ALLYN MEDIA
It’s all connected and we not only know how, we also understand why. With smart, high-level, data-driven strategies, we are the problem solvers, relationship builders, door openers, conversation starters, brand architects and policy shapers that are making an impact and getting results. Public relations, public affairs, political media, nonprofit development, crisis communications, advocacy advertising, government relations, social justice, video production, website development, social media strategy, franchisee communication, grassroots coalition building.
Meet Our Team
Our team of professionals deliver award-winning, campaign-winning public relations, public affairs, crisis management, digital content and strategy, creative design, video production, advertising, political media, and cause and candidate fundraising.
Cimajie Best is an experienced Community Relations Manager with a demonstrated history of work in nonprofit management, program development and philanthropy. As a skilled tactician in capacity building training and stakeholder management she is a strong racial equity advocate and program evaluator. Cimajie works with nonprofits, foundations, and communities to create inclusive outcomes for all parties involved.
Ms. Best believes in the idea of meeting the people where they are to best service their needs. Whether it be hosting community listening sessions on behalf of clients or assembling oversight boards composed of locals, she is most passionate about equitable and sustainable community development.
Cimajie has experience in city, county, and state government and the private sector. Her in-depth work in both micro and macro settings gives her a competitive edge in understanding the complex and nuanced realities of accomplishing truly transformational change across many sectors. Having launched programs for organizations such as the State Fair of Texas and the Texas Women’s Foundation she is a staunch advocate for collaborations, partnerships and a collective impact approach to producing lasting change in communities.
Cimajie serves on both the Dallas County Child Welfare board and the North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens board. She is a former Communities Foundation of Texas, Emerging Leader in Philanthropy Fellow and an Obama Foundation Community Leader Alumni.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy & Africana Studies from Louisiana State University and a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from Oxford.
Kierra Byrd is an experienced servant leader and professional in client and consumer relations and organizational management. With a demonstrated history of support in the higher education industry, project-based curriculum, special events coordination, and community engagement, Kierra is driven by diverse opportunities to support others in achieving their goals through empathy, equity, and design.
Prior to joining Allyn Media, Kierra served as an administrative assistant within the Office of the President at The University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD) and Program Coordinator within the Principal Impact Collaborative, a two year fellowship designed to reinvigorate school leaders and their passion for education.
Kierra served the City of Cedar Hill Neighborhood Advisory Committee and led a number of initiatives for young women as Co-chair of the Young Women's Advisory Council established by the Texas Women's Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of North Texas at Dallas, and a Master of Public Leadership with an emphasis in Nonprofit and Community Leadership. Kierra is an advocate for youth and women's leadership and empowerment through public speaking and creative arts.
Gifted cinematographer and licensed drone pilot, Alden Chiu is a wine connoisseur and an unintentional hipster. He fine-tuned his creative and interpersonal skills in the marketing program at the University of Texas at Austin. He honed his creative eye behind the lens when he began taking a camera along on his travels where he developed a passion for filmmaking while documenting his adventures. He now has over 10 years of experience behind the camera and has flown drones over cities and farmlands all over the United States.
Concept guy, director, and cinematographer, Andy Chiu is a seasoned foodie and lover of Bruce Lee films. With over 12 years of experience in the film industry, he got his start on the set of the feature film “Carried Away” under director Tom Huckabee (Walt Disney Studios, Arachnophobia). He then moved to Los Angeles and worked on commercial sets for large brands like McDonald’s, Kraft and Brawny and at CBS studios on the show Big Brother. In 2011, Andy returned to his home state of Texas to continue his film career and has garnered an extensive portfolio of video work for clients including 7-Eleven, Boeing, UNTD, SMU, Nascar, Texas Parks and Wildlife and L.A. Metro.
Katie Chiu actively creates and manages content and conversations on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and other media/websites for Allyn Media clients. An artist, Katie designs graphic identities, creates graphic tools and animations, and is an accomplished photographer. Katie guides paid social strategy, and works with clients to generate content that educates, motivates and empowers target audiences to act in ways that benefit Allyn Media clients. She listens, monitors and responds to client-related discussions on externally managed social media platforms and discussion boards. Katie coordinates with public relations, public affairs and creative teams to conceptualize, manage and execute innovative social media projects and campaigns that actively engage key audiences for clients like Trinity Groves and Southern Methodist University's Deason Center for Criminal Justice Reform. Her data analytics reports help clients stay informed of best practices. She conducts regular social media training of clients. She is consistently growing online social media communities and creating effective strategies to utilize social media on behalf of clients.
