Filomena Fanelli

CEO/Founder

Impact PR & Communications’ Founder Filomena Fanelli is something of a publicity hound—particularly when it comes to getting the best media exposure for her clients.

She excels at what excites her, and that’s exploring the details of each client’s business to find the best, most unusual vein to mine for publicity. She loves storytelling and delves eagerly into company culture and context to determine what’s new or makes a client unique among competitors. Then she finds a fresh way to make it stand out in the overwhelming clutter of the media scene. Clients say she simply “gets it.”

Filomena got her start 20-plus years ago at Rubenstein Associates, where she quickly rose through the ranks to become a vice president. Recognized as a top publicist, she worked on some of the firm’s major real estate and financial accounts, representing Belz Enterprises, Commerce Bank, Faith Hope Consolo (at both Garrick-Aug Associates and Douglas Elliman), Grubb & Ellis, Lansco Corporation, Studley and others.

Today, she channels that energy to lead her own agency and help a diverse array of clients plot memorable events, secure speaking engagements, land leadership articles, craft sharp website content, engage in meaningful ways on social media and, of course, get their names in the news.

Being an entrepreneur is something of a family tradition, according to Filomena, who was named an ATHENA Leadership Awards Program honoree in 2018 and graced the cover of Hudson Valley Magazine’s Women in Business issue that same year. A past “Forty Under 40” recipient, she says she gets her business acumen from her late father, who founded a delivery service company, but the gift of being able to listen and problem-solve comes from her mother, a social worker. Her parents also gave her a love of the fresh air and green of the Hudson Valley, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Filomena is an involved member of the community and enjoys volunteering with Hudson Valley nonprofit organizations and national professional associations alike. She serves on the executive committee of the Public Relations Society of America’s Counselors Academy, the board of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce and the advisory board of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation. Previously, she sat on the board of the Women’s Leadership Alliance and Hudson River Housing, and has served on committees for Family Services, The Arc of Dutchess, the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum and Special Olympics New York. Filomena was also a founding committee member of HDSA Team Hope Walk – Hudson Valley, a community advisor for The Daily Voice and hosted HVNN.com’s news show, “Business Newsmakers.” Filomena has presented for the Public Relations Society of America and the 92^nd Street Y, among other venues, and is a frequent guest lecturer at Marist College, where she previously has taught public relations writing as an adjunct professor.

filomena@prwithimpact.com

Kate Wark

Executive Vice President

With 20 years of public relations experience, Kate brings a creative and fresh approach to her role at Impact PR & Communications. She is a trusted resource for media, her clients and colleagues, and her thoughtful and results-driven approach to the job are her hallmarks.

Prior to joining the Impact team, Kate worked at Quinn and held senior management positions at Mower and Carolyn Izzo Integrated Communications. A specialist in the lifestyle public relations space, Kate has driven the PR campaigns for Coney Island Brewing Company, Rosewood Bermuda, Capella Hotels & Resorts, The Roundhouse Beacon and more, garnering award-winning results including Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Adrian Awards in Bronze, Silver and Gold, and a Media Relations Award from PR Daily. She has an affinity for grand openings, product and service launches and re-positionings, and has spearheaded external communications campaigns for major brands across the globe in the food and beverage, travel and hospitality space.

Kate has served as a judge for the HSMAI Adrian Awards, and lends her time to her local schools and Meals on Wheels of Ridgefield. An avid photographer, voracious reader and involved community member, Kate was born and raised in the Hudson Valley. She now resides in Connecticut with her husband, two daughters and rescue pup, Charlie.

kate@prwithimpact.com

Kristin Delia

Vice President

Kristin Delia, a long-time Dutchess County resident with deep Hudson Valley roots and a passion for the region’s unique culture and history, is at home as a vice president at Impact PR & Communications. Clients benefit from her industry acumen, social media savvy, and zeal for the profession, which she puts to work to contribute fresh creative ideas, craft and execute strategic campaigns, and secure top-tier media placements on their behalf.

