About MSL Chicago

In the Loop is written by MSL Chicago, the Midwest hub of MSLGROUP. In the Loop highlights the expertise and interests of more than 30 public relations professionals who are passionate about the evolving world of online and offline conversations and communications campaigns.

At MSL Chicago, we’re in the loop when it comes to the latest PR trends, and we’re looking forward to sharing our insights with you.

Follow us on Twitter @MSLChicago.

Joel Curran, APR

  • MSL Chicago Title: Managing Director, Senior Vice President
  • Alma Mater: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Hometown: Lexington, North Carolina
  • Interests: Cubs, Tar Heels (and anyone playing Dook), training for and running marathons.
  • Three words to describe me: Best team wins.

Nancy Brennan

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Vice President, Director of Corporate Branding, Midwest Region
  • Alma Mater: Brown University
  • Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Interests: My daughters Jane and Kate.
  • Favorite book and why: Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena, by Julia Reed – reminds me of home and makes me laugh every time I re-read it.

Joan Cetera

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Vice President, Director of Consumer Marketing, Midwest Region
  • Alma Mater: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Hometown: Grew up in Downers Grove, Illinois. Currently live in Lisle, Illinois.
  • Interests: Running – though I’m hardly a marathoner, gardening – will one day be Martha Stewart, baking – my goal is to master fondant, and my nearly 4-year-old son and 7-month-old daughter!
  • What I enjoy most about the PR industry: PR, as a discipline, is very versatile and can meet companies’ communications needs in a variety of ways, which makes it an interesting and exciting profession.

Laura Chavoen

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Vice President, Director of Digital Strategy
  • Alma Mater: Northern Illinois University
  • Hometown: Chicago, Illinois (born and raised)
  • Interests: running, reading, family and friends, cooking AND eating, live music (e.g. indy, opera, French pop), adventure travel, fashion, technology, data, memes.
  • Three words that describe me: Straightforward, curious and passionate.

Jack Yeo

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Vice President, Director of Issues and Crisis Management, Midwest Region
  • Alma Mater: University of Kansas
  • Hometown: Downers Grove, Illinois
  • Interests: Reading, golf, Chicago White Sox baseball games and enjoying time with my wife and three children.
  • Favorite book and why: Perhaps the best book I have read over the last 12 month’s was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.  It is an amazing story and a terrific example of  how any adversity can be overcome through  positive thoughts and steadfast determination.

Kevin Metz

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Vice President, Corporate Branding
  • Alma Mater: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Hometown: Born in Washington, D.C., also spent majority of time in Raleigh, North Carolina and Dallas, Texas
  • Interests: Trying new restaurants and the attractions Chicago has to offer, watching college basketball, playing soccer and all things UNC.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: the opportunities are endless as we live in a great city. Even thought we have great restaurants, museums, heritage of comedy, jazz and blues, I’d say most tourists visiting Chicago request and enjoy a stroll around Gold Coast and catching some amazing views from the top of the Hancock Building.

Katie Feltz, APR

  • MSL Chicago Title: Vice President, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: Ohio University
  • Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
  • Interests: Travel, music, reading classic novels – and hanging with my husband and toddler!
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: I love taking people out to explore Chicago’s many great, diverse neighborhoods – the food, the shops, the boulevards. Plus, I never tire of it!

Julie Lilliston

  • MSL Chicago Title: Vice President, Corporate Branding
  • Alma Mater: The College of Wooster
  • Hometown: I grew up in Spencer, Ohio, but Chicago is my home.
  • Interests: Cooking, learning to play ukulele, bike riding and photography.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: Green Mill, Friday night Happy Hour featuring Chris Foreman on Hammond B-3 organ in Uptown. Definitely the best free entertainment in the coolest room in the city. I always leave with a new story to tell.

Dawn McKenzie, APR

  • MSL Chicago Title: Vice President, Corporate Branding
  • Alma Mater: M.A., Wayne State University; B.A., Michigan State University
  • Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
  • Interests: Hot air ballooning, travel, running along Chicago’s lakefront, Saturday morning visits to the Green City Market and keeping up with Chicago’s great chef and restaurant scene.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: The Segway tours are a lot of fun because you get a unique ride and can see so many of Chicago’s famous sites in a short amount of time.

Christiana Schaefer

  • MSL Chicago Title: Vice President, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
  • Hometown: Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey
  • Interests: Cooking, family, traveling and gardening.
  • What I enjoy most about the PR industry: The PR industry is fast-paced and ever-changing, always presenting an opportunity to grow or learn something new. My career thus far has exposed me to unexpected experiences and situations. It’s enlightened me and has served me well in Trivial Pursuit and other trivia games.

