Team

Smart. Creative. Strategic. Results-driven. The MSR Communications team is made up of PR practitioners who leverage their creative intelligence to help influence constituents and drive extraordinary results. Collectively, the MSR team has more than 75 years of experience working directly with key influencers such as journalists, analysts, clients, customers, partners, investors and prospects on an international scale.

Mary Shank Rockman, CEO & Principal

Building on her extensive background in message development/positioning, media/analyst relations, crisis communications and reputation management with a firm dedication to unrelenting energy and drive, Mary Shank Rockman founded MSR Communications in 1999. Her goal was - and continues to be- to deliver extraordinary results for MSR clients. To accomplish this, she has assembled a team with more than 70 years' collective PR and marketing communications experience that is expert at developing strategic communications programs, maintaining strong relationships with critical influencers and diligently executing to deliver impactful results. As Principal of MSR, Mary has daily oversight of all client programs and direct involvement with all client contacts and activities. She is an author of Inside the Minds: Building Customer Relationships through Public Relations, C-Level Business Intelligence, Aspatore Books 2008.

Life before MSR: As the director of Public Relations and Executive Communications for Sybase, Inc., Mary developed and directed Sybase's international public relations and executive communications programs including the database leader's award-winning campaign as the software provider for France98 World Cup soccer tournament. At Ketchum Public Relations Technology Group, San Francisco, she promoted blue chip clients such as Hewlett-Packard Company, Price Waterhouse LLP, and Levi Strauss & Co. While public relations manager at Kensington, a division of Fortune Brands, Inc., Mary's marketing communications programs helped drive revenue to $50 million dollars in less than four years. Her career began at FCB High Tech Advertising/DSE and Carlick Advertising firms where she worked with start-up companies that have since become industry legends including Borland, Silicon Graphics and Toshiba America.

Mary is the mother of two active boys and volunteers for numerous community organizations such as the Junior League of San Francisco (JLSF) where she has held several leadership positions including Vice President and member of the Board of Directors, 2008-09, JLSF Community Programs Council Director and member of the Board of Directors from 2003-2005; JLSF Co-chairwoman, Jamestown Community Center, 2001-2003 and Co-chairwoman for the Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program (TAPP) in 1999-2001. In 2005, Mary was a member of the Board of Directors for Back on Track San Francisco. She has also been a Board member of the Technology Section for the Public Relations Society of America.

Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Chris Blake, Account Director

With more than 10 years of entertainment and PR experience, Chris develops award-winning strategic public relations programs that help transform today's enterprise and personal technology companies into tomorrow's industry leaders. Specializing in product/company launches, media relations, messaging and strategic counsel for mobile applications, new media and information security companies, Chris currently works on Ariba and SpinVox and has successfully engineered strong leadership positions for mobile payments provider Obopay, MobileWay (acquired by Mobile 365), instant messaging leader FaceTime, and interactive TV pioneer MetaTV (purchased by Comcast/Cox venture TVWorks). Tapping his crisis and reputation management expertise, Chris also led an aggressive grassroots campaign to promptly neutralize controversy surrounding an Internet advertising client while helping a vanguard software provider recover from a high-profile executive scandal.

Life before MSR: Chris represented Break.com, email security vendor Cloudmark, and Dolby Digital Cinema among others at Manning Selvage & Lee and mPRm. Chris began his professional career at Levine/Schneider Public Relations, where he supported guerilla PR guru Michael Levine in his representation of Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, and other celebrities.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English: Creative Writing from the University of Southern California where he was twice awarded for his work at the Daily Trojan.

Michael Burke, Account Supervisor

A seasoned writer and editor, Michael's areas of specialty include media relations, strategic planning, Web site creation and client relations. He develops and implements PR strategy to propel MSR clients such as Ariba, CPP, and LIM, Matarozzi/Pelsinger Builders, SpinVox, and Xceedium to the center-stage of their respective industries in such media as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Associated Press, the New York Times and more.

Life before MSR: As an account manager at Kraves Ronstadt PR, Michael provided media relations and a host of PR services for such clients as data storage provider Iomega; logistics and supply chain software supplier CaseStack; access security vendor HID Global; video game producer, Take Two Interactive; and Disney Store. At BBS Communications, Michael provided various PR services including Web site design and content creation to the State of California's Department of Health Services, the Tallgrass Film Festival; the Family Health Clinic Association of Greater Los Angeles County; and Bell Gardens Community Clinic.

Michael has also written one novel, several short stories and produced and recorded three record albums. He is the proud father of fraternal twins and son.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies from Brigham Young University.

Jon Lavietes, Senior Account Associate

Here at MSR, Jon performs media relations and corporate writing functions on behalf of Ariba and CPP. He works with all types of business, trade, vertical and broadcast media. He has conducted these functions and run speaking programs on behalf of past MSR clients representing a variety of fields including BA Venture Partners, FaceTime, Propero, deCarta, InfoGain, Sigma Dynamics, Obopay and The Loan Page.

