and lecturing on database marketing later that year. In 2007 Sharp sold his company to iCrossing, where he currently leads the analytics organization. He was recently published in the Journal of Integrated Marketing and was invited by Google to participate in their latest advisory meeting.

· David Ventresca, President, MAGHOUND Enterprises, Inc., Time Inc. — An 11-year veteran of Time Consumer Marketing Inc., Ventresca has led the end-to-end development of MAGHOUND for the past four years. He is a former chairperson and regular contributor to the Magazine Publisher’s of America’s (MPA) Internet Working group, and a frequent conference speaker at numerous events including MPA, FMA, and Circulation Management/Audience Development. He has also volunteered his time with Literacy Partners as a reading and writing tutor for adult learners.

2009 DMEF Corporate Commitment Winner

This award honors companies that regularly demonstrate a commitment to excellence in all areas of direct marketing education among new and upcoming talent, and that consistently participate in activities that foster and promote excellence — for today and tomorrow.

· Litle & Co. — Founded by DMA Hall of Fame member, Tim Litle, Litle & Co. is a leading provider of payment management services for businesses that sell directly to consumers through multichannel and internet retail, direct response marketing (TV, radio, and telephone), and online services. Experts in card-not-present transaction processing and merchant services, Litle & Co. is one of few companies dedicated to serving the payment management needs of direct sellers in card- and customer-not-present environments. Founded in 2001, and based in Lowell, Massachusetts, Litle & Co. is in high-growth mode- acknowledged by No. 1 rankings on both the Deloitte New England Technology Fast 50 and the Inc. 500 in 2006. Litle & Co.'s origins are deeply-rooted in value innovation which benefits direct-to-consumer merchants. Litle & Co.’s success is built upon a deep understanding of these highly specialized needs. This empathy comes from a commitment to education that begins with investment in its own people in the form of Litle University.

“Receiving a corporate leadership award based on commitment to education, and from an organization so near-and-dear to me is a special honor,” said Tim Litle, chairman and founder, Litle & Co. “The Corporate Commitment Award recognizes something we hold as a fundamental truth: we stimulate innovation when we understand real needs and apply solutions that are rooted in relevant learning.”

“We are grateful for this honor and the recognition of Litle & Co.’s commitment to education, the direct marketing community, and the sharing of best practices among merchants and individuals to enable direct merchants selling through all channels to grow their businesses predictably and profitably,” said Tom Litle, president and CEO, Litle & Co.

To reserve a table at the 2009 Rising Stars Awards Dinner, please click here.

DMEF will provide complimentary Rising Stars Awards Dinner registration for editorial staff of media outlets that cover education and multichannel direct-marketing related topics. To request press registration or for photos or further information on the Rising Stars winners, please email pressregistration@the-dma.org.

About Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF)

Headquartered in New York City, the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) works to attract, educate, and place top college students in the business of direct/interactive marketing and, thereby, expanding and enriching the talent pool of trained, market-ready direct marketers. Established in 1966 by members of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) who wanted to give something back to the community, DMEF is today a separate, 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that is supported solely by tax-deductible contributions from individuals, companies, and regional clubs and associations. Funds raised go toward a broad range of world-class educational programs.

Since its founding, thousands of students have taken advantage of DMEF’s educational programs, entering the field with the competitive edge of being “workplace-ready.” Many have gone on to become today’s direct marketing leaders, an indication of the Foundation’s success. In addition, more than 1,800 professors have participated in DMEF programs. Thanks in significant part to the Foundation’s four decades of work, today approximately 255 colleges and universities offer courses in direct/interactive marketing, 31 of which now offer specific direct marketing degrees and certificate programs. For additional information about the DMEF, its mission, and its programs, visit www.directworks.org.

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