Board Members

Kristen Gehman Vaughn is a native of Atmore, Ala. and a First Generation Descendant of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in public relations from The University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences. Kristen is a senior technical writer and proposal manager for Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure’s Business Proposals Center serving U.S. Public Safety clients in the Americas. Kristen’s expertise centers on digital communications and strategic messaging. She has led and contributed to digital content creation, copywriting and editing, internal communications and engagement, media relations, corporate philanthropy and brand storytelling for international corporations, including Wind Creek Casinos & Hotels. In May 2018, Kristen married her college sweetheart, David Vaughn of Athens, Ala. The Vaughns happily call Athens home and spend their free time cooking, exploring, playing music together and ballroom dancing.

Red Sage Communications, Inc. is headquartered in Huntsville and Decatur, Alabama, and is one of the region’s most trusted full-service marketing and website development companies.  As marketing director, Michelle Stark manages and trains the agency’s specialists and coordinators.  She also routinely provides strategy, creative direction and oversight for both business-to-business and consumer-focused client projects.  Her favorite part of the job is diving in to learn each client’s unique story, then figuring out how to share it. Before joining Red Sage, Michelle worked as a television broadcast journalist for more than a decade, including as an intern-researcher for ABC News’ World News Tonight with Peter Jennings.  She most recently worked as a morning anchor and technology reporter for Huntsville, Alabama’s CBS News affiliate WHNT News 19.  Having spent 10 years as a technology reporter, Michelle has special expertise in both industry and consumer tech, as well as digital communications and new media.  She is also highly skilled in crisis communications, public relations and multi-platform campaign development. Michelle loves making new friends and making big things happen.  While at WHNT News 19, Michelle co-founded and co-directed “The Great Diaper Drive” service project in partnership with Rocket City Mom.  This annual project now provides 100,000+ diapers and wipes to local children.  She has also served on the Board of Directors for The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship since 2015, and helped launch “The Mompreneur Event” for aspiring moms and business owners.  She currently serves on The Catalyst & NAPRCA’s planning committee for The BIG Marketing & PR Event.  Additionally, Michelle serves as a mentor for HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology’s Navigate program, which is modeled after MIT’s trailblazing initiative. As a mentor, Michelle works with a select group of regional subject matter experts to coach biosciences and biotechnology entrepreneurs through startup, business development and expansion.

Amanda is the Director of the Communications and Marketing Department of the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) in Huntsville, AL. She is responsible the public outreach, marketing, branding and social media for the National Children’s Advocacy Center in Huntsville. Amanda has been with the agency since May 2018. Her background includes 15 years in television news at WAFF in Huntsville. Amanda’s roles include at WAFF included Weekend Producer, 5:00 p.m. News Producer, Assignment Manager, Investigative Producer, Executive Producer, and Brand Manager. She is a founding board member of the Huntsville-based non-profit Susie’s Wish, where she serves as Communications Chair. Amanda received her bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of North Alabama, Florence, AL. She received her Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Alabama Birmingham Collat School of Business. Amanda lives in Huntsville with her husband Shawn, her dog Mac, and her cat Tex.

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.

Melody Tholstrup has always had a passion for helping small businesses grow. Working in the marketing industry for over 30 years, she feels blessed to have worked with a wide variety of clients ranging from retail shops & medical practices to schools & non-profit organizations. Melody is very fond of the color red, and she is a Wonder Woman super fan! She is blessed with a very supportive engineer husband and 2 amazing “young adult” children who inspire her every day.

Madi Winkler, APR, is a strategic communications specialist for Booz | Allen | Hamilton, where she implements strategic communication initiatives in support of her customer’s needs. 

Prior to her role at Booz Allen, she was responsible for managing all group trade show activity and various strategic communication and marketing initiatives.

Winkler graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of North Alabama, where she was a member of the Honors college and the first student at the university to earn the Certificate in Principles in Public Relations. In July 2020, Winkler became the youngest and 10th NAPRCA member to earn Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). She serves on the NAPRCA board of directors as the 2022 VP of Accreditation.

Winkler is a cat mom to Mr. Bojangles and Winifred and an indoor cycling enthusiast. She is an Enneagram Type 7, and her Meyers-Briggs indicator is ENFJ.

