The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Volunteer Chapter has elected the 2026 board of directors. The following individuals will serve for the 2026 calendar year and lead the largest association of communications professionals in East Tennessee.
The 2026 elected board of directors is as follows:
President
Monica Sutton, M.S.
Sutton leads integrated communications for Our PLACE Adult Day Center in Loudon and serves on its board of directors. In this role, she helps advance Our PLACE’s mission to provide enriching, person-centered activities for adults living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, while also offering caregivers vital respite, education, and emotional support.
Immediate Past President
Joseph “Joe” Stabb, PhD, APR
Stabb is an assistant professor of practice in the Tombras School of Advertising & Public Relations and an administrative fellow in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he teaches public relations and data analytics. Stabb has over 20 years of professional and academic experience spanning industries in over 35 countries.
Secretary
Jennifer Loveday
Loveday is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with nearly 20 years of experience supporting brand marketing, creative production, and project management for Fortune 500 companies. She currently supports global content operations at Warner Bros. Discovery, where she oversees large-scale visual asset workflows for streaming, merchandising, and programming partners.
Treasurer
Gail Rymer, APR, Fellow PRSA
Rymer is the principal and owner of Gail Rymer Strategic Communications, based in Knoxville. Before starting her consulting business in 2019, she worked for 45 years in corporate communications, managing multi-site communications and community relations programs.
Board Members At-Large
Travis Brickey
Brickey is an experienced communications and social media leader with more than three decades of work across corporate, government, and media environments. He currently serves as social media team lead for the Tennessee Valley Authority, where he oversees strategy, content development, governance, and brand storytelling for the nation’s largest public-power provider and the third-largest power company in the United States.
Mariel De Moya
De Moya is a marketing and communications leader specializing in nonprofit and community impact. She has 15 years of experience in communications and is the founder of Marea Creative Studio to help nonprofits and small businesses strengthen their brands. Her career includes leadership roles at United Way of Greater Knoxville, Florida International University’s College of Business, and the University of Miami, where she led major campaigns, brand initiatives, and high-impact creative projects that elevated visibility and engagement.
Jeff Gary, APR
Gary is the division director for creative services at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Jeff has more than 25 years of public relations experience, including more than 15 years in the higher education field.
Susan Lauver, APR
Lauver is a senior communications strategist whose work has been recognized nationally by PRSA, the Nuclear Energy Institute, the National Association of Government Communicators, the International Association of Business Communicators, and others.
Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA
For more than four decades, McCormick has provided strategic communications for the government’s largest public affairs programs and corporate and non-profit clients. His specialized training and experience in risk communication, coupled with the strategy he brings to communication programs, have produced award-winning campaigns. In addition, his consumer experience with Scripps Networks, parent company of cable networks HGTV, Food Network, DIY Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel, and Great American Country, provides a wide range of experience in promotion, as well as issues management. Gary has served as the Chair/CEO of PRSA in 2010, the President of the PRSA Foundation in 2005 and 2006, and the co-chair of the Champions for PRSSA since 2003. Gary was recognized by PRSA with its Gold Anvil Award in 2023, the Patrick Jackson Distinguished Service Award in 2015, and the David Ferguson Award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Relations Education in 2006. His alma mater inducted him into the inaugural class of Colorado State University’s Media Hall of Fame in 2011.
David Norman
Norman is an assistant professor of practice in the Tombras School of Advertising & Public Relations at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has more than 25 years of hands-on experience and expertise in the public relations field as the owner and managing director of a New York-based public relations and crisis management firm. He is also the Co-Faculty Director of the school’s new student-run agency, The Orange Room.
Chelsey Riemann, APR
Riemann is the Communications Manager for HGTV based in the Knoxville headquarters for Warner Bros. Discovery. She joined the HGTV public relations team in 2017 and is responsible for managing national media campaigns on behalf of the network's series and high-profile talent. Her efforts have led to coverage in top broadcast, print and digital outlets including Today, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Drew Barrymore Show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, People Magazine and TV Guide.
Ashley Walker
Walker is a senior social media specialist at Tennessee Valley Authority. She has a decade of experience in social media management and content creation.
“I’m excited to lead the Volunteer Chapter in 2026,” states Sutton, president. “At a time of rapid change in our profession, my goal is to ensure the chapter remains relevant, responsive, and valuable to every member.”
The PRSA Volunteer Chapter looks forward to an exciting year of growth, collaboration, and advancing the public relations profession across East Tennessee.
For more information about the PRSA Volunteer Chapter, visit https://volunteerprsa.org/.
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About PRSA Volunteer Chapter
The PRSA Volunteer Chapter was established in 1973 in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the leading professional organization serving the communications community through a network of more than 400 professional and student chapters in the U.S., Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Puerto Rico. Guided by its Code of Ethics, PRSA empowers members at every stage of their careers through professional development, networking and leadership opportunities. For more information, visit www.prsa.org or www.volunteerprsa.org.