Meet the Team
Award-Winning Creative Team
Meet the team behind your customized strategies, innovative campaigns, and expert analysis.







Samantha Lins
Director of PR & Marketing
About Samantha
Sam’s Vision Statement: To be a forever student who is constantly growing while remaining calm and positive, spreading love and light, and inspiring/empowering others to do the same.
Sam’s Background: Sam is an energetic marketing professional who brings a versatile background and expertise in the consumer lifestyle, home and tabletop business to her work at lotus823. With vast experience spearheading strategies that encompass digital marketing, public relations, and traditional marketing elements for both consumer and B2B industries, Sam brings an integrated mindset to all her client work.
Additionally, she has created marketing/PR strategies for numerous industry trade shows, such as the New York Tabletop Show; Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS); Boutique Design New York (BDNY) and more.
Prior to joining lotus823, Sam managed marketing for Villeroy & Boch, a global luxury home manufacturing brand, in the United States and Canada. Sam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Rhode Island.

Katie Rohmeyer
Marketing Manager
About Katie
Katie’s Vision Statement: To always start the day with positive energy that inspires success, happiness, and growth to all those around me.
Katie’s Background: Katie defines herself as a passionate, marketing guru with almost a decade of experience supporting both small businesses and large corporations. She brings a unique background with lots of expertise in developing 360 marketing strategies that encompass social media, public relations, digital marketing, and experiential marketing. Prior to lotus823, Katie spearheaded strategic partnership initiatives at Applegate with organizations such as the San Diego Padres and the Radio City Rockettes that resulted in increased brand awareness and revenue. Most recently she led the marketing department for an award-winning brewery located in New Jersey, Kane Brewing Company.
Her passion for marketing and building relationships allows her to develop creative and effective strategies with lots of impact and positive change. Katie earned her bachelor’s degree in Public Relations at Quinnipiac University.

Amanda Whited
Senior Account Executive
About Amanda

Andrea Kartsakalis
Senior Account Executive
About Andrea
Andrea’s Vision Statement: To continue to bring a positive attitude and energy into all aspects of my life including my work, relationships, and experiences to grow professionally, personally, and enjoy life to the fullest.
Andrea’s Background: Andrea has a strong digital marketing background and experience working with an array of clients in various industries including everything from entertainment to consumer goods. She has a great passion for all things marketing and thoroughly enjoys learning new tools, platforms, and skills.
Prior to joining lotus823, Andrea worked in digital agencies where she gained hands-on experience working on inbound marketing projects, with service expertise centered on email marketing, content creation, and CRM system management. In addition, she has held several client-facing roles, serving as the main point of contact for multiple accounts.
Andrea graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising.

Casey Gotta
Account Executive
About Casey
Casey’s Vision Statement: To build positive personal and professional relationships by exercising creativity, positivity, and collaboration, while dedicating myself to constant learning and growth.
Casey’s Background: Casey is an enthusiastic professional with developed experience in public relations and digital marketing. With an eye for trends and a deep understanding of the social landscape, she brings a fresh approach to all her client work.
Prior to joining lotus823, Casey held various internship positions where she gained diverse experience in the marketing industry. Her creative approach to media relations, social media, marketing, and public relations was nurtured throughout her time as a lotus823 intern and eventually led her to join the team full-time. During her undergraduate career, Casey served as the Secretary of Monmouth University’s Public Relations Student Society of America and Shadow PR Firm.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, Public Relations, and Journalism from Monmouth University.

Cassie Bouvier
Assistant Account Executive
About Cassie
Cassie’s Vision Statement: To continuously explore life being eager to learn, create, grow, and spread happiness while empowering and protecting the lost explorers.
Cassie’s Background: With a background in digital marketing and public relations, Cassie is an energetic and experienced digital media professional. She has held previous roles with organizations including Inked Magazine and Morris Habitat for Humanity, where she led a variety of social media, eCommerce, and marketing initiatives. She thoroughly enjoys pushing herself to learn more about industry skills, trends, and tools.
Cassie earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations from William Paterson University.

