EPOCH 5 - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President at Epoch 5 Public Relations
Audrey Cohen is a vice president at Epoch 5 Public Relations and has more than 30 years of public relations experience working with some of the world's most recognizable brands in the fashion, consumer goods and consumer healthcare industries. Her experience in both the PR agency and corporate side enabled Audrey to acquire the skills and reputation for being a solid counsel who can deliver impactful results to her clients.
Audrey began her career in New York at DeVries Public Relations, a prominent fashion and beauty boutique PR firm, where she honed her skills as a highly creative and dedicated communications professional. Brooks Brothers, Jantzen Swimwear, 1-800-FLOWERS, The Lee Company, QVC, Fisher Price, and Ermenegildo Zegna are among the many clients she served.
After seven years at DeVries, Audrey was brought into Sara Lee Branded Apparel's corporate public relations department to manage the PR initiatives for its Hanes Hosiery, Donna Karan and DKNY Legwear brands. While with Sara Lee, she also managed the publicity efforts in support of Hanes Hosiery's Tina Turner national marketing campaign and U.S. concert tour.
As a vice president in the Consumer Marketing division at GCI Group, a worldwide communications company voted Agency of the Year 2000 by Inside PR magazine, Audrey was tasked with applying her knowledge and expertise of the fashion and lifestyle arena to develop and execute a PR program to spearhead a consumer education program targeting women on Internet Health resources for chip maker giant, Intel. Audrey was also responsible for mounting the nationwide, over-the-counter launch of a leading allergy medication for Pharmacia & Upjohn, who then named Audrey a member of their Core Business Team. The program earned Audrey multiple industry accolades including a 1997 CIPRA nomination and two GCI Group President's Awards.
While heading up her own public relations consulting business, Audrey was again brought in by Sara Lee Branded Apparel to manage PR initiatives for all of its leading hosiery brands including its noted L'eggs label, while also managing a client portfolio including Bayer One-a-Day, Flonase, Snapple, Sam Adams, Microsoft Network Explorer, and more.
Today, Audrey is a vice president at Epoch 5 Public Relations, voted Best PR Firm on Long Island for 14 straight years, where she currently spearheads all public relations initiatives for Bethpage Federal Credit Union, New York State's largest credit union. In this role, she also spearheads all public relations outreach supporting New York State's largest public event, the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach, working closely with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. In 2012, Audrey received the inaugural Public Relations Professionals of Long Island 2012 PR Campaign of the Year Award for her work on the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach.
Audrey has extensive cause-related marketing experience including managing the Jantzen Clean Water Campaign, a nationwide program designed to raise money and awareness for environmental groups. For Hanes Hosiery, she spearheaded and acted as spokesperson for the Glamour/Hanes Hand-in-Hand Breast Health Education Program, a national program designed to empower young women to take charge of their breast health.
A graduate of the State University of New York at Albany with a B.A. degree in Communications, Audrey is a member of the Public Relations Professionals of Long Island. She currently resides in Plainview, NY, with her husband and two daughters.
With more than a decade of PR experience, Jackie brings to Epoch 5 a specialization in enterprise technology and business-to-business (B2B), having worked in key industries including telecommunications, computing equipment, IT security, managed services, and CRM/supply chain management.
Before joining Epoch 5, Jackie was the Director of Public Relations for Scott Cooper Associates, a Long Island based marketing firm where she oversaw PR initiatives for Samsung Business Communications Systems.
Jackie also spent many years in New York City with public relations agencies Cohn & Wolfe and Weber Shandwick, two of the largest and most respected in the world. Jackie spearheaded campaigns for brands including: Panasonic, HP Services, ADP, Unisys, Telcordia Technologies, and Internet Security Systems (now a part of IBM). Her work was often recognized with leading industry awards including PRWeek, SABRE, and PRSA Silver Anvil.
As part of her work for Panasonic, Jackie also gained extensive experience in government relations including GSA contracting. She managed PR efforts to support Panasonic's line of rugged notebook computers - Toughbooks - in the federal government sector working with top-level government employees.
Jackie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Loyola University in Maryland. She currently resides in East Islip, NY with her husband and two young children.
