Acquanetta Glass
President/CEO Avance Communications, Inc. (Avance)
Acquanetta Glass has spent more than 35 years working in marketing communications. Over the life of her career, she has served as director of communications for two high-tech firms and as a senior public relations specialist for General Motors Corporation. In 1990, she co-founded and was a partner of a Detroit-based public relations firm. By 1996, she was ready to strike out on her own and founded Avance Communications, Inc. For Avance, Glass has spearheaded numerous national, regional and local campaigns for clients such as McDonald’s Corporation, Knight Foundation, the City of Detroit, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Wayne County, Michigan, General Motors Corporation, 3M, Life Technologies, the State of Michigan, Fifth Third Bank and Community Network Services. Glass and the Avance team also had the privilege of working with the Detroit Super Bowl XL Host and the NFL on event coordination (most notably the NFL Experience); and provided media relations activities for 3,000 international journalists. As Avance’s Chief Executive Officer and pacesetter, she is fully committed to designing quality products and providing outstanding client services. She believes in and promotes this philosophy within the agency. This philosophy is practiced by her and evident throughout Avance’s corporate fabric. Glass’ early successes in reaching diverse and inclusive markets as well as her program development experience resulted in a U.S. service mark for Avance Diversity CommunicationsSM initiatives and programs. It is a flexible communications model that helps clients engage with diverse and inclusive audiences. Under her leadership, Avance has become an award-winning communications agency with a growing national reputation.
Winston L. Glass, Jr.
Executive Vice President Avance Communications, Inc. (Avance)
Winston L. Glass, Jr. has more than 35 years of experience in sales, marketing and new business development. Glass has been responsible for recruiting, training and developing three, national marketing and sales teams. At the Full Employment Council of Kansas City, Glass worked as the director of employment and sales services for five counties connected to the greater Kansas City metropolitan area. One of Glass’ career highlights was his participation and completion of the Chrysler Dealer Development Program, which resulted in him owning two automotive dealerships. Other phases of Glass’ career include vice president of Marketing for a Michigan HMO, serving as the Midwest Regional Manager for Johnson Products Company of Chicago, Illinois; working as the District Sales Manager for the J. Lewis Cooper Company in Detroit, and working as a Labor Relations Representative and Materials/Shipping Controls Supervisor for Ford Motor Company. Through these positions, Glass has built and established his career in sales, marketing, strategic planning and new business development. Glass’ career has excelled throughout the years as a result of his expertise in these disciplines. He is also known as an organizational "turnaround" specialist. Glass has managed eight-figure budgets, and has helped companies exceed sales’ goals. At Avance, Glass provides strategic planning, risk assessment, crises and issues management, event coordination, sales support, marketing, government and community relations, and new business development activities.
Arthur Wood
Senior Account Manager
Arthur Wood is an accomplished and innovative C-level executive with more than 30 years of commercial and public television experience in large, medium and small media markets, literally from coast-to-coast. Wood has been responsible for recruiting and developing several of the country’s current, top national and local broadcast journalists including ABC’s David Muir. He successfully created, sold and managed value-added television station projects at five broadcast facilities, delivering nontraditional dollars, tripling membership and increasing revenue by over 600%. As news director, Wood designed studies and constructed research instruments for qualitative research and focus groups. As general manager, he led several teams in the creation of full-service, self-supporting, media rich websites, utilizing his deep knowledge of SEO and web analytics. Wood prides himself on having built multiple EMMY winning creative teams that are multi-cultural, multi-generational, multi-talented and multi-tasking. A favorite Wood’s quote from Albert Einstein: "Imagination is more important than knowledge," is turned up a notch by Wood, since he brings both to the table. At Avance, Wood is the chief media officer responsible for executive project management, creative development and production of broadcast media. Additionally, he manages research, social media, Internet and web-based activities, diversity and inclusion initiatives, media strategies, and advertising. Wood’s professional and distinctive ability to speak is also incorporated into videos, commercials, and films as the voice-over.
Michelle L. Busch
Social Media Strategist + Stakeholder Communication Consultant
Michelle L. Busch has 20 years of experience in event planning and project management in the Greater Washington, DC area. She has taken her knowledge of non-profits, local government and diversity and combined it with her ability to help clients develop messaging that appeals to target audiences. Michelle believes that building brand awareness through social media can be a challenging, complex task, but it comes with great benefits. Born in the District of Columbia to influential and community-minded parents, she was exposed at a young age to the social and political environment, which defined the city. Her experience includes working with local government agencies and trade associations, which have enabled her to build a network of public opinion leaders and influencers across the public affairs spectrum. Michelle started her own consulting company, Event Solution DC, in 2019. Michelle works with the likes of Ginuwine, the R&B Group INTRO, DC Small Business District Candle & Soap Co. as well as bringing the awareness of HBCUs to the forefront with her volunteer work via The HBCU Council of Shiloh Baptist Church (DC) & The DC HBCU Alumni Alliance. Through her non-profit and volunteer efforts, she has built strategic partnerships with ministers, faith leaders and education advocates. Michelle studied Business Administration and Fashion Marketing at Bennett College, Greensboro, NC. She is a lover of jazz and social justice.
