Hall of Fame

Rich Faul
Innovare Media

George Jackus Baldwin & Obenauf, Inc.

Robin Landa Kean University

Debra Rizzi Rizco

Tamara Robb Robb Digital

Thanks to all who came out to celebrate. In case you missed it, click below for photo gallery and highlight reel:

Video Highlights from the Induction Ceremony

Produced by:
Beard & Bowler

2025 Advertising Hall of Fame of New Jersey Inductees

Debra Rizzi
Rizco

Debra Rizzi is President and Partner of Rizco, a woman-owned, brand-led marketing agency she co-founded in 2000. In that time, she has grown a two-person startup into a nationally recognized, award-winning firm serving clients across healthcare, education, finance, and the nonprofit sectors. A visionary strategist and creative leader, she champions wellness, mentorship, and female leadership in New Jersey’s marketing and design community.

Rich Faul
Innovare Medical Media

Rich is a seasoned advertising sales professional with over four decades of experience driving revenue growth, building high-performing teams, and pioneering innovative advertising strategies across media, healthcare, and technology sectors. Known for his strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and engaging public speaking, Rich continues to shape the future of sales and media with integrity, innovation, and impact.

Robin Landa
Kean University 

Robin is a distinguished professor at Kean University and is a globally acclaimed authority on creativity, branding, and design education. The author of twenty-five books, she has been honored by the Carnegie Foundation and The One Club for her contributions to the field and continues to inspire and mentor future innovators through her teaching, writing, and thought leadership.

George Jackus 
Baldwin & Obenauf

In his 32-year career at Baldwin & Obenauf, George has helped to shape the creative direction and cultural identity of one of New Jersey’s most respected agencies. Through his visionary leadership, he has established BNO as a trusted partner for global brands including Nike, Johnson & Johnson, Mastercard, Verizon, and Bristol Myers Squibb.

Tamara Robb 
Robb Digital 

Tamara began her career at Cooper Katz, learning from industry leaders Andy Cooper and Ralph Katz, where she honed her entrepreneurial and digital skills, including building her first website. She has decades of experience helping clients in healthcare, pharma, legal, and finance navigate the digital landscape, working with brands such as Novartis, Celgene, and Merck. Since founding Robb Digital in 2011, she has led her team in creating innovative, targeted digital strategies that strengthen brands and drive results.

2024 Advertising Hall of Fame of New Jersey Inductees

Peter Bordes, Jr.
Collective Audience

Currently CEO of Collective Audience, Bordes is a lifelong entrepreneur who also founded and is a managing partner of Trajectory Ventures and Trajectory Capital. During his 30-year career in media, advertising, and technology, he has founded and lead numerous companies’ innovation, disrupting digital media and the advertising industry during that time.

Edward Burns.
NJ Advance Media

Burns has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in media and publishing. Prior to serving in his current position as Associate Vice President, Healthcare Marketing at New Jersey Advance Media, he was group publisher at Wainscot Media, where he launched numerous regional magazines throughout New Jersey and New York.

Michelle Lazzarotti
Saint Peter’s Healthcare System

The Sr. Director of Marketing and Media Relations for Saint Peter’s University Hospital has led the hospital’s marketing and media relations department for 20+ years. She was instrumental in Saint Peter’s adoption of new technology to build the business and set appointments for hospital-owned practices. Under Lazzarotti’s guidance, Saint Peter’s has won more than 160 national and global marketing and creative awards

Ken Lombardo
SGW Integrated Marketing

As a creative director in New Jersey-based agencies for over 25 years and New York-based agencies for 11 years, Lombardo has an uncanny ability to create concepts that tell the most engaging stories and connect with audiences. Currently, VP, Creative Director for SGW Integrated Marketing, Lombardo has worked on countless global brands during his 40+ year career

Tom Sullivan
Princeton Partners

The Princeton Partners CEO is an accomplished business leader and brand marketing professional who has brought together business, government, and non-profit experience to accelerate growth and advance positive change. He has led brand transformations and go-to-market initiatives for Fortune 1000 companies, financial institutions, hospitals, government entities, non-profits, and start-ups. 

Video Highlights from the Induction Ceremony

Produced by:
Beard and Bowler

2022 Photo Gallery:

Congratulations to the 2022 inductees

Gerard (Jerry) Artz

Frank P. Giarratano

Lawrence H. Krampf

Larry M. Weiner

Robert J. Wislocky

HALL OF FAME REUNION AND COCKTAIL RECEPTION

June 29th 2023
at the Highlawn

History

Launched over a quarter of a century ago with a mission to recognize the contributions of communications professionals from every walk of life had made to the industry, the New Jersey Advertising Hall of Fame has inducted such legends as John B. Gambling, Leonard Dreyfuss, Emanuel London and George H. Gallup.

Other past recipients have come from a wide variety of disciplines including the media, advertising agencies, market research, public relations, out-of-home, and marketing. Sponsored by the New Jersey Advertising Club, the Hall of Fame was founded in 1981 by then president, Arden Davis Melick, a public relations practitioner formerly with Brooklyn Union Gas.