Monica Cordova brings her experience and leadership as a marketing and communications expert to Allyn Media. She is a strong manager of integrated marketing campaigns, and a specialty in legal issues, crisis communication, law enforcement and government affairs.
In the public sector, Monica served in many capacities for the City of Dallas. In 2007 led the separation of 311 and Water Customer Service calls from the 911 call center. She developed new policies for the new call center and supervised operations.
In 2009, Monica joined the Dallas Police Department as a patrol officer and served the community of Dallas. She was selected as a bilingual spokesperson for the department in 2013. As a spokesperson, she was at the center of many high-profile incidents which gained national and international attention. Monica also managed crisis communications for the department, including the tragic Dallas Ambush on July 7, 2016. She was awarded the 2015 Officer of the Year for her work as a spokesperson, developing the department’s app used for external communication with the community, and for her involvement in the fight for equal benefits under the Dallas Police and Fire Pension.
As a result of her accomplishments, Monica has presented on crisis communication strategies to several different Public Information Officers associations, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Public Information Officer National Conference, National Information Officers Association, International Association of Police Chiefs and many others. She helped many police departments develop strategies for communications during times of crisis and improve their process of highlighting positive stories out to the community and media.
In September of 2016, Monica joined the City of Dallas Public Information Office as a Senior Public Information Officer. She was soon appointed as the Interim Executive Manager for the department where she oversaw the city’s external communications and community outreach.
Monica moved to the private sector in 2018, where she was the Director of Marketing and Communications at Baron & Budd, P.C. She created TV, radio and magazine ads and oversaw the national law firm’s marketing, intake, and communications.
Monica holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Literature from the University of Puget Sound.
Molly Fiden has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector as a marketing and development professional and has held management positions in cultural institutions such as The Field Museum, the Alliance Française de Chicago, and The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas. She led the formation of an individual giving program in the central region of the U.S. for Team Rubicon, an international disaster relief and
humanitarian crises organization and most recently held the position of Chief Strategy and Brand Development Officer for The Family Place, the largest domestic violence agency in Texas. Her focus is on fostering the importance of community connection to nonprofit organizations, enabling collaborative efforts to increase awareness of an organization’s mission. She is a creative leader with a global perspective who has
lived in Amman, Jordan, and Oaxaca, Mexico.
humanitarian crises organization and most recently held the position of Chief Strategy and Brand Development Officer for The Family Place, the largest domestic violence agency in Texas. Her focus is on fostering the importance of community connection to nonprofit organizations, enabling collaborative efforts to increase awareness of an organization’s mission. She is a creative leader with a global perspective who has
lived in Amman, Jordan, and Oaxaca, Mexico.
Molly serves as an arts grant reviewer for the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Dallas, Office of Arts & Culture. She has a B.A. in Political Science from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, and has completed courses from Columbia Business School and Sotheby’s Institute for the Arts.
There is no job too small for Debra Meek. She serves in various capacities here at Allyn Media, including providing support for corporate public relations clients, and is a valuable asset for political clients, especially during campaign season. Her strong organizational skills coupled with her positive attitude make her a valuable asset on any project or client issue.
Debra is a native of Irving, Texas, and she and her husband Aaron reside in Cedar Hill with their two children, Katie and Bobby Joe. She and her family are active members of their church, Hillcrest Baptist Church. She is a proud graduate of Dallas County Community College, holding an associate of business degree.
Jessica Moore plans, constructs and executes digital marketing plans that drive achievement for clients with excellent delivery of social, content and creative programming that reinforces brand health metrics: brand awareness, popularity, engagement, advocacy, new consumer adoption and share-of-voice. Jessica determines what relevant digital and social brand assets including video, copy, photography, sites, search campaigns, media launches, etc., are required to realize client goals. Her vision guides the creation of world-class web experiences, including mobile usage, site UX, design, mobile app adoption and emerging innovation for clients including Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, State Representative Morgan Meyer, Dallas City Councilmember Jennifer Staubach Gates, Trinity Groves, Southern Methodist University Deason Center for Criminal Justice Reform and the Coalition for Cayman.
Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Texas A&M University. She has been a mentor for the Higher Education Reality Operations (HERO) Mentor Program for the Uplift Education Schools Road to College Program. She was a member of the top fundraising team for the 2014 North Texas Walk to Cure Arthritis. A Dallas native, Jessica enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, watching the Dallas Cowboys and Texas A&M Aggies and spending time with her husband, family, friends and Boston Terrier.
Jennifer Pascal is an entrepreneur and recognized expert in communications and crisis management strategies. Her strategic communications counsel guides public relations, public affairs and image campaigns for corporate and nonprofit clients. Jennifer has prepared executives, ambassadors and civic leaders with media training for high-profile interviews and speeches. She has led ideation and strategic sessions for both for-profit and nonprofit clients on revenue stream development teams.
Jennifer specializes in helping corporate and non-profit clients successfully protect and preserve public confidence and brand value in times of crisis and challenge. She has advised clients on issues related to federal investigations and law enforcement, fatalities, regulatory scrutiny, data breaches, defective products, labor relations, child safety, mergers and animal welfare.
Jennifer has led a number of award-winning communications projects including a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) “Business Issues Management” Silver Anvil for their work for ConocoPhillips; a PRSA “Best Of” Silver Anvil, along with her team, for launching XM Satellite Radio; and a PRSA Silver Spur Award for their work on the Universal Technical Institute Grand Opening of their Dallas / Fort Worth campus. Her team's work for 7-Eleven, Inc. earned the company three Telly awards.
Her clients have included Fortune 500 companies like Walmart, Bank of America Corp., Microsoft and ConocoPhillips, and organizations serving children including several charter school districts, independent schools, universities and zoos.
Jennifer’s company, Allyn Media, is a 100% women-owned business, and one of the largest women-owned PR and media firms in the state of Texas. The Texas Comptroller certifies Allyn Media as a Texas Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) and the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency (NCTRCA) certifies us as a Women-Owned Business. The Dallas Business Journal recognizes Allyn Media as one of the “Best Places to Work” and one of “North Texas Region’s Largest Women-Owned Businesses.”
Jennifer Pascal serves on the University of Texas at Dallas Development Board, is a volunteer at Spanish House Elementary and volunteers as a youth basketball coach through the YMCA. She has served as a volunteer as board chair of Friends of Wednesday’s Child, a volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Project B.E.L.O.N.G. - Building Essential Life Options Through New Goals.
Erin Ragsdale leads public affairs, public relations and political campaigns for some of North Texas’ most highly publicized issues and elections. Her expertise contributed to the overhaul of the transportation-for-hire ordinance in the City of Dallas, the approval of AT&T Stadium - home of the Dallas Cowboys Football Club, the passage of an expanded smoking ordinance in Dallas and the approval of the bond package allowing for the creation of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Her knowledge of the City of Dallas, fundraising and campaigns has been instrumental in the elections of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, State Representative Morgan Meyer and Dallas City Councilmember Jennifer Staubach Gates. She is responsible for Dallas government relations, media relations and community outreach for Delta Air Lines, Uber, Habitat for Humanity, T. Boone Pickens, Walmart, American Heart Association, Balcones Resources and Trinity Groves.
Erin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with emphases in French and Public Relations from Texas A&M University. She currently serves as the Vice Chair on the Board of Directors for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, North Texas Chapter. Erin is Co-Founder of The Mayor’s Race 5K Fun Run & Walk and has completed the Nike Women's Marathon to raise funds for blood cancer research and the Breast Cancer 3-day 60-mile walk to raise funds for breast cancer research.
When you call Allyn Media, chances are the first person you’ll speak with is Carol Ring. Be glad because she'll take care of you. She keeps the office running in tip-top shape, and, if you're lucky, you’ll come by on a day when she has freshly baked cookies, muffins or her top-secret recipe banana bread ready to enjoy.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College) in St. Petersburg, Florida, and a Masters of Liberal Arts degree from Southern Methodist University here in Dallas. She has four children and two grandsons all born in Dallas. Carol comes to Allyn Media after a successful 44-year career teaching children in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, both at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School and Holy Trinity Catholic School.