Elizabeth Rodriguez
Assistant Account Executive
About Elizabeth
Elizabeth’s Vision Statement: To continuously evolve as a student, professional, leader, and as an individual while putting passion, mental health, and justice at the forefront of everything I do.
Elizabeth’s Background: Elizabeth is a young and determined professional with a diverse set of public relations and social media experience. She’s held various university jobs and internship roles alongside her freelancing work that has provided her the skills to succeed at lotus823.
Prior to joining lotus823, Elizabeth interned at BML Public Relations where she gained classic public relations agency experience in media relations, securing placements in outlets such as 1010Wins. At nonprofits such as the Richie’s Spirit Foundation and Team Walker, she gained hands-on social media experience by creating content for both Instagram and Facebook. During her undergraduate career, she sharpened her writing skills by becoming a journalist for the school newspaper, The Setonian. On her own time, Elizabeth has freelanced both graphic design and public relations services. Through this, she has gained incredible experience working as a contracted Director of Public Relations for the start up production company, Pedestal, where she has been able to work alongside the TikTok influencers and Ghostbusters actress, Celeste O’Connor. All of these experiences have led up to her excitement of joining lotus823!
Elizabeth earned her Bachelor’s in Public Relations from Seton Hall University and is set to graduate with her Master’s in Public Relations in May 2022

Hannah Clyne
Assistant Account Executive
About Hannah
Hannah’s Vision Statement: To utilize my creative thinking skills to better myself and those around me. I will always be a positive and reliable team member.
Hannah’s Background: Hannah is a young, motivated professional with a background in both digital marketing and public relations. She’s held various university jobs and internship roles, which have allowed her to fine-tune her social media, communications, and media skills in a variety of industries.
During her undergraduate career, Hannah was a vital part of Monmouth University’s Writing Services, where her love for creative writing blossomed. She held positions in the school’s student-run record label, where her efforts secured media placements in several outlets, like the Asbury Park Press and Tri-City News. Her diverse background enables her to bring an exciting and creative approach to her work. Hannah first joined lotus823 as an intern and is thrilled to be a part of the team once again.
Hannah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Music Business from Monmouth University.

Ellen Cockrell
Account Coordinator
About Ellen
Ellen’s Vision Statement: To maintain a mindset that holds creativity, ambition and growth at the forefront of everything I do. I start each day with the intention of sharing joy and support both as a professional team member and individual.
Ellen’s Background: Ellen is a driven, young professional with experience in public relations and graphic design. As someone who is passionate about blending creativity and communication that resonates with communities everywhere, she approaches client work with enthusiasm and determination.
Prior to joining the team at lotus823, Ellen held internship positions that allowed her to explore her love for writing, visual design and agency work. While working with Chicago based agency Indica Digital, Ellen built experience in using the power of social media marketing and fostering relationships with influencers and journalists to connect brands to the public. During her undergraduate career, Ellen served as Vice President of Communications for National Service Fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, in which she grew as a leader, non-profit volunteer and representative of an organization. She is incredibly excited that these experiences have led her to the lotus823 team!
Ellen earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media from DePaul University.
Want to learn more about our team?
Behind the Scenes Crew

David Hernandez
Co-founder & Managing Partner
About David
David’s Vision Statement: To maintain a lifelong sense of wonder and creative thinking harnessed with empathy,
objective thinking and positive actions in all my endeavors and journeys.
David’s Background: David’s visionary leadership, dedicated marketing expertise and drive to excel are at the heart of lotus823’s success and reputation as a trusted partner in the integrated communications space.
David established the agency in 2010 with his wife, Allison, to fill the void for a results-driven integrated boutique firm for both consumer and B2B brands. Prior to launching lotus823, he spent 20 years in the retail and marketing industry, holding leadership roles at such companies as MARS Music, OMI Medical Imaging and Guitar Center.
David’s passion and creative energy underscore the culture of lotus823. He has been a guest writer and speaker on numerous topics, from Hispanic marketing to digital best practices, for organizations such as TEDx, RCA, and various other companies.

