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Marino Announces Five Promotions to Bolster Senior Leadership Across Specialties

NEW YORK – July 15, 2021 – Marino, a leading strategic communications firm with offices in New York City and Los Angeles, announced five new senior-level promotions today. These appointments will help bolster public relations, digital, social and creative offerings in the firm’s corporate, real estate, consumer, nonprofit, cannabis and advocacy divisions.

“I am pleased to announce these five well-earned promotions among our senior ranks at Marino,” said John F. Marino, president. “These team members have not only generated incredible results and earned the valuable trust of our clients, but they have also demonstrated a commitment to fueling the firm’s robust growth and solidifying our presence in a multitude of industries.”

The promotions include:

  • Daniella Alkobi, Senior Vice President – As a key advisor to national and regional brands, Alkobi will continue to lead Marino’s nonprofit and lifestyle divisions in addition to providing broader strategy and mentorship across diverse sectors. Heading the firm’s Los Angeles office, she will continue to take on a larger role in business development and further expanding Marino’s growth.
  • Vanessa Figueroa, Vice President – An expert in public policy and media relations, Figueroa will drive the firm’s advocacy practice and continue developing high-level strategy and initiatives to service clients. In addition, Figueroa will mentor junior staff across the firm and help fuel the growth of Marino’s public policy work in new verticals.
  • Samantha Qualls, Vice President – An expert in cannabis policy, products and promotion, Qualls will continue to oversee accounts and mentor team members across Marino’s rapidly growing cannabis practice. Additionally, she will focus on strategies to further grow the agency’s cannabis and energy divisions, specifically in the renewable, cleantech and green energy spaces.
  • Patrice Rajacic, Senior Vice President – As a lead strategist for the agency’s corporate communications and consumer division, Rajacic will take on a larger role in growing the firm’s crisis communications offerings, in addition to strengthening client relations, internal staff training and inclusive hiring practices.
  • Chris Santarelli, Vice President – An expert in thought leadership and communications strategy, Santarelli will expand his leading role in the firm’s real estate and finance practices, helping to elevate the nationally recognized real estate team and its work industry-wide. As a senior member, Santarelli will continue to oversee a book of accounts and mentor junior staff.

Founded in 1993, Marino has successfully represented a wide array of clients such as McDonald’sWalmart, The Home Depot, Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 FoundationCrain’s New York Business and the iconic One World Trade Center, as well as a host of some of New York City’s most widely respected real estate companies, trade associations and not-for-profits.

In recent years, Marino has been consistently recognized as one of the top agencies in the country by The Observer.

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