Ashley Polesak is an Executive Speechwriter for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. This position writes for the top four executives at Marshall through the Strategic Research and Analysis, Communications, and Exhibits Services (SRACES) contract. Previously she was the Public Relations Officer for the City of Huntsville from 2015-2021. Ashley has received numerous awards including the 2021 Award of Excellence from the Southern Public Relations Federation and the 2021 Medallion Award from the Public Relations Council of Alabama for her 2020 Parks & Recreation Month campaign. She also received a 2021 PRCA  Award of Merit for her 2020 Dancing for Diversity campaign and was part of the NAPRCA team that placed 1st in PRCA’s Community Service category for the 2020 PRo Bono Project she led. Ashley has a passion for community services and continues to enjoy being the VP of Projects, which allows her to manage NAPRCA’s PRo Bono Project. Ashley graduated Cum Laude from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism and a minor in Business Administration. Go Gators!

Blake Williams is an innovative public relations strategist who combines message and audience to deliver award-winning campaigns. As principal of Blake Williams Communications, located in Athens, Alabama, and online at blakewilliams.co, he works closely with a range of business, non-profit and individual clients to build campaigns that drive results. 

Blake, a strong believer in community service, is an active Rotarian in the Athens Rotary Club, a member of the County for a Cure Relay for Life team, and a member of the Alabama Travel Council. During his free time, Blake enjoys traveling and spending time with his family and friends.  

Dawnette Chambers is an assistant professor of communication at her alma mater, Oakwood University. As the program coordinator of the public relations program, she is responsible for preparing students in the program to receive every opportunity to learn and develop the necessary skills to be excellent communication professionals. Dawnette is also a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago with a Master of Science degree in integrated marketing communications. She has excelled as a freelance writer and coordinator for the Collegiate Quarterly, a world-wide inspirational publication for youth and other publications. She has coordinated special events as an intern for the American Red Cross and Northern Illinois and established a communication career conference within the Department of Communication at Oakwood. She also managed responsibilities as a Group Center Facilitator at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Despite her busy academic schedule, Dawnette continues to dedicate her life to all things communication as an avid planner and hard worker. Dawnette fulfills her commitment to community and non-profit organizations through volunteer services at her church as a musician and young adult ministry leader.

Patricia Dedrick Lloyd is an award-winning journalist and corporate and public relations professional. Communicating to the masses has been the common thread throughout Patricia’s two careers – first as a newspaper reporter and editor over a span of 20 years; and later as a marketing, corporate and public relations professional. As a reporter, Patricia covered politics, courts and business. She interviewed nearly every Alabama governor from Gov. George C. Wallace, as a college student, to Bob Riley. She was the first female and African-American to serve as bureau chief for The Birmingham News’ Capitol Bureau. She has won numerous journalism awards and recognition for publications she has produced in her corporate and public relations’ roles. She has held positions at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center as editor and writer for its two flagship publications, The Marshall Star and the Daily Planet. Currently, Patricia is Public Relations Coordinator at Redstone Federal Credit Union – the largest credit union in Alabama. There, she is editor-in-chief of the credit union’s member magazine, speech writer for its president and CEO, serves as a spokesperson, and manages media and public relations. Since 2017, she has served as a guest on the WAFF-TV 48 news program:  Financial Friday. A highlight of her professional life is meeting and interviewing Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Patricia serves on the board of Girls Inc. of Huntsville, where she chairs the Fund Development Committee; and is a member of the University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences Board of Visitors. She’s also on the board of the North Alabama Public Relations Council of Alabama where she is chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Patricia is active in her  child’s school and sat on the Academy Children’s Theater board, and served as co-leader for Girl Scout Troop #10504. Patricia is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Journalism.

Michael M. Jones, CPSM, is  Avion Solutions’ Marketing Manager. Mr. Jones has two decades of specialized marketing and communications expertise delivering creative tailored marketing and communications solutions for organizations across the United States in a variety of industries, including professional services, architecture, software, government, and more. He is a proud graduate of Texas A&M University and excited to be a part of the vibrant marketing community in North Alabama.

Katelyn Henderson is the owner of We Are Huntsville and a content marketing specialist for Move Digital Group, a local digital marketing agency. With a background in website design and graphic design, she enjoys creating content and working in the digital space. Katelyn is a University of Alabama graduate and has over 10 years of marketing experience in the Rocket City.