Pierpont Communications names new vice president

HOUSTON -- Pierpont Communications, Inc. the largest public-relations agency in the Houston area, has promoted Jonathan Rucket to vice president.

In his new position, Rucket will help guide the rapidly-growing agency as part of its nationally recognized management team.

"Jon has been instrumental to the Pierpont team -- continually providing first-rate service to some of our marquee accounts," said Phil Morabito, CEO and president of Pierpont. "We look forward to Jon taking a more formal leadership role with Pierpont -- one that will allow him to help grow the firm's business and take an integral part in developing our younger staff members."

Prior to joining Pierpont, Rucket was with SHIFT Communications in Boston, where he spent five years conducting public-relations campaigns for high-tech clients such as Kodak, CompUSA and Furniture.com. He also has worked for public-relations agencies in New York state and Atlanta, managing a broad range of activities for the likes of Pfizer, Progressive Auto Insurance, Pizza Hut and QUIKRETE. Rucket, who earned his bachelors of science in history from the University of Wisconsin, also boasts international experience, having worked in West Africa assisting non-profits like Save The Children UK and SOS Sahel UK.

Pierpont Communications welcomes art director, expands services

HOUSTON -- Pierpont Communications, Inc., the largest public-relations and marketing communications agency in the Houston area, announces Martin Miglioretti as the newest member of Pierpont's growing marketing practice. In his role, he will lead the creative direction and handle all graphic design for marketing projects.

"With every passing month the demand for our marketing expertise continues to grow, and to meet that demand, we needed a full-time art director," said Denise Patrick, senior marketing counsel with Pierpont. "Martin previously freelanced with us on several projects and has the knowledge and know-how to get it right with all of our clients -- no matter what market they are in. He really gets it, and our clients are already reaping the benefits."

Miglioretti, who has been a creative professional since 1976, has won numerous regional and national awards for his incisive use of simple imagery to convey complex messages. In addition to his graphic direction, he has developed large scale branding campaigns for several major corporations. In addition to Miglioretti's remarkable design talent in print, broadcast, outdoor, direct mail and interactive media, he is an accomplished photorealist painter, specializing in automotive subjects in acrylic on canvas. He hails from Pittsburgh, PA, and is a graduate of Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA.

Pierpont account supervisor earns accreditation

HOUSTON -- Laura Frnka, APR, an account supervisor with Pierpont Communications, Inc. recently earned her public relations accreditation.

Accreditation by PRSA is a voluntary certification program for public relations professionals that is administered by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) and tests an individual's knowledge, skills and abilities required to practice public relations in today's business arena.

"Earning my accreditation was something I wanted to do for myself -- both on a personal as well a professional level," said Frnka, who has been with Pierpont for over a year. "I encourage anyone who is thinking about the idea to go for it. It's a rewarding process because you learn so much about yourself and the PR profession along the way. Having my accreditation has increased my self-confidence."

Before joining Pierpont in May of 2006, Frnka was a public relations specialist with Texas Children's Hospital where she provided public relations and marketing support for a wide variety of pediatric specialties, including Texas Children's Cancer Center, one of the largest pediatric cancer centers in the country. Prior to that, she was an assistant account executive with a PR agency based in Richardson, Texas that focused on promoting companies in the high-tech sector.

Frnka graduated from Texas A&M University in 1997 and holds a bachelor of science in journalism and a minor in marketing.

Pierpont senior counsel outlines "Seven missteps that could be derailing your communications program"

HOUSTON - Terry Hemeyer, senior counsel for Pierpont Communications, Inc. has recently written a paper titled, "Seven Missteps That Could Be Derailing Your Communications Program." This paper, targeted towards CEOs and communications executives, outlines seven common mistakes made in corporate communications. Hemeyer identifies the following as mishaps that can disrupt a company's communication program:

1. A lack of strategy -- not having a strategic direction with long-term goals and a clear ROI
2. Too little integration -- cross-purposing multiple communications disciplines, including public relations, marketing, advertising, government relations and financial communications
3. Jumping from one communication fad to the next -- blindly sinking your resources into the latest high-tech wizardry (i.e. corporate blog) instead of focusing on proven tactics
4. Ignoring corporate vulnerabilities -- not identifying a company's vulnerabilities before they sneak up on top leadership
5. Choosing the wrong people -- Selecting professional communication staff based solely on their media relations and writing skills
6. Getting stuck in the reactivity rut --Constantly putting fires out and losing site of keeping positive news front and center
7. Keeping it all in-house -- Being afraid to pull in outside experts

"I believe this paper pinpoints the important and often overlooked areas of the communication field in the corporate arena," said Hemeyer.

Heymeyer has more than 35 years of communication and management experience. His previously held positions range from serving in top management for a Fortune 150 company to the top communications executive for an international consumer services company, as well as an executive vice president for Edelman Worldwide. He currently is a distinguished lecturer at The University of Texas in Austin and a teacher of crisis management at Rice University in Houston in conjunction with his role at Pierpont Communications.

Pierpont's marketing counsel featured on Marketing Crossing as "Marketing Star"

HOUSTON - Denise Patrick, senior Marketing counsel at Pierpont Communications, Inc. has recently been named "Marketing Star" by MarketingCrossing.com.

MarketingCrossing.com is the leading search engine specializing in marketing careers. The Web site highlights a top marketing guru each month and publishes the article on its Website. Other top marketing executives named as a "Marketing Star" include Howard Schultz, chairman of Starbucks Corporation; Tom Insprucker, vice president of Marketing Operations for Schneider Electric; and Laura Reis, co-author of The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR.

Patrick has extensive experience in marketing and has counseled business owners from multiple industries including oil and gas, law, education and health care. Her client list includes the Houston Community College, Halliburton, Moody Rambin, Huntsman and Shell Chemical Deer Park. In addition, Patrick has appeared in many educational forums, including Rice University and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Houston.

About Pierpont
Founded in 1987, Pierpont Communications, Inc., is a full-service public relations, investor relations, marketing and public affairs firm based in Houston, Austin and Dallas. The firm provides its diverse client roster with a broad range of services including media relations, marketing communications, investor relations, public affairs, interactive strategies, community relations, employee communications, crisis communications and issues/reputation management.