Debbie Mason, APR
President-Strategists, Inc. and Sage Musings, Inc.

Debbie Mason's work focuses on strengthening executives and their organizations. Debbie serves as President of Strategists, Inc., which provides research, strategic planning, advocacy, and communication counseling services and Sage Musings, Inc., training and development company providing custom programs and publications to nonprofit resource centers, professional associations and nonprofit organizations. Known as an effective coach and facilitator in guiding nonprofit CEOs and boards, Debbie assists organizations through research, strategic planning, issues resolution, team building, and business development planning sessions, and the subsequent planning processes.

An accomplished speaker focusing on a variety of planning, leadership, communications and inspirational topics at regional and national conferences, Debbie is also the author of the "Nonprofit Public Relations Toolkit." Each year, Debbie serves as a catalyst for for meaningful change for dozens of organizations.

Debbie’s 25 years of experience in management of communications, marketing and planning, include a decade of serving as a counsel and trainer to nonprofit and corporate organizations. Prior to this decade, her experience was with senior management corporate and healthcare experience at a national level. Concurrently, she served as a volunteer leader for dozens of nonprofit organizations in the communities in which she lived. Her work with the Broward Child Welfare Initiative won a prestigious national award in public relations, the Silver Anvil, sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America. The Silver Anvil recognizes outstanding achievement in strategic public relations planning and implementation that demonstrates the highest quality standards in the public relations profession. Nonprofit training centers and corporate clients alike rave about the results they achieve from her innovative, direct and results-oriented approach to training and facilitation of planning.

Prior to establishing Strategists, Inc., Debbie was the founder and president of Mason Strategic Communications (MSC), a communications agency founded in 1995. The agency had offices in Fort Lauderdale and Gainesville, Florida and was one of South Florida 's largest independent agencies, prior to its sale in 2000. Through MSC, Debbie worked with corporate and nonprofit clients in planning for and meeting their strategic objectives.

Before founding MSC, Debbie served as vice president of corporate communications for JM Family Enterprises, Inc., one of the nation's largest private companies and its over 20 subsidiaries.

Debbie established the company's first corporate communications department and was responsible for the strategy, plan development and execution of crisis communications response, media relations, advertising, community relations and communication with critical audiences across the United States .

In addition, Debbie managed the company's charitable giving and served as an officer of the company, reporting to the chairman of the board. During her tenure with JM Family, she was the lead crisis response team member for the largest chemical spill in the history of Florida, Hurricane Andrew relief, congressional hearings, dozens of high profile law suits across the country and other crisis situations. In addition, she created the corporate branding strategy and many effective programs, such as the African American Achievers Awards, which still remain over a decade later.

Prior to joining JM Family, Debbie was Division Director of Public Affairs and Communication for Jackson Memorial Hospital Center, the nation's second largest teaching hospital. During her career before Jackson Memorial, Debbie served in a number of senior management positions in marketing and public relations, managing research and strategic planning predominately in the health care industry, with several national companies. In addition, she owned a marketing consulting business while living in the Treasure Coast area of Florida in the 1980s.

Debbie is an Accredited public relations professional and is active nationally in the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). She serves as the 2005 International Conference co-chair and as a member of the PRSA Foundation Advisory Board. Past service includes serving as a national board member for the organization and its Foundation. In addition, her past service to the organization includes: national assembly delegate, national professional advisor for the student pre-professional organization (PRSSA), board member of the Health Academy, board member of the Corporate Section and member of many national task forces and committees. She has held numerous chapter offices in Florida and Washington , D.C. , as well. Debbie is also a member of the Florida Public Relations Association, Women in Communication, the Alliance for Nonprofit Management and the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA.)

Honors and awards in the industry include : 2005 Named as “Fellow, PRSA” as one of only 450 professionals nationally to achieve this honorary designation for service to the profession and to her community; 2003 Silver Anvil, the PRSA national industry award recognizing outstanding achievement in strategic public relations planning and implementation; 2002 Atlantic Florida Chapter of Women in Communication's "Woman of the Year"; The Price Waterhouse and South Florida Business Journal’s 1998 "40 Under 40" recognition for significant business and community standing; The Price Waterhouse and South Florida Business Journal’s 1994 Up and Comer in Public Relations; Who's Who in Public Relations; Who's Who Among American Women; Who's Who in Business and Finance; local and state awards for public relations and advertising programs.

Debbie is a graduate of the University of Florida , where she has served as an adjunct professor and as Chairman of the Public Relations Advisory Council of the College of Journalism and Communications.

Debbie is well known in Florida for her passionate commitment to children's issues. She has served as the facilitator and author of the Broward Child Welfare Initiative's Strategic Plan for Out of School Time, and the privatization plan for foster care, as well as the Children's Report Card among others.

She was the campaign manager responsible for the successful referendum initiative to create a dedicated taxing source in Broward County , creating the Children's Services Council and its over $40 million annual budget. She was the strategist for several other referendums in Florida communities benefiting children, parks and recreation and tourism related causes.

Currently, Debbie's civic activities include serving as a member of the board of directors for Florida Children's Campaign. She is a graduate of Leadership America, Leadership Florida, Leadership St. Lucie and Leadership Gainesville. Past service includes serving on numerous civic, business and nonprofit boards in the Greater Fort Lauderdale and Gainesville , Florida areas. Those positions include serving past chairman of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, past chairman of Kids in Distress and past president of ArtServe as well as serving as a board member for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward and Alachua counties, the Girl Scouts of Broward County, The YMCA of North Central Florida, The Urban League of Broward, The Broward Library Foundation, the Museum of Discovery and Science and many others.

A native Floridian, Debbie has offices in Gainesville and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Debbie Mason, APR
President, Strategists, Inc.
5060 SW 88th Terrace
Gainesville, FL 32608
352.372.7476

15 SE 9th Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
954.522.3346 PH

debbie@strategistsinc.com

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