Life before MSR: Jon worked in the Global Technology Practice at Fleishman-Hillard with clients such as Nortel Networks, Silicon Graphics, Inc., Yahoo! and mobile high-speed Internet provider Metricom. Most notably he helped advance client J.D. Edwards' customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain, analytics and enterprise resource planning (ERP). He executed extensive media and analyst relations campaigns placing hundreds of articles and developing relationships with key technology trade reporters. He also helped to launch several products, execute events and develop key messaging. The J.D. Edwards account received a 2002 Silver SABRE Award and was a finalist for PR Week's 2003 "Hi-Tech Campaign of the Year." At Burson-Marsteller, he implemented various projects for Sun Microsystems, helped successfully launch the Sun Ray 1 thin client computer, and supported the client's PR efforts in high-stakes vertical markets including retail, financial services, digital media and telecommunications.

In his spare time, Jon assists with public relations activities for the San Jose Sharks working in the organization's press box on game nights and contributing articles for Sharks Magazine. (His first job out of college was an internship with the Sharks PR department).

Jon also spent a summer in the San Francisco Giants Community Relations Department where he organized home plate ceremonies and players' community appearances, and drafted public service announcements for the team's broadcasts.

Jon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Washington University in St. Louis where he interned at KMOX, a 50,000-watt news/talk radio station.

Crisel Ortiz, Account Executive

As MSR's resident general practitioner, Crisel leads the media relations front by reaching out to all business, trade, verticals and broadcast media outlets on behalf of SpinVox, Matarozzi/Pelsinger Builders Inc. and Almaden Valley Athletic Club (AVAC). While her focus is media relations she is also experienced in event promotion and planning and has worked in mobile, retail, health-care, bio-technology, security, automotive, financial services, non-profit, and food-oriented public relations. Past MSR clients include Obopay, July Systems, Logical Information Machines (LIM) and Xceedium.

Life before MSR: Crisel specialized in local broadcast and print media at Beck Ellman Heald, where her clients included IKEA San Diego, California Coast Credit Union, Stemagen, Reproductive Partners, MOSSY Automotive Group, San Ysidro Health Center, SCORE San Diego Chapter, and HLF Brandtailers.

In her spare time Crisel enjoys driving with the windows down and no destination. She considers herself an amateur photographer and enjoys getting lost in nature, but also loves being social with friends. During football season you'll find her secretly rooting for the San Diego Chargers.

Crisel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication with a minor in Visual Arts with an emphasis in Film and Video from the University of California at San Diego.

Mariviv Torres, Account Coordinator

Here at MSR, Mariviv is responsible for media relations, Web site creation coordination and reporting. She works with the following MSR clients: CPP, Ariba, SpinVox and LIM.

Life before MSR: Prior to joining MSR Communications, Mariviv was a public relations and marketing professional at GDP Records, a Miami-based independent record label distributed by Universal Music Latino. In this role, she coordinated album productions, both in and out of the studio, managed marketing budgets, designed promotional strategy, directed the construction and design or albums, Web sites, logos and press kits. Mariviv also created and executed media tours, developing relationships with key entertainment reporters. She helped successfully launch the record label's first Latin American artist and supported its promotional campaigns.

Mariviv also speaks fluent Spanish and enjoys traveling, concerts and musicals.

Mariviv holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management/Marketing from the Institute of Technology and Superior Education of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Joanna Riedl, Account Coordinator

At MSR, Joanna works on all accounts essentially acting as the glue that holds it all together. She is involved in all aspects of the agency and is responsible for media relations on behalf of the firm's non-profit client, the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center.

Life before MSR: Joanna came to MSR from a fashion/lifestyle public relations background. She began her PR career at People's Revolution in Los Angeles where she worked on high profile clients such as Agent Provocateur, Jeremy Scott, Paco Rabanne, Steve Madden, Vivienne Westwood, Y& Kei, Sunset Marquis Hotel and Villas, Roosevelt Hotel, Prive Salon and Poole Cosmetics. Her accomplishments include landing client Steve Madden in an Italian Vogue fashion layout for the first time and producing 15 fashion shows in 3 days. She has worked on dozens of events including spending two years as the Assistant Producer of San Francisco Fashion Week where she produced shows for designers such as Colleen Quen, Christina Hurvis, Fornarina, Lily Samii and Rock & Republic.

When she's not at work, you can find Joanna supporting local music, reading W Magazine in the park or organizing a ladies' night. She is also active in her community volunteering for organizations such as the Hamilton Family Center.

Joanna attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles where she majored in Merchandise Marketing.