Jen Tatro

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Manager, New Business Development, Midwest Region
  • Alma Mater: Michigan State University
  • Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
  • Interests: Food, travel and sports. Reading books about food, travel and sports.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: Art Institute of Chicago (love the museum) and C-View (love the view and the cocktails).

Heather Marros

  • MSL Chicago Title: Manager, Human Resources, Midwest Region
  • Alma Mater: St. Mary’s College
  • Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Interests: Reading, hot yoga and running.
  • What I enjoy most about the PR Industry:  The creative and inspiring individuals who produce such amazing programming.

Christie Burgner Shein

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Account Supervisor, Corporate Branding
  • Alma Mater: University of Central Florida
  • Hometown: New York, New York
  • Interests: Traveling abroad, watching old Hollywood films and reading the Sunday edition of The New York Times.
  • What I enjoy most about the PR Industry:  My favorite ingredient in the PR recipe is media relations – meeting new people, telling stories and having a positive impact on the community.  It’s a beautiful thing when we can bring people together and create everlasting friendships along the way!

Jenny Sherman

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Account Supervisor, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: Northern Illinois University
  • Hometown: Park Ridge, Illinois
  • Interests: Including but not limited to: improv, eating every two hours, having everyday adventures and a sense of the ridiculous and surrounding myself with people who make me smile.
  • What I enjoy most about the PR industry: Resourcefulness. PR people are akin to MacGyver – we use our practical knowledge and creativity to solve problems no matter what the situation is. And we do it while escaping a building three seconds before it explodes all in the name of client service.

Emily Bendix

  • MSL Chicago Title: Account Supervisor, Corporate Branding
  • Alma Mater: Vanderbilt University
  • Hometown: Winnetka, Illinois
  • Interests: Trying new restaurants, shopping and running.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: The Magnificent Mile.

Jill Delaney

  • MSL Chicago Title: Account Supervisor, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: Indiana University
  • Hometown: East Brunswick, New Jersey
  • Interests: Running.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: I love taking tourists to the Shedd Aquarium. The terrace has one of the best views of the city!

Tony Macrito

  • MSL Chicago Title: Account Supervisor, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: Michigan State University
  • Hometown: West Chicago, Illinois
  • Interests: Fast cars, live music, documentary films, new technology, golf and friendly competition.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: The history, hope and heartbreak that is Wrigley Field.

Stephanie Lewis

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Account Executive, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: University of Notre Dame
  • Hometown: Darien, Illinois
  • Interests: Chicago sports, live music, Spanish films, finding new restaurant gems, reading travel blogs and being a storyteller.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: love hosting friends when they visit the Windy City, and as a born and bred Chicagoan, I am absolutely wild for the city’s pizza. So when tourists come to town, I require at least two meals of pizza – thin crust for lunch at Vito & Nick’s on the South Side, and deep dish for dinner at Giordano’s. I’ll take on any New Yorker who claims the best “pie” in the land hails from the East coast, because you haven’t had pizza until you’ve had it in Chicago!

Sarah Marseille

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Account Executive, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: University of Iowa
  • Hometown: Naperville, Illinois
  • Interests: Spending time with my dog, reading and learning to cook.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: I love showing off Chicago to my friends and family who have never been here before.  No matter what the season, our first stop is almost always Hashbrowns for brunch.  Located on Maxwell Street near the UIC campus, their famous sweet potato hashbrowns entice people from all over the city.  It’s the perfect place to start off the day!

Susie Schreiber

  • MSL Chicago Title: Senior Account Executive, Corporate Branding
  • Alma Mater: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Hometown: St. Charles, IL
  • Interests: Social media, traveling, and current events.
  • Favorite book and why: Senatorial Privilege – I love this scandal in politics and I am obsessed wit h the Kennedys. This book beautifully illustrates Teddy Kennedy’s fall from grace, as well as the work and team behind the “Camelot” image.

Angel Hakim

  • MSL Chicago Title: Account Executive, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: Columbia College Chicago
  • Hometown: North Canton, Ohio, but I consider myself a true Chicagoan at heart
  • Interests: Fashion, animals (proud Anti-Cruelty Society volunteer), cupcakes and, unashamedly, celebrity gossip – it’s just so entertaining!
  • What I enjoy most about the PR industry: I love that it all boils down to relationships – with clients, with consumers and with media. And, there’s no greater feeling than seeing all of those late nights and long hours pay off once you see the finished product — from a placement in the Chicago Tribune to the execution of an event.

