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Maria Kalligeros Leads CRT/tanaka Consumer Practice

New York, (June 26, 2007) – CRT/tanaka, an award-winning public relations and marketing firm, known for creative solutions and workplace culture, today announced that Maria Kalligeros, executive vice president will lead the agency’s Consumer Practice.  Kalligeros continues to serve on the agency’s Board of Managers and takes over for Patrice Tanaka, CRT/tanaka’s co-chair and chief creative officer.

Kalligeros has more than 25 years of experience marketing consumer products and services and is one of the PR industry’s leading authorities on cause-related marketing. She has developed and managed public relations programs for companies in a broad range of consumer categories.

“Maria is a well-respected PR industry leader in marketing consumer products and services, well known for her expertise in cause-related marketing. We anticipate exciting growth within our Consumer Practice under her leadership,” said Mark Raper, CRT/tanaka chairman and CEO.

She previously served as president and co-founder of one of CRT/tanaka’s predecessor agencies, Patrice Tanaka & Company, Inc. (PT&Co.).  Under her management, Kalligeros’ clients have won more than 65 industry awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award with Liz Claiborne for the “Love is Not Abuse” domestic violence awareness campaign at the 2002 SABRE Awards.

She built the agency’s cause-related marketing practice into one of the most highly regarded in the PR industry and has spoken about cause-related marketing in the United States and the United Kingdom. Her work was cited as an exemplary example of the discipline in “Brand Spirit: How Cause-Related Marketing Builds Brands,” (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 1999). She also is a contributor to “Inside the Minds: Open C-Suite Doors,” (Aspatore, Inc., 2004) and “Ways to Inspire and Incentivize Top Employees,” (ExecBlueprints, Books24x7, 2005).

Prior to co-founding PT&Co., she was with Chiat/Day’s public relations subsidiary, Jessica Dee Communications and international jeweler Harry Winston, Inc., where she served as director of public relations, advertising and special events. 

Kalligeros has served on the board of New York Women in Communications (NYWICI) and as secretary on the board of The Foundation of Women Executives in Public Relations (WEPR) and co-chaired the organization’s Crystal Obelisk Award for Social Responsibility. She is a member of Advertising Women of New York; The Fashion Group, International; Cosmetic Executive Women; American Women in Communications; New York Women in Communications; the Public Relations Society of America and the PRSA Counselor’s Academy.

About CRT/tanaka

CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm, known for creative solutions and workplace culture. The agency was formed in 2005, when Carter Ryley Thomas acquired New York consumer specialist Patrice Tanaka & Company, Inc. to form one of the top independent agencies in the country. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka specializes in three practice areas – Consumer, Health and Corporate. The agency’s Consumer Practice is renowned for its specialty in brand marketing PR, cause and event marketing and marketing to women. CRT/tanaka has been recognized with more than 260 national and regional awards. Clients include Target Stores, Sprint, Capital One, Philip Morris USA, Atkins Nutritionals, Charles Schwab & Co., Girl Scouts of the USA, Wines from Rioja (Spain), Chadwick’s, HoMedics, All-Clad Metalcrafters, De’Longhi, VHA, the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Performance Food Group and ITT Corporation.