Carol loves working for Allyn Media and enjoys its positive atmosphere. In her off time she likes to visit with her grandsons and other family members and friends, cook, read, and watch television. The entire office and our clients enjoy her baking.
Nicole Rosales is an award-winning Public Relations Specialist and seasoned visual storyteller with cross-industry experience in TV news and communications. Her passions include shooting video, editing, and writing across multimedia platforms.
Before Allyn Media, she served as a corporate communications manager at a national healthcare organization and a PR and marketing specialist at Methodist Health System. There, she developed the hospital’s in-house video production capabilities and helped launch the first-ever Facebook Live surgery series at all four campuses. The videos garnered more than 250,000 views online and more than 1 million dollars in free advertising worldwide, including an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings and BBC News. The success of the live series landed her team a D CEO Magazine award for Community Outreach.
Nicole previously held an on-air role for the ABC affiliate KVUE News in Austin, Texas, covering breaking news, crime, public health, politics, entertainment, and education. She also served as a multimedia journalist, anchor, and assistant producer for NBC/ABC affiliate WALB News 10 in Albany, Georgia.
Nicole is a Dallas native and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of North Texas. In her spare time, Nicole loves to travel and visit national parks, explore Dallas's restaurant scene, and binge true crime podcasts.
Bill Stipp’s two decades of experience in advertising and visual communications strategy helps him guide the firm’s creative services. His work in Indonesia for Asia Pulp & Paper, one of the world's largest pulp and paper companies, is recognized with a coveted American Advertising Award, an ADDY. Bill oversees creative development for national corporate advertising, creating and producing TV and print ad campaigns viewed by millions. His creative vision guides clients like 7-Eleven’s franchisee and international licensee communications, ConocoPhillips, American Airlines, Dallas Cowboys Football Club, and Walmart. Bill’s Pollie Award-winning work, the highest award in the nation given for political advertising, helps secure election victories for Presidents, Congressmen, state lawmakers, mayors and referendums across Texas and the nation.
Bill is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Communications. Earning more than 60 top awards, his work has been featured in the Dallas Society of Visual Communications Show, Dallas Ad League Show and Houston Art Directors’ Show, and the book Design in Texas, a 20-year retrospective of Texas graphic design, profiles his accomplishments. Bill is an accomplished photographer appearing as photo of the week on NationalGeographic.com and photo of the day twice on SmithsonianMag.com. In February 2015, Bill won Photographer of the Year at The Dallas Morning News inaugural photography contest.
A native of Fort Worth and 8th generation Texan, Bill currently resides outside Dallas with his wife, Nancy, and several horses and two dogs. Their daughter, Kate, is an accomplished artist with her Master of Fine Arts from Laguna College of Art & Design.
Dr. Sana Syed serves as Vice President for Allyn Media. She has 20-years of experience in public affairs, journalism and strategic and crisis communication.
Previously, Dr. Syed worked as an executive in government, commercial real estate and higher education. She served as the spokesperson and director of the Public Information Office for the City of Dallas, managing the international crisis communication responses to the first U.S. case of Ebola and the 2016 ambush on Dallas police officers. Dr. Syed is a former news anchor/reporter. She has worked at KDFW and KTVT in Dallas, TX, KOKH in Oklahoma City, OK and WBRZ in Baton Rouge, LA.
Dr. Syed is also the founder and board chair for Kimiya, a 501(c)(3) addressing human rights and PTSD through documentary films and Fight Club, a trauma therapy program for women in Dallas.
Dr. Syed is a member of Leadership Dallas, Class of 2020. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from UTA, a Master of Science in Journalism from TCU and a PhD in Urban Planning and Public Policy from UTA.
Ryan Trimble comes to Allyn Media after nearly a decade of service with Representative Dan Branch in the Texas House of Representatives. During his service, Ryan coordinated members of the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation for two legislative sessions, and aided in the passing of numerous bills, including the transformational “Tier One Universities” bill, which will help enable Texas’ emerging universities to reach top tier status. Ryan also served as Grassroots Director for four of the Representative’s House campaigns, as well as on his statewide campaign for Attorney General.