Emily Kellam

  • MSL Chicago Title: Account Executive, Corporate Branding
  • Alma Mater: University of Dayton
  • Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
  • Interests: Running, biking, anything outdoors, live music, traveling, volunteering, trying new restaurants, movies and reading.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: If the weather allows, I love taking out-of-town visitors for a bike ride along the lakefront. Of course, we must rent the two-seater bike so I can embarrass my guests and we can laugh at ourselves the whole time we ride!

Matt Koppelman

  • MSL Chicago Title: Account Executive, Digital
  • Alma Mater: Purdue University
  • Hometown: Glendale Heights, Illinois
  • Interests: Long walks on the beach and filling out bio questions.
  • Favorite book and why: Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs (Chuck Klosterman) was the favorite the first time I read it; The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) is the favorite each time I re-read it; The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) is the favorite I hope to never finish reading.

Liz Leismer

  • MSL Chicago Title: Account Executive, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: DePaul University
  • Hometown: Holland, Michigan
  • Interests: Cooking, yoga, trying new restaurants and spending time with friends and family.
  • What do you enjoy most about the PR industry: There is never a dull moment. The industry keeps you on your toes, teaches you something new every day, and most importantly it takes “work hard, play hard” literally.

Stephanie Oyer

  • MSL Chicago Title: Account Executive, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Hometown: Northbrook, Illinois
  • Interests: Yoga, baking, running, Madison, my dogs, Chicago sports, reading and the color black.
  • Favorite book and why: Time Traveler’s Wife: 1) It is the only book that has made me cry; 2) It takes place in Chicago; and 3) I wish I could time travel.

Jenna Simenic

  • MSL Chicago Title: Account Executive, Corporate Branding
  • Alma Mater: Edinboro University
  • Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
  • Interests: Baking and running.
  • Three words that describe me: Inquisitive, friendly and spontaneous.

Lindsay Attwood

  • MSL Chicago Title: Assistant Account Executive, Digital
  • Alma Mater: M.S., Full Sail University; B.S., Ferris State University
  • Hometown: Swartz Creek, Michigan
  • Interests: Classic rock, television, pop culture, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions and Saturday Night Live.
  • Favorite book and why: Local DJ, A Rock & Roll History by Peter C. Cavanaugh. It’s bout the 1960s rock music scene in Flint, my hometown. It makes me proud and is full of fun facts, like WTAC was the first American radio station to play The Who.

Ryan Gartman

  • MSL Chicago Title: Assistant Account Executive, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: Northern Illinois University
  • Hometown: Lombard, IL
  • Interests: Cars, photography and video gaming.
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: Being a Chicago Suburbanite, I love visiting Chicago on weekends and when I am not working downtown. I enjoy the tall buildings and the magnificent views, which is why I really love to take tourists, including myself, to observation decks across the city. You gain a new perspective and respect for the city, and those who built it, after seeing it from up high.

Kelli Hartsock

  • MSL Chicago Title: Assistant Account Executive, Corporate Branding
  • Alma Mater: Columbia College Chicago
  • Hometown: Geneseo, Illinois
  • What I enjoy most about the PR industry: It is controlling the mind behind the ink. It’s pretty exhilarating to know that we have that much power and influence over public opinion by telling the media what to report.

Sean McCarthy

  • MSL Chicago Title: Assistant Account Executive, Corporate Branding
  • Alma Mater: University of Iowa
  • Hometown: Floosmoor, Illinois
  • Interests: Great literature, jazz, hockey, cities and their histories, golf and Woody Allen films.
  • Favorite book and why: Don Quixote — Our lives will always be both tragic and comic, and the line between the two, at times, can be slim. Don Quixote celebrates this truth more profoundly and riotously than any other novel, and that’s why I enjoy it.

Diana Rostkowski

  • MSL Chicago Title: Assistant Account Executive, Consumer Marketing
  • Alma Mater: Bryant University
  • Hometown: New Britain, Connecticut
  • Interests: Travel, writing and spending time with friends and family.
  • What I enjoy most about the PR industry: I love that it is fast-paced, dynamic, and interactive. There’s never a dull moment and the sky’s the limit in terms of learning in our ever-changing digital world.

Jeffrey LeFevre

  • MSL Chicago Title: Coordinator, New Business Development, Midwest Region
  • Alma Mater: Loyola University Chicago
  • Hometown: St. Charles, Illinois
  • Interests: Digital Technology, Independent Films, Local Restaurants, International Travel
  • My must-see Chicago attraction to take out-of-town visitors: As a self-proclaimed foodie in an internationally-renowned city of cuisine, I like to expose visitors to local restaurants that infuse classic cuisine with new flavor combinations and the vibrant energy of the city (e.g. Coco Pazzo, Gilt Bar, Girl & the Goat, Chicago Q).