ELISE S. MITCHELL, APR, Fellow PRSA

Elise Mitchell holds a master's degree from the University of Memphis and a bachelor's degree from Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. She is a member of the executive committee for the Public Relations Society of America's Counselor's Academy, is an active member of the PRSA College of Fellows, and has served as a board member of the PRSA Southwest District and as a national assembly delegate-at-large. Elise is a past president of the Northwest Arkansas and the Memphis PRSA chapters and has the distinction of being named "Professional of the Year" by both chapters.

In 2006, Elise was one of 12 individuals selected to the "All-Decade Class" for the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal's 10 years of "40 Under 40" honorees. In 2002, she was chosen as the "Northwest Arkansas Business Executive of the Year" and was a finalist in the statewide competition for "Arkansas Business Executive of the Year." Mitchell Communications Group was also named a finalist in the statewide 2007 and 2008 "Business of the Year" competitions. Elise received the 2003 "Athena" award winner for leadership and community service by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. She was also named as one of "Fayetteville's Young Top Five" in 2000.

Elise is a member of the executive committee of the Northwest Arkansas Council, and a member of the statewide Arkansas Women's Forum. She serves on the board of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, Washington Regional Medical Foundation, Genesis Technology Incubator, Arvest Bank/Fayetteville, LifeSource International, and the statewide economic development group Accelerate Arkansas. She is a sustaining member of the Fayetteville Junior Civic League and the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas.

MICHAEL CLARK, APR

Michael Clark is chief operations officer of Mitchell Communications Group. With more than 15 years experience in public relations, marketing, advertising and event production, and an additional seven years in operational management, he understands the full scope of public relations offerings and knows how to tailor best practices for the specific needs of MCG's diverse clients. He oversees and manages the daily operations of 20 MCG public relations practitioners, providing support and expertise to team members across the U.S.

Michael's past work experiences involved both business and creative elements, which helped increase his broad knowledge of public relations practices. He has worked with a number of local, national and international corporations during his career. As director of a marketing, advertising and public relations firm for three years, Clark guided Northwest Arkansas operations and new business development. He served as operations manager for a construction and material handling equipment company, managing more than 45 people daily. Early in his career, Michael traveled worldwide, managing public relations and marketing aspects for Up With People, a non-profit production and education-based company that teaches students about world culture. Michael also has experience in government relations, managing production sites for The White House Communications Agency (WHCA), Republican National Committee (RNC), and the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

Michael is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America. He was a National Leadership Conference Delegate in 2004 and was chapter president of the society's Northwest Arkansas Chapter in 2005, and Public Relations Professional of the Year in 2008.

Among Michael's other professional endeavors are selection as a "40 Under 40" nominee by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal in 2005, board member on the Bentonville Public Library, and a founding member of Arkansas Heritage Trail Partners.