With over 40 years of experience in news media and strategic communications, Dana leads the Public Relations department and helps Stone Ward clients maximize their brand presence and grow their businesses through well-calculated reputation management and PR outreach. Her background as a broadcast news anchor and client-side communications professional allow her to bring a dynamic approach to securing top-tier news placements for these clients.
With experience in media relations ranging from local, small-town newspapers to national and international news networks, Dana’s work has featured national clients like Snap-on and Sport Clips in the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Associated Press, NBC, Entrepreneur Magazine, Bloomberg, CNN Money, CBS, Fox News, and many other media outlets across the country. Dana is trusted counsel to our clients and enjoys sharing their good news and expertise. Certified in Crisis Communication Management through the Institute for Crisis Management (ICM), Dana also helps our clients navigate unexpected challenges with strategy and tact, earning her deep respect among many of the CEO’s with which she works.
Leveraging philanthropic efforts for our clients is another public relations specialty where Dana provides valued ideas and execution. As an example, she helped launch Sport Clips' “Help A Hero" philanthropic program in 2007 that has now donated more than $10M toward veteran scholarships, becoming one of the largest programs of its kind.
When she’s not landing stellar placements for clients, Dana enjoys spending time with her rescue dog Day-z, being “Dandy” to her grandchildren, reading a good book, or hitting the slopes for some snow skiing. She is a member of the American Heart Association Go Red for Women committee, serves on the grants committee of the Heflin Youth Foundation Board and is involved in many local- and church-based service projects.
“Don’t make excuses as to why something didn’t go the way it should have…let’s pick up the pieces and go forward!”. It was advice I received more than 20 years ago from PR pro Brenda Scisson, when I was a new PR Account Executive. I use that advice with my children all the time!
I have my motorcycle license.
The one I’d choose would include buckets of McDonald’s french fries…the one I ought to have is probably not on my radar!
Everything I do comes down to one thing, wanting to hear at the end of it all, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’
A celery green Mustang II with a luggage rack and CB whip antennae (that was cool in my hometown!)
Ebay’s Antique Toleware Trays is marked as a favorite on my home computer. My obsession started with a hand-painted tray my Mom received as a wedding gift.
The ‘nasty’ theme-park food. I once attended the Texas State Fair and had a candied apple, two Fletcher’s corn dogs, a funnel cake, and some cotton candy in one evening. It was a night to remember!
Jane Pauley, Ruth from the Old Testament, Tom Brokaw, and my family…especially my grandfather who is long since gone. When they cleaned out the Drug Store he founded, there were stacks of awards and plaques he had received through the years he never bothered to hang…his treasures weren’t here on earth. I find that to be a lesson he left for me!
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