Here are all of the previous inductees to the Advertising Hall of Fame of New Jersey:

2019

Patrick Brightman, 3E Public Relations
Gary Denburg, GarDen Printing
Jerry Kaulius, JK Design
John Lonsdorf, R&J Strategic Communications

Click here to view photos from the 2019 Hall of Fame.

2018

Donna Bonavita – Bonavita Design LLC
Larry Durst – MarketSmith, Inc.
Collette Liantonio – Concepts TV Productions
Barry Schiro – CBA Industries, Inc.
Angelo Valente – Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey

2017

David H. Fink – The David Henry Agency
Sean and Debra Looney – Looney Advertising
Steve Ratti – The Ratti Report
Ken Musto – Brand Kitchen

2016

Sally Glick – Sobel & Co., Inc.
Tom Marguccio – SCG Advertising & Public Relations
Ed Kessel – Sound Imagination, Inc.
Jessica Levin – Seven Degrees Communication, Inc.
Monica Smith – Marketsmith, Inc.

2015

Don Christensen – Christensen Tamburri Communications
Karen Gozzi – Wakefern Food Corp
Amy Lear – New Jersey Newspaper Network
Sandra Schler – American Cancer Society

2014

Dennis Kane – Amboy Bank
Jan Talamo – The Star Group
Simon Kaplan – Crest Furniture
William Carlos – AVOW Communications

2013

Dennis Bone – Montclair State University
Jay Petrie – Star-Ledger
Peter Connolly – St. Peter’s Healthcare
Steve Kalafer – Flemington Car & Truck Country Family of Dealerships

2012

Allan Grant – Words & Music
Allegra Sandelli – TD Bank
Brian Ganton – Brian J. Ganton & Associates
David Scelba – SGW

2011

Adam Schnitzler – The S3 Agency
Len Muscarella – imedia, inc.
Richard Vezza – The Star-Ledger
Shannon Morris – Sigma Group
Veronica “Nikki” Fielding – Digital Brand Expressions



2010

AJ Khubani – TeleBrands
Caryl Linett – Linett & Harrison
Robert C. Provost – The Star-Ledger

2009

Denise Blasevick- – The S3 Agency
James Smith – Smith Design
Laura Johnson – News12 New Jersey

2008

Curt Fissel – Voices & Visions
Daryl Rand – Harrison/Rand Advertising
Ileene Greene –  MarketShare Communications

2007

Allan Gorman – AGCD
Grace DePaola – Verizon Wireless
Karen DeLuca – Block DeCorso
Rick Bonelli – Sunspots Creative
Wendy Flanagan – MurrayMedia

2006

Debra Taeschler – Grafica
Elizabeth Christopherson – New Jersey Network
Linda Rosanio – The Star Group
Patricia Tesman – Gianettino & Meredith
Robert Ryan – CMYK Printing

2005

Deb DiGregorio – Camares
Edward J. Efchak – The Record
John P. Manos
Karl G. Dentino
Phillip H. Roberts – NJ Broadcasters Association

2004

Arden D. Melick – Brooklyn Union Gas
Milton Lewis – Lewis Advertising
Suzanne Poor – Miller/Poor Associates

2003

Leonard Brown – Keyes Martin
Lewis Kraut – Union Hill Printing

2002

John Leonardi – BRUSHfire
Kay Ritta – Ritta & Associates
Ralph Gonzalez – Miller/Poor Associates

1995

Joseph Goryeb – Champion Mortgage
Richard J. Gillespie – Gillespie Advertising
Walter Guarino – SGW

1994

John J. Murphy – PSE&G
Owen M. O’Sullivan – O’Sullivan Advertising Agency

1993

Richard A. Cross – PSEG
Thomas J. Ferguson – Thomas G. Ferguson Associates Inc.


1991

Dana Dowd Williams – Fidelity Union Bank
Don Johnson – Johnson & Simpson
Milton Simpson – Johnson & Simpson
Shirlee Wenzel – Wenzel & Co. Inc.

1990

Edward J. Schwartz – Bell Atlantic
Joseph M. Deitz – CBC J.M. Kesslinger & Associates
Ward H. Nessen – Arrow Typographers

1989

Hyman Levy – Reichenstein Advertising
Mary Lou Wallace – Cablemedia
Ron R. Vrba – Bozell/Jacobs
William N. Scheer – Willian N. Scheer Advertising Agency Inc.

1988

Dan Gaby – Keyes Martin Gaby Linett
Douglas Turner – Turner Agency
William Falcone, Jr. –  Falcone & Associates

1987

George Black – Black Russell Morris / Bozell/Jacobs
George D. Meredith – Gianettino & Meredith
Ron Gianettino – Gianettino & Meredith

1986

Harold L. Harrison – Harrison Advertising
Martin Steinhardt – Keyes Martin Gaby Linett

1985

Henry E. Arnsdorf – Prudential
Jack Poppele – WOR

1984

Harry O’Mealia – Trust Company
Lawrence Herbert – Pantone, Inc.
Zal Venet – Venet Advertising

1983

George H. Gallup – The Gallup Organization
Harry Devlin
Jean Geiger
John B. Gambling – WWOR
Leonard Dreyfuss

1982

Calvin Louderback
Charles Dallas Reach – Charles Dallas Reach Company
Emanuel London – Williams & London Advertising