Meghan Feeks, President

Meghan brings to PR Works more than 15 years of experience in medical and agricultural communication. Equal parts strategist and storyteller, she has a passion for turning technical subjects into stories that stick.

Meghan’s experience in animal health and nutrition spans the poultry, swine, cattle and aquaculture industries. Prior to joining PR Works in 2009, she managed public and investor relations programs for healthcare companies at various agencies in New York City. She holds a B.A. from McGill University and a M.Sc. in strategic communication from Columbia University.

Having grown up surrounded by farms in upstate New York, Meghan has lived, traveled and worked around the world before settling in Italy with her husband and son. When not working, Meghan can usually be found cooking, hiking, doing yoga, visiting Italy’s wonderful food markets or planning her next big adventure.

Top

Diana Delmar, Senior Writer and Science Editor

Since 1993, Diana has worked as a tireless reporter and science editor for PR Works, covering everything from livestock and companion animals to crop production.

She has more than 40 years’ experience as a medical and agricultural writer and editor. Early in her career, Diana was a reporter and managing editor at the International Medical News Group (IMNG), publisher of newspapers for physicians. While there she received an award for Excellent Medical Writing from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the American Medical Writers Association and an Award of Commendation for accurate reporting from the American Academy of Family Physicians.

In 1989, Diana began to combine her experience in medical journalism with her interest in animal care by focusing on the veterinary field. She was the managing editor of Veterinary Practice News (formerly Veterinary Product News), edited or ghost-wrote several books on animal care and was a regular contributor to Veterinary Times, a British veterinary publication. She has authored three books (Storey Publishing): The Guilt-Free Dog Owners Guide, The Puppy Owner’s Manual and Taking Up Riding As An Adult.

Diana lives on a horse farm in the suburbs of Washington, DC. When she’s not crunching on another article, she enjoys riding, tending to her dogs and relaxing at her hideaway in the West Virginia mountains.

Top

   

Gary Hartley, Contributing Editor

Gary Hartley joined the PR Works team in 2020 and quickly lived up to his billing as a talented journalist who felt comfortable handling any animal health assignment.

He has a varied background in writing and communications, ranging from science and sustainability to soccer. He has worked for non-governmental bodies, national charities and as a freelance writer.

Gary took the unorthodox route of following up BA in journalism from the University of Sheffield with an MSc in entomology from Harper Adams University, 13 years later.

Before joining PR Works, Gary worked as a technical advisor to a biological control company, but he has since taken the opportunity to return to professional writing.

In recent years, he has spent time living in Athens, Greece, and is definitely open to the idea of further spells outside his home base in the UK.

With interests not limited to science, Gary has previously co-edited a literary and arts magazine, had a book of poetry published and performed at the Edinburgh Festival.

Top

   

Karen McMahon, Contributing Editor

Karen is an award-winning agricultural journalist with more than three decades’ industry experience, including 13 years as editor of Farm Industry News. She also has extensive background in the pork industry, including stints with National Hog Farmer, Hogs Today/Farm Journal, Hog Farm Management and the National Pork Producers Council.

Karen is also a past president of the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA) and has chaired the sponsorship committee for the Agricultural Media Summit. In addition to attaining AAEA’s top Master Writer Award level, Karen has won three Oscars in Agriculture for writing and was also named AAEA Photographer of the Year. Karen has also been honored by the American Society of Business Publication Editors and Minnesota Monthly Publications Association.

Karen grew up on a diversified crop and livestock farm near LeMars, Iowa, and earned her BS in journalism from South Dakota State University. She lives near the Twin Cities but continues to participate in the family farm in Iowa.

Karen is a big sports fan, especially of the Minnesota Twins. She is an avid walker and consumer of books, magazines and newspapers. Other loves include cooking, traveling, musicals and fast cars.

Top

 

Marlys Miller, Contributing Editor

Marlys’ heart and soul are grounded in the US pork industry. Her focus on pork emerged early in life, growing up on a swine and dairy farm in southern Minnesota and showing purebred Chester White hogs in 4-H and open class competitions. This experience led her to other activities such as livestock and meats judging. It also laid the foundation for a lifetime commitment of building a bridge between pork production and the meat case.

To combine a love of writing with a passion for pigs, Marlys enrolled in the University of Minnesota, where she received a BS in agricultural journalism with a minor in animal science.

Marlys began her professional career as a hog-market analyst and writer. She then moved on to become Editor of Producer Publications for the National Pork Producers Council. From there, Marlys spent 25 years at Pork magazine (now Farm Journal’s Pork), the last 17 of which she served as the Editor-in-Chief.

An award-wining journalist, Marlys has received numerous honors from agricultural publishing groups, including the Master Writer distinction from the American Agricultural Editor’s Association.

Most notably, she has won seven Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards and five Certificates of Merit for editorial excellence presented by the American Business Media in New York. Marlys also has received the Minnesota Pork Board’s Distinguished Service Award and was named Honorary Master Pork Producer by the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

When she’s not reporting on new developments in the pork industry, Marlys can be found training her German Shepherd, hiking one of our glorious National Parks, watching Minnesota football (Vikings and Gophers) or enjoying a good book.

Top

 

Suzanne Quigley, Contributing Editor

Suzanne is a versatile, seasoned writer with nearly 20 years’ experience in the animal health industry.

A 4Her in her youth, Suzanne developed an early interest in animal care and describes herself as a veterinary “wannabe.”

After briefly exploring a career in veterinary medicine, Suzanne concluded that writing suited her better than organic chemistry. Her passion for animals was still there, however.

