Mower, one of the largest independent marketing, advertising and public relations agencies in the U.S., promoted five members of the agency to vice president at the start of 2020.
Erinn Newman promoted to Senior Vice President, Insight
Newman joined Mower nearly six years ago bringing her wealth of financial services and health care industries knowledge to the agency. The leader of Mower’s financial specialty and go-to participant in many new business pitches, Newman is known for pushing colleagues to think harder, dig deeper and deliver high quality work. She holds a Master of Business Administration from University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business and earned her undergraduate degree from William & Mary.
John Lacey promoted to Vice President, Director Public Affairs
Lacey, who joined Mower in 2006 after serving as the communications director with Americans for Gun Safety, will now serve as the agency’s vice president, director of public affairs. Lacey will play a lead role in assisting Mower clients with community relations, issues management and regulatory approval processes. Lacey is a George Washington University alumnus and earned his masters degree in philosophy at Queen’s University Belfast.
Ashley Montanaro promoted to Vice President, Account Director
Montanaro, who started her career as an intern at Mower, rejoined the agency as an account director in 2019 bringing her more than 15 years of experience of working for major brands such as Fisher Price and Aspen Dental. A Canisius College alumna, Montanaro plays a vital role in the agency’s work with National Grid and will take on a leadership role with this account.
Patricia Nugent promoted to Vice President – Public Relations
Nugent oversees several of Mower’s premier travel and tourism accounts, working with iconic brands and destinations such as Lufthansa Group, Pebble Beach Resorts and Westchester County Tourism. Throughout her 16-year tenure at Mower, Nugent has grown steadily as an accomplished manager of accounts and team members, served as a valuable contributor to new business presentations and pitches and proven her to be an all-round role model as a strategist, writer, publicist and social community manager. She is an alumna of Lehigh University.
Peter Smolowitz promoted to Vice President, Director of Reputation Management
After more than 12 years with Mower, Smolowitz has utilized his background as a newspaper reporter to revitalize the agency’s media, crisis and presentation programs. He’s helped clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to professional athletes as they prepare for pivotal interviews and navigate crises. Smolowitz, a Syracuse University alumnus, is also a past president of the Charlotte chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
