LEADERSHIP

Our leadership and their teams apply over 50 years of media relations experience spanning a wide range of industries

President

Jill Schmidt

Jill is known for her ability to distill complex concepts into reporter-friendly pitches as well as the development of creative story angles for stories that would otherwise be hard to place

Jill Schmidt, President, has been in the public relations business for 30 years. She is an expert in media relations with a strong track record and solid relationships with key members of the press developed over her career. She and her team regularly secure top media placements in print, broadcast, online and other outlets for their clients, from major newspapers, business publications and trade magazines to The Today Show and Good Morning America.
Vice President Strategy & Senior Writer

Rena Cohen

Rena provides strategic direction and client writing services backed by decades of advertising, print journalism and public relations experience.

Rena Cohen, VP Strategy & Senior Writer, provides strategic direction and client writing services backed by decades of advertising, print journalism and public relations experience. She moved from newspapers to the dark side (PR) 20 years ago and has worked with Jill Schmidt ever since. Her writing and strategy services have landed major stories for clients, and her journalism work earned a mountain of awards including national honors for investigative reporting, education reporting and feature writing. When she’s not writing, she grabs her binoculars and heads out on birding expeditions – whether in local forest preserves or in exotic destinations like Namibia and Botswana.
Senior Vice President

Aly Nardini

Aly brings passion, commitment and positive energy to the Jill Schmidt|PR team.

Aly Nardini, Vice President, brings passion, commitment and positive energy to the Jill Schmidt|PR team. Aly is responsible for leading account teams, developing PR strategies, media relations, client relations and social media.
Vice President

Brandon Kazimer

Brandon brings a fresh outlook and diligent approach to Jill Schmidt|PR

In addition to his media relations and PR know-how, Brandon uses his outgoing personality to find new and interesting clients to join the JSPR media team as clients. Brandon studied at Western Illinois University where he served several leadership roles in Dance Marathon and his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. In his spare time, he likes to attend Chicago sporting events with trips to Wrigley Field always topping his summer to-do list.
Vice President

Matt Bevenour

Matt brings his powerful list of media contacts and journalistic expertise to Jill Schmidt|PR

Matt Bevenour, Account Supervisor, brings his powerful list of media contacts and journalistic expertise to Jill Schmidt|PR. He has strong relationships with producers and reporters covering consumer goods and celebrity stories. His enthusiasm and tenacity are the secret to his success. Matt is a graduate of DePaul University. He is an avid tennis player and boater and has a black belt in shopping.
Account Executive

Brooke Larsen

Brooke brings a creative, enthusiastic and dynamic perspective to Jill Schmidt PR

Brooke brings a creative, enthusiastic and dynamic perspective to Jill Schmidt PR. A natural storyteller, Brooke puts great value in research and insights to create proactive strategies for media and influencer relations. Brooke graduated from The University of Iowa where she studied Journalism, Mass Communications and Spanish. Brooke enjoys, photography, exploring new cities, playing the ukulele and of course, spending time with family and friends.