Fresh from college with a business degree in hand, Suzanne found herself working as a veterinary technician at a small animal and equine practice. The long hours combined with her newlywed status prompted Suzanne to shift gears and focus on a copywriting career in the animal health industry.

Her services were in high demand and it wasn’t long before her freelance gigs demanded all of her time. In 2020, Suzanne brought her expertise to PR Works and seamlessly morphed to the world of food-animal medicine.

An avid horsewoman, Suzanne competes with her horse in dressage. She also enjoys daily walks with her dog, gardening, and baking for her husband, family, and friends.

Top

   

Caroline Stocks, Contributing Editor

Caroline joined PR Works in 2015 with a decade of experience as an agricultural journalist, editor and communicator.

A committed storyteller, Caroline enjoys helping clients find innovative ways to connect with audiences and share their stories. Her work has seen her advise organizations of all sizes across the agricultural industry, from government bodies and financial institutions, to animal health companies and individual farm businesses.

Based in Spain, Caroline has travelled to more than 40 countries in search of agricultural stories. When she’s not working, Caroline is usually travel planning, taking photographs, or hiking with her dog, Rufus.

Top

Susan Spiegel, Content Manager

Sue came to PR Works in 2008 with 20 years’ experience in medical, technical and promotional writing. Since graduating magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Albany with a B.A. in English, her career has woven a path through editing, product development, branding, copywriting and creative direction. She’s a quick study on virtually any topic. That, along with her versatility and attention to detail, allows Sue to jump easily from technical to pharmaceutical to commercial assignments.

As content manager, Sue is able to happily combine her writing and multimedia experience, strong organizational skills and an avid interest in website creation.

In her spare time, Sue pursues many other creative outlets, including singing choral music and playing classical and folk guitar.

Top

Susanna Ronner, Art Director

Susanna came to PR Works in 1997 as a well respected graphic designer, but her background in other art forms — dance, music and fine arts — quickly demonstrated why she has such a keen eye for color, texture, balance and imagery.

Her print and web work expresses a unique and memorable visual impact, elegance and clarity, all of which have brought PR Works and its clients much success.

Susanna received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois, where she graduated with honors and was singled out for “Outstanding Senior in Graphic Design,” earning her place in Who’s Who Among Students in Colleges and Universities.

After graduating, Susanna went on to San Francisco to work for many years alongside some of the most highly respected and internationally renowned graphic designers.

In addition to animal health, Susanna has worked extensively for non-profit organizations, hospitals, colleges, museums, visual artists, recording artists, and small businesses. Her design work is included in many design books and publications, including numerous editions of Print magazine’s Regional Design Annual and Print’s Best Logos and Symbols (Vol. 3) and American Corporate Identity (Vol. 3). For many years, Susanna also taught graphic design at the State University of New York at New Paltz.

When she’s not crafting another brilliant design for PR Works’ clients, Susanna is in her tranquil, mountainside studio creating striking monotype prints — a process she describes as “magical” and “full of surprises.” Her inspiring work is frequently on display in New York area galleries.

Top

Jesse Jenifer, Web Engineer

Jesse started building web sites back in 1996 — a time when many marketers wondered if the Internet was a passing fad or a legitimate marketing tool.

Today Jesse modestly shrugs off his more than 25 years of digital marketing experience.

“My goal is the same today as it was back then — build engaging websites and other digital platforms that are informative, easy to use and, most important, keep target audiences coming back for more. Nothing’s really changed,” he insists.

Oh, but it has.

Today Jesse prides himself on staying current with the latest innovations and platforms for enhancing the digital experience. He’s also a wiz at inbound marketing, which focuses on creating engaging content that pulls customers and prospects toward a company and its products. It’s a natural fit with PR Works’ focus on brand journalism.

When it comes to search-engine optimization and website analytics, Jesse can geek it up with the best of them. He also has a remarkable talent for taking complex, intricate designs and bringing them to life on a digital platform.

Jesse graduated from Binghamton University with a B.S. in computer science and a B.A in economics. When he’s not creating websites and other e-marketing tools, Jesse likes hanging with his young family and breaking par on area golf courses..

Top

Joseph Feeks, Founding Partner

Joe is a seasoned brand journalist and media consultant with 44 years’ experience in agriculture, animal health, nutrition, food safety and related fields.

Joe now serves as a consulting partner for PR Works. He enjoys paddling his sea kayak, getting lost in the woods with a knapsack of camera gear and chilling out with his growing family.

Top

Carly Feeks, Media Consultant

Carly’s passion for editing and communicating highly technical information came at a young age — partly by necessity.  Despite her curious nature and fascination with science and the environment, she struggled to make sense of them because of the conventional and unilateral ways they were taught in school and communicated in the business world.

“It didn’t take long for me to realize that there was a tremendous communication gap between brilliant scientists and the end users who could benefit from their discoveries,” she says. “I wanted to help close that gap.”

Carly studied Deaf Studies and Ecology at Holyoke Community College, and Journalism & Mass Communications at UMass-Amherst and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

After working as a part-time project specialist for PR Works and completing two editorial internships reporting and editing for Feedstuffs, Carly worked cross-functionally as a technical writer, validation and compliance specialist, and project coordinator across Boston Scientific’s intracardiac equipment engineering, design assurance, and software quality departments in Maple Grove, MN.

After taking time off to raise her two children, Carly was excited to rejoin PR Woks as a media consultant.

In her spare time, Carly can be found volunteering for the Cape Cod Baseball League, exploring Boston’s museums with her children, or curled up with a good book and a cat.  If she can’t be found, she’s probably chasing bass and blues, exchanging salty fish tales, and shark spotting from a boat in the Nantucket Sound.

Top