Becca Parrish began her career as a features reporter in Montgomery, Alabama. After a stint in Atlanta as communications manager for a non-profit group, she moved to New York in 1997 to pursue a career in public relations. With nearly 20 years in the media business, Becca has built a career on listening and delivering. She has established fruitful, long-term relationships with a wide range of lifestyle, broadcast, travel and culinary media. She believes in the power of elegant PR -- that which is largely invisible. Her approach is appreciated by some of the country's most recognized chefs and acclaimed restaurateurs. Whether working with legendary restaurants or establishing new talent, Becca is naturally creative, strategic and focused on delivering results that exceed her clients' high expectations. A native of Pensacola, Florida, Becca earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor's degree in English literature from Florida State University. She lives to eat.
Helen Medvedovsky joined BeccaPR in 2007 after a 14-year career in food & beverage and consumer public relations. When she was introduced to the world of hospitality PR, she found she could marry her love of travel, restaurants and entertaining with her job. As Managing Director of BeccaPR, Helen works with some of the country’s top chefs and culinary brands, including Eric Ripert, Scott Conant, all of the chefs at Wynn Las Vegas and Saveur magazine. Previously, she was vice president of hospitality at KB Network News, where she had the opportunity to manage and oversee PR for properties such as Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, NJ and The Carlyle Hotel. Before embarking on her hospitality PR career, Helen worked at Stanton Crenshaw Communications with brands such as Starbucks, The Weather Channel and CNBC. Helen earned a B.S. in Mass Communication from Boston University, College of Communication in 1997. A native of New Jersey, she resides in Brooklyn with her husband and son.
Meryl Van Meter joined BeccaPR after nearly five years at PMK BNC where she served as Account Director in the Consumer Brands Division, overseeing PR and marketing initiatives for leading lifestyle and entertainment companies such as Audi, Vans, Sports Illustrated and Nintendo. While at PMK BNC she had the opportunity to represent the agency's roster of culinary talent, including chef and television personality Lidia Bastianich and The ONE Group. Previously, Meryl was at KB Network News, where she developed a passion for the hospitality industry working with diverse clients such as the Food Network, Wynn Las Vegas and The Carlyle Hotel. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Marymount Manhattan College with a degree in communications. Meryl loves the theater and spends her spare time performing comedy and singing.
Texas native Tammy Walker joined BeccaPR in January 2005. She began her food PR career at Melissa Libby & Associates in Atlanta, where she opened regional locations of national chains Fogo de Chao and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. She also assisted in media outreach and event planning for Fifth Group Restaurants, a local restaurant group. After moving to New York in 2002, Tammy joined LaForce & Stevens to help run the national PR campaigns for Cadbury-Adams and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. She later worked at Baltz & Company where her she honed her skills working with chefs & personalities, including Marcus Samuelsson, David Waltuck of Chanterelle, and Tyler Florence of the Food Network. Since joining BeccaPR six years ago, she has worked with culinary greats Tom Colicchio of Craft restaurants, April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig, Marco Canora of Hearth, the Southern Foodways Alliance, Bill Telepan of Telepan, and chef and Food Network star Michael Symon.
Alexis Altschuler joined BeccaPR to further pursue her passion for food and hospitality. Her career to date has involved several areas of the entertainment industry — from print and broadcast to press and talent relations. Before joining BeccaPR, Alexis was part of the internal public relations and talent management team at Food Network and Cooking Channel. She executed press campaigns for hit series including The Next Iron Chef and Chopped while working closely with talent like Ted Allen, Michael Symon, Jose Garces, and Marc Forgione. Prior to Food Network, Alexis worked on the public relations team at Live with Regis and Kelly where she helped manage show publicity after freelancing for publications like O, The Oprah Magazine and Cosmpolitan. A New York City native, Alexis graduated with a BA in Journalism and Psychology from SUNY Purchase and currently lives in Brooklyn.
Lauren Fonda joined BeccaPR in 2007 to further her longtime interest in the restaurant industry. A native of Los Angeles, Lauren moved to New York in 2001 to attend New York University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts with a major in print journalism. During her time at NYU, she completed several editorial internships at publications including Marie Claire and New York magazine, where she contributed to the website’s nightlife section. After graduation, she worked as a supervisor with RICE restaurants and learned about restaurant management and operations. Two years later, Lauren realized that she missed her writing roots and turned to BeccaPR as a way to combine her creativity with her love of the culinary world.
Maeve Hickey joined BeccaPR after nearly four years at Nike Communications, working on a spirits portfolio that included Bombay Sapphire Gin, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, Martini & Rossi Vermouth and Benedictine Liqueur. A lifelong food lover, she frequently collaborated with chefs and restaurateurs, including Marcus Samuelsson and Donatella Arpaia, on various projects for her clients. These experiences, coupled with her passion for all things culinary, inspired Maeve to pursue a career in hospitality PR. She has lived in New York City since 2008, after graduating from Villanova University with a degree in Communications. In her spare time, Maeve loves to try new restaurants and dreams of having a bigger kitchen.
Casey Leblang joined BeccaPR in 2009 with the desire to combine her two longtime passions: writing and restaurants. Casey previously was a marketing associate at Innovation Ads, where she managed the content and marketing initiatives for several websites. As an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, she pursued her media interests by contributing to an alternative quarterly magazine and working at the student-run news station. Before graduating with a BA in English, she spent a semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain, familiarizing herself with not only the international business program but with Europe’s various cuisines and cultures. After studying advertising copywriting at the New York University School of Continuing Studies and spending countless hours documenting her dining experiences on Yelp.com, Casey decided to turn her hobby into a career and joined BeccaPR, where she is the queen bee of social media.
Liz Errico joined Becca PR after working with restaurant critic Danyelle Freeman of RestaurantGirl.com. After studying acting in London in 2006, Liz realized her true passion was food and enrolled in NYU’s food and restaurant management program. While there, she worked at numerous restaurants, most notably alongside award-winning pastry chef Deborah Racicot of Gotham Bar & Grill, and she wrote restaurant reviews for Yelp.com. It was then she knew she wanted to combine her love for writing and eating into a real career. In her spare time, Liz plays pastry chef at home and enjoys creating recipes and new flavor combinations.
Jamie Siskin joined BeccaPR to further her passion for the culinary industry. While studying abroad in Florence, Italy, Jamie's enthusiasm for food and restaurants was ignited. She graduated from NYU in the spring of 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, and then attended the Institute of Culinary Education in New York where she studied Pastry Arts. After working as a pastry cook first at Tipsy Parson, and then at The Breslin Bar & Dining Room under chef April Bloomfield, Jamie realized her desire to combine her communications education with her love of food, and decided to pursue the public relations side of the hospitality industry. When she's not exploring New York's vibrant culinary scene, Jamie is preparing pastries for her friends and family.
Meghan Sherrill joined BeccaPR to marry her love of food with her love of writing. Before joining the BPR team, she worked at The New York Times as a corporate communications assistant on a team promoting reporters and their stories. Meghan graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in print journalism. While in school, she produced and sold cheese at local farmers markets for Hillsborough Cheese Co., where she also implemented a successful social media strategy. Later, she interned with the talent management team at Food Network, her first foray into professional food communications. Meghan also held PR internships with the North Carolina Museum of Art and Koroberi, Inc. Her interest in food was cultivated from an early age, when she created dishes from their garden with her mother in the kitchen and helped her father brew his own beer.