James has worked as a graphic designer with Epoch 5 for more than ten years. He brings a versatile set of design skills to a range of client projects that includes logos, print and digital ads, brochures, websites, tradeshow collateral, presentation materials, and much more.
A graduate of Syracuse University, James spent seven years in Rochester, NY working with clients such as Kodak, Xerox, Chase, and Citibank. Additional clients include companies in the horticulture, communications, education, and music industries, as well as many non-profits.
James is also an active freelance jazz and funk saxophone player and a regular member of the Interplay Jazz Orchestra.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President Marketing & Technology
Kathleen has written and managed award-winning projects for a wide variety of clients in professional services including law, accounting and architecture, and such industries as real estate, telecommunications, entertainment, cosmetics and fitness. Her relationships with business, trade and general interest reporters allows her to place clients in directly targeted media as well as collateral publications, both online and in print.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Marketing Committee of United Way of Long Island
- Senior Vice President, Accounts
For more than three decades, Lloyd has implemented successful public relations and issues management campaigns for a broad variety of Epoch 5 client organizations. As Senior Vice President, Accounts, he also provides guidance on client relations while overseeing Epoch 5's print and online marketing efforts.
Lloyd's main area of concentration is real estate and clients who have benefitted from his experience include Rechler Equity Partners, R Squared, Soundview Realty Group, Triumph Construction, The Shorenstein Company, Ted Weiss Associates, The Holiday Organization, Judlau Contracting, and Emmy Building.
In addition to real estate, Lloyd has served many of the region's largest not-for-profit organizations and museums, including the Nassau County Museum of Art, The Heckscher Museum, the Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages, Long Island Children's Museum, and Friends for Long Island's Heritage.
Lloyd also has extensive experience providing public relations and marketing services to trade associations, assisted living facilities, national franchise accounts, and tristate businesses. Current and past clients he has represented include King Kullen Grocery Co., SterlingRisk Insurance, The Garden City Hotel, Helen Keller Services, Sunrise Assisted Living, Harbor House Assisted Living, Summit Security Services, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and PizzaRev.
A graduate of Queens College and a member of the Marketing Committee of United Way of Long Island, Lloyd is a seasoned crisis management counselor. He has helped Epoch 5 clients with crises involving labor issues, employee misconduct, wrongful arrest, fire, fraud, food tampering, in-store accidents and injuries, diversity and discrimination lawsuits, and leadership succession. Whether helping to restore integrity at a professional firm or coaching clients on media preparedness, Lloyd has provided invaluable counsel to some of Epoch 5's largest clients.
Job Titles:
- Strategic Relations Manager
Mark L. Smith has nearly 30 years experience as a skilled communicator with extensive experience in media, government, community affairs and public relations. This includes serving as editor of the Suffolk County News and Islip Bulletin on Suffolk's south shore, covering local municipal and community issues, and as press secretary to former Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, managing media and communications for countywide agencies.
In that role - along with the daily media interaction on breaking news - he planned and executed numerous press conferences, background briefings and media events that included other elected officials and community stakeholders, such as the installation of solar carports, the development of next-generation housing in Patchogue, and the creation of an industrial park sensitive to community needs at Westhampton Airport.
His background also includes managing constituent services in a Suffolk County Legislative district office, and more than a dozen years in agency public relations serving national manufacturers of consumer and industrial/construction products. With Epoch 5, Mark's projects have included managing community outreach, government relations and business-to-business communications for clients such as NRAD Medical Associates, The Ketcham Group, and Intelligent Product Solutions.
Mark grew up in Sayville and lives today in Patchogue; his spare time typically involves the water, baseball or reading political history.
With nearly a decade of PR experience, Sarah specializes in the development of social media content at Epoch 5 and coordinates outreach and press release distribution to secure client coverage in print and digital media.
Prior to joining Epoch 5, Sarah spent several years in New York City with public relations agencies where she managed the portfolios of B2B, travel, and hospitality clients. During this period, she gained extensive experience in the B2B and financial services sectors, managing press tours and supporting company rebrands. She also had the opportunity to refine her social media and influencer marketing skills by leading strategy and executing partnerships for properties such as LEGOLAND, Hyatt and Hilton resorts, and spirits brand Buffalo Trace.