Ryan holds two undergraduate degrees and one graduate degree from Southern Methodist University, and is a member of the SMU Young Alumni Board, where he helped lead three successful “Fry the Frogs” campaigns, encouraging Young Alumni engagement and giving to support undergraduate scholarships. He also serves on the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’s Advocacy Committee, a group charged with overseeing and managing the organization’s local and legislative agenda.
Ryan and his wife Lauren live in East Dallas with their children and two cats. They attend Highland Park United Methodist Church.
Maureen comes to Allyn Media with 15-plus years experience in helping global brands like Sabre, Mary Kay and Susan G. Komen grow, thrive and flourish. As a consumer marketing guru, she excels at brand positioning and message development and brings these elements to life by developing and executing highly successful integrated campaigns and programs. She has a history of leading results-driven large-scale projects, including the re-launch of the Susan G. Komen brand, the marketing roll-out of TripCase (Sabre’s consumer travel app), and Mary Kay’s quarterly Look Book.
A proud native Dallasite who kicked off her career as a journalist at Park Cities People, she can think of no place she’d rather be than Allyn Media, helping her hometown clients reach their goals and achieve success.
Maureen is married to Jim, a native of Buffalo, NY, who loves her despite the fact she’s a constant reminder of those Cowboys/Bills Super Bowl losses of the 1990s. She loves wine and travel, especially when paired with good food, good friends and family.
Shawn Williams guides Allyn Media’s corporate and nonprofit clients on civic, media and community outreach campaigns. Shawn’s advice helps clients assess potential risks and develop comprehensive plans to prevent crises, promote positive brand awareness and advance development.
In June 2012, Shawn was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff by Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. In that role, he was the project manager for Rawlings’ Grow South initiative as well as the Men Against Abuse Rally, which highlighted the issue of domestic violence.
In June 2013, Shawn joined the Dallas Police Department as Community Affairs Manager and commander of the Media Relations Unit. He also oversaw Youth Outreach and Crisis Intervention at the department. In 2014, Shawn served as interim Director of Media Relations for the City of Dallas.
Prior to joining the City of Dallas, Shawn launched DallasSouthBlog.com in 2006 where he served as publisher and editor. Dallas South has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Ebony Magazine, NBC Nightly News. He is a former columnist for The Dallas Morning News and commentator for WFAA Channel 8’s Inside Texas Politics.
Shawn earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services from Texas A&M University.
With decades of experience serving high-profile clients, Mari’s work has helped shape Dallas and our region. She’s provided communications and strategic guidance to Dallas Mayors Mike Rawlings, Tom Leppert, Ron Kirk and Laura Miller, several members of the Dallas City Council, and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. She’s led winning campaigns for GOP leaders across the region including the only GOP elected official in Dallas, Chairman Morgan Meyer, and former State Rep. Jason Villalba, who was the first Hispanic elected in a non-Hispanic Texas House district. She’s provided high-level consulting for business leaders like T. Boone Pickens, Brint Ryan and John Carona, and led successful strategies for industry leaders like Uber, Airbnb, Microsoft, the Dallas Cowboys and Walmart. She’s also provided communications strategies for critical projects like American Airlines Center, AT&T Stadium, Dallas ISD, Parkland Hospital and the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts.
Under Mari’s leadership, Allyn Media has grown into one of the most influential public relations/public affairs firms in the region. She began her career as the receptionist and worked her way up to President, then acquired and rebranded the firm in 2009. Over the past decade, Allyn Media has added new expertise and areas of practice, including video storytelling, non-profit development and social justice. Over the past decade, the firm has won countless awards for direct mail and TV advertising, video storytelling, digital strategies and podcast production, and in 2021 the firm was recognized by D CEO for its work in equity leadership.
Mari has been recognized as one of the “Top 25 Most Influential Women in Business” by the Dallas Business Journal. She’s served on the Advisory Board of Dream Dallas, an initiative of Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity that invested $100 million in Southern Dallas, and she’s currently a Member of the SMU Dedman College Executive Board and The Dallas Assembly. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Service and Anthropology from Baylor University.