Before joining the Impact team, Kristin was on the fast-track at Carolyn Izzo Integrated Communications, a Rockland County-based agency, where her knack for the PR business brought her from an intern to account coordinator to account executive. She spent those years managing events and conducting client communications and media outreach for a variety of well-known brands, including Coney Island Brewing Co.; The Roundhouse in Beacon, New York; Mexico Grand Hotels in Los Cabos, Mexico and Opal Apples, among other food and beverage, tourism and hospitality, and lifestyle clients.

Her passion for travel has led her across the world, inspiring her to spend her student years interning at a 5-star hotel in Lake Como, Italy, and, following graduating magna cum laude from Niagara University’s College of Hospitality & Tourism, working front-of-house at a luxury hotel in Westchester County. Combining her hospitality prowess with her love of storytelling and media made for a natural transition and, as they say, the rest is history.

kristin@prwithimpact.com

Alli Long

Account Manager

Alli Long got her start at Impact PR & Communications as an intern, where her passion for storytelling and penchant for creativity contributed to a wide variety of client accounts. As the company’s longest-running intern, Alli spent nearly two years with the firm, learning the PR profession from some of the best in the business. She’s now an account manager on the Impact team.

A Marist College graduate, Alli spent four years living in the Hudson Valley and experiencing all the wonderful things it has to offer. Upon graduating summa cum laude from Marist, Alli continued her education at Monmouth University, where she completed her master’s degree in English and master of fine arts (M.F.A.) in Creative Writing. After three years spent honing her craft, Alli has enriched her natural instincts for a good story and pitching, as well as her sharp writing and editing skills. Her ability to adapt her strong voice to fit a multitude of clients and platforms makes her an ideal communicator to have in your corner.

Prior rejoining the team at Impact in 2021, Alli interned for Bayer Pharmaceuticals as a media relations intern, where she worked to secure top-tier media placements, and for Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health, where she was responsible for researching, writing, and curating internal news articles for the company’s intranet. Her experience in global corporate settings has given her a keen sense of what makes for attention-grabbing communications with long-lasting impressions.

In her free time, Alli loves to be with friends and family, go for walks and jogs in nature, and travel whenever she can. She’s also currently at work on her first novel.

alli@prwithimpact.com

Cheryl Sloofman

Senior Account Executive

A news fiend and voracious reader, Cheryl relishes the strategy and planning involved in PR. Determining how a client’s story weaves into the news cycle, looking for unusual or compelling angles and helping clients stand out among their competitors are some of her strengths. As a senior account executive with the Impact team, she manages and services accounts, including real estate and construction, non-profit, finance and banking.

Raised in New York and now residing in northern New Jersey, Cheryl earned a master’s degree in public relations and marketing from Boston University and a master’s degree in education from New York University before taking time off to be a stay-at-home mom for her two sons. She resumed her career as a public relations consultant in 2008 and joined the Impact team in 2014. Cheryl is involved with Action to Cure Kidney Cancer and likes to run, hike and indulge her inner bookworm in her spare time.

cheryl@prwithimpact.com

Isabella Paquette

Associate Account Executive

With an extensive background working closely with elected officials and communicating directly with the press, Isabella is perfectly positioned to assist growing businesses and organizations with their respective communication needs. Her creative, patient, and resilient nature makes her role as Impact’s associate account executive an integral addition to the team.

A lifelong resident of the Hudson Valley, Isabella recently graduated magna cum laude from Marist College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. In addition, Isabella also holds an associate’s degree in General Studies from Dutchess Community College.

In her career thus far, Isabella has helped broadcast the messages of federal, state, and local leaders to their constituents across the political spectrum. In her work with non-profit, advocacy, and grassroots organizations, she has had a hands-on approach to getting messages to the forefront of people’s attention. From developing marketing campaigns to the implementing and executing initiatives, while juggling questions and comments from the press, her direct and creative approach help clients’ messages reach their target audience.

Active in the community and always willing to lend a helping hand, Isabella is a U.S. Figure Skating Association Gold Medalist and certified figure skating instructor. During her college career, she participated in Disney’s College Program, a highly competitive internship program, where she received a number of leadership and other professional commendations from guests and peers at The Walt Disney Company.

Isabella@prwithimpact.com

Michelle Obligado

Senior Account Coordinator

Michelle joined Impact PR & Communications in 2016 after spending 16 years at IBM in the human resources department, where she liaised with and advocated for consultants making their way through IBM’s extensive consultant certification program. She also led implementation and training efforts related to business software.