Carol Robinson
Senior Logistics/Strategic Planner and HR Leader
Carol Robinson has over 28 years of proven leadership experience as an Officer in the United States Army. During her distinguished career, Robinson worked on and managed various high impact missions including deployment to non-combat zones. She has demonstrated the ability to lead, train, and motivate organizations and subordinates to succeed in any environment. In 2013, Robinson was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for mentoring and empowering subordinates to reach their fullest potential. Additionally, she is a proven senior human resource leader that has successfully managed various personnel activities, including instruction and small group mentorships. Robinson is recognized as "the go to person" you want in pressure situations due to calm thinking, selflessness, and the ability to work through difficult conditions in an expedited and efficient manner. She has solid experiences in building organizations with focuses on strategic planning and goal orientation as evidenced in her expert management and perfection of a first-class Joint Operations Personnel Center. Robinson specializes in building quality teams, and providing leadership with critical, time-sensitive information. As a Joint Personnel Director of the Army Personnel Operations, she brought together people with differing skill sets to work as a team for successful mission accomplishment. Robinson has been recognized throughout her career as an exceptional teacher, coach and mentor that always develops any organization into a unified, cohesive, results-oriented professional team. At Avance, Robinson is responsible for strategic planning, internal communications/human resources, event logistics, training, coaching, issues and crises management, team building, and project management and evaluations.
Rob Doughty
Strategic and Results-Oriented Public Relations Professional
Rob Doughty has an extensive and extraordinary 37-year career in domestic and international corporate communications, including media relations, internal communications, marketing communications, financial, community affairs, consumer affairs and crisis communications for several Fortune 500 corporations. Doughty has provided communications counsel and services in the airline, biotechnology, food service, food processing, male grooming, recycling and electric arc welding industries for both private- and public-companies. Prior to starting his own consulting firm in 2008, he served as Vice President, Communications for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. In this capacity, he was responsible for all communications functions including media relations, internal communications and consumer relations, and all for the resort, including its iconic 50th Anniversary. Prior to joining Disney, Doughty served as Vice President of Communications for Burger King Corporation in Miami, Florida and Vice President Public Relations for Pizza Hut, Inc. in Dallas, Texas. He has also served in various communications positions for The Gillette Company, United Airlines, Hill & Knowlton, Wilson Foods Corporation, and Hobart Brothers Company. Doughty received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Eastern Kentucky University and holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Communications from Ohio University. He is also a member of the Arthur W. Page Society, which is an invitational organization of the most senior corporate communications officers in the United States.
Eraslan Media
Digital Media & Advertising Partners
Eraslan Media (EMA) is an international digital marketing and management agency, founded by Burak Eraslan and Darren Williams in 2017 during their time at Seton Hall University. EMA provides the full gambit of digital media services to increase company revenue, grow brand equity, and drive better business outcomes for its clients. Every day, we go to work with the intent to do two things for our clients: increase return-on-investment and solidify online presence. In 2023, online platforms provide a brand’s first impression to potential clients and partners prior to them ever experiencing the brand’s presence in-person. Let us work to put your best foot forward! We are entrepreneurs, athletes, writers, designers, comedians, photographers, and data junkies. We live and breathe emerging trends, new tech and we are always growing. EMA has served the national and international likes of Fireball Extreme Challenge, the first mandatory co-ed sport form Italy. The Giving Back Fund, one of the premier celebrity and professional athlete philanthropy houses. RAIN Water, an industry leading sustainable spring water distributor. Along with several pro athletes across the major sports leagues in the United States.
Freddie Thompson
Graphic Designer, Creative Artist and Web Designer
Freddie Thompson is the founder of Epoch Creative Solutions, and is its president and CEO. With over 20 years of professional graphic design experience in the advertising and public relations industry, Thompson provides graphic design services in the areas of print and web. Additionally, he manages client activities for print production, and provides clients with project specifications and quotes to ensure the integrity, and highest, quality of products and services. Illustrative work and photography are other skills that Thompson offers clients. For more than 15 years, Thompson was the graphic design manager for all of Avance Communications’ graphic and web campaigns. Thompson has continued an ongoing teaming relationship with Avance via Epoch Creative Solutions. Thompson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design from the College for Creative Studies (CCS) and has had continuing education in web design and animation under CCS’ alumni program.