Board Members

Kristen Pepper is an Athens, AL, native who grew up “on the outside looking in” at all of the hustle and bustle of the Rocket City. As marketing manager for the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), Kristen works to promote Huntsville/Madison County as a premier destination for meetings and leisure travel. She serves as the Vice President of Programs for the North Alabama chapter of the Public Relations Council of Alabama, and is also a member of the Huntsville-Madison County Hospitality Association and Hospitality Sales & Marketing Executives (HSME). Kristen is an Auburn University graduate and member of the Leadership Huntsville/Madison County Connect Class 20.

Jessica is the Digital Media Specialist for the City of Huntsville.  Her work includes all things ‘communication’ that involve a screen including social media strategy, website and blog content development and e-mail campaigns. Previously, Jessica was part of the marketing team responsible for the communication efforts of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Recognized as a Rising Star of the Industry by the Alabama Tourism Department in 2013 and a “30 under 30” tourism marketing professional by Destination Management International Association, Jessica was also selected by PR News as a Rising Star in 2015. Jessica serves as the Development Chair on the Board of Directors for Thrive Alabama and as the President of the North Alabama Chapter of the Public Relations Council of Alabama. A fan girl of NASA, she loves reading about space exploration in her free time. At home, she is dog mom to two rescue dogs – Grantham and Lilly.

As Marketing Director for the Land Trust of North Alabama, Melanie Manson shares the Land Trust’s
story and their passion for preserving important natural places through advertising, social media, and
public outreach. She previously served as Marketing Manager at Crestwood Medical Center promoting
all hospital services and coordinating community education efforts. Melanie serves as Vice President of
Communications for the North Alabama Chapter of the Public Relations Council of Alabama. She
received a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Alabama and is a graduate of
Leadership Huntsville/Madison County’s Connect Class 19.

Macy Magnusson is the Marketing Manager at Crestwood Medical Center. She received her BS in Marketing from the University of Alabama and her MS in Strategic Communication from Troy University. She currently serves on the NAPRCA Board as Treasurer.

At WHNT News 19, Lori oversees research functions and helps news, promotions and management better understand viewers and grow ratings and revenue. She also helps sales people with brand messaging, market analysis and competitive positioning. As a member of the leadership team, Lori is often a key participant in developing station strategy and community outreach.

Lori is a longtime PRCA member and remains active in a variety of committees. Starting as a student member at UAHuntsville in the 1980s, she’s held many leadership positions including chapter president (2009), state president (2015), and a handful of Southern Public Relations Federation board roles. She is the 2018 VP Membership for NAPRCA.

She’s a SPRF Senior Practitioner (2011) and a Philip R. Forrest Jr. Professional Achievement Award recipient (2013).

Whitney Schmitt is a Communications Specialist at Dynetics where she coordinates and executes regional and national tradeshows, as well as works with technical and management teams to develop tradeshow strategy and messaging. She also works with the corporate communications team to execute all internal and external strategic communications for the company. She serves as Student Chapter Liaison for the North Alabama Chapter of the Public Relations Council of Alabama, Communications Chair for the Dynetics Young Professionals, and is a graduate of Leadership Huntsville/Madison County Connect Class 19. She is also a member of the Southern Public Relations Federation.

Whitney holds a bachelor’s degree in communications arts with a concentration in public relations and a minor in marketing from the University of North Alabama.