An integral member of the Impact team, Michelle’s impressive interpersonal skills and technical savvy, along with her attention to detail and follow-up, make her an essential support person for her colleagues and Impact’s clients. From issuing press releases and tracking placements, to following up with clients and coordinating reports, Michelle enjoys the fast pace of the public relations world.

Born in the Bronx and raised in Westchester County, Michelle has been a Dutchess County resident for 19 years.  She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management from Pace University and serves on the East Hudson Women’s Soccer board, Goals for Hope committee and the Friends of Grinnell board in Wappingers.

Michelle lives in the Town of Poughkeepsie with her husband and three children.  In her off hours, she enjoys running, playing soccer, keeping fit at the gym, reading and spending time with her family and friends.

michelle@prwithimpact.com

Kayla Hannemann

Account Coordinator

Kayla Hannemann began her journey at Impact PR & Communications as a public relations assistant and quickly became a valuable full-time member of the team — and a client favorite. A recent graduate of Marist College, Kayla serves as an account coordinator, putting her smarts into play on several of the agency’s nonprofit and professional services accounts.

In December 2022, Kayla graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Marist. Kayla concentrated on Public Relations and Advertising and earned a minor in Interactive Media. She continues to educate herself on the communications industry, currently working towards a Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing Communication. Kayla is extremely proficient in social media, most recently receiving certifications in Salesforce for Social Media Marketing and Engagement, Google Analytics and HubSpot for Social Media Marketing. This background, as well as the numerous internships that Kayla completed, has helped her to develop a knack for content creation, community outreach, public relations and strategic thinking, which she recently shared as a co-presenter for Dutchess Tourism’s popular Lunch & Learn series. Kayla approaches all topics with a global perspective and enjoys cross-cultural communications, a by-product of her time abroad in Florence, Italy.

After calling the Hudson Valley home for the last several years, Kayla has returned to New Jersey, where she grew up. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside, film photography and traveling, both near and far!

kayla@prwithimpact.com

Sheila Bogan

Consultant

An ability to move people to action and evoke emotion is at the center of what Sheila Bogan does as a consultant for Impact PR & Communications. With sharp writing skills and social media savvy, Sheila holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies, Journalism and Digital Arts from St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. Those, combined with her on-point project management skills, creativity and ability to create community connections, are what make her an invaluable asset to the team and client partners.

As a full-time community development manager at the American Cancer Society (ACS), Sheila manages one of the nation’s largest Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks in Westchester, NY — an event that brings together more than 20,000 people at Manhattanville College each fall. Since 2015, her diverse portfolio of events have raised more than $1 million for the not-for-profit.

Sheila’s interest and involvement in the community mesh well with what Impact stands for. She is a Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce Forty Under 40 recipient, Leadership Dutchess Class of 2019 graduate and co-chair for the Hudson Valley Young Professionals. In her spare time, Sheila, a Hudson Valley native and Dutchess County resident who enjoys spending time with her family, friends and cat named Shadow, volunteers for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and can be found raising a hand, and lending one, to various causes near and dear to her heart.

sheila@prwithimpact.com

Jessica Jaeb

Public Relations Assistant

A full-time student, Jessica Jaeb joins the Impact team as a public relations assistant. Graduating in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both communications and history, a concentration in public relations and minor in African diaspora studies, Jessica also has a knack for graphic design.

Jessica first discovered her passion for communications through her work with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Volunteering since she was young and serving in a variety of roles for St. Jude Up ‘Til Dawn, a fundraising organization at Marist, she saw the positive impact that sharing the unique story and mission of the hospital could have. This interest in communications led Jessica to pursue leadership roles in Marist’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America to continue learning about the industry, and ultimately to her current position at Impact PR & Communications.

As a lifelong Hudson Valley resident, Jessica is well-versed in local history and loves to explore the area. Her enthusiasm for sharing stories from the past is evident, whether it be through writing, speaking at a conference, giving tours at historic sites or even in daily conversations. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys spending time with family and friends, training for her next race, and curling up with a good book.