Allison Hernandez
Co-founder & Managing Partner
About Allison
Allison’s Vision Statement: To be courageous and honest, inspiring others to be more courageous, and to live each day with compassion and gratitude for all living beings.
Allison’s Background: Allison’s deep expertise in business operations, human resources, and change management is a driving force behind the success of lotus823. She established the company in 2010 with her husband, David, and brought more than 20 years of experience to the business that supported its swift and steady growth.
Prior to lotus823, Allison spearheaded change management initiatives (including Six Sigma and ISO 9000 programs) at companies such as Toshiba and Office Depot that resulted in significant, sustainable business improvement and increased profitability.
As a leading force at lotus823 and with a mantra rooted in strong and passionate leadership, Allison has brought to life her vision of creating a company culture that attracts the best people and fosters growth.

Amanda Zidlick
Director of Operations
About Amanda
Amanda’s Vision Statement: Constantly live outside of my comfort zone to evoke change and equality for the greater good.
Amanda’s Background: Amanda kicked off her career in the digital marketing field, specializing in organic and paid social media, website design, and content marketing. Her analytical proficiency, paired with her keen organizational skills, gave Amanda a well-rounded foundation as a knowledgeable resource in data analytics and digital strategies.
Her passion for business optimization and analysis has enabled her to evaluate data, processes, and systems to enhance strategies and operations at lotus823. Prior to joining the company, Amanda worked at a digital agency, where she managed a team of 15 while overseeing all marketing activities, maintaining new business development and optimizing business procedures.

Jen Ferency
Senior Business Development Executive
About Jen
Jen’s Vision Statement: To always lift others up through encouraging words, kindness, empathy and patience. Focus on keeping an open mind, constantly listening and learning, and striving for greatness in all that I do and who I am.
Jen’s Background: Jen’s business development and events career spans more than 20 years, with a focus on the consumer electronics and technology industries, including smart home, automotive, health & wellness, fitness, mobile, AI, pet tech, baby tech, home security and sustainability.
As the Senior Business Development Executive at lotus823, she is constantly monitoring brands and trends in this space to see if the services we offer can support and bolster in-house efforts and goals for prospective clients. She is relentless when it comes to nurturing relationships and building her professional network, earning trust, and understanding what brands need to grow, succeed and stand out among their competitors.
Prior to joining lotus823, Jen managed and oversaw all business development efforts at PR and digital marketing agencies. Additionally, she helped build the press event company, Pepcom, from the ground up for 17 years. She wore many hats, including business development, event manager, supervisor, and lead client contact. With this vast experience, she brings a wealth of knowledge in trade shows (CES, MWC, IFA) and press events to lotus823 clients.
Jen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Communications from Purdue University.

Elaina Whelan
Business Development Executive
About Elaina
Elaina’s Vision Statement: As a person, I value ambition, optimism, and a strong work ethic in myself and others. My goal is to have the people that I interact with see these values in me. I am passionate about channeling my innate sociability for the greater good, fully exploring and developing my creative talents, and building lasting and meaningful relationships with friends, colleagues and family.
Elaina’s Background: In her Business Development Executive role, Elaina is focused on researching, initiating, and developing new business opportunities that support lotus823’s overall goals. She works to develop and sustain new partnerships, improve inbound marketing tactics, create and present proposals, as well as attend trade shows and networking events.
Prior to joining the lotus823 Business Development team full-time, Elaina was an Account Executive, serving as the main point of contact for multiple PR and digital marketing accounts.
Elaina earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations at Rider University.

Katie Bank
Business Growth Strategist
About Katie
Katie’s Vision Statement: To be adventurous creatively and physically, continue to learn, build positive relationships, and be the best version of myself.
Katie’s Background: Katie’s interest in the communications industry began in high school. She is now a curious and passionate professional. She loves building strong relationships and connections with people which translates into her work everyday. Her work with different organizations and nonprofits have equipped her with the skills to bring success to her team and partners.
She previously worked as a Team Lead at Hawk Communications at Montclair State University. Here she created PR strategies and social media campaigns for local organizations. Her communication skills and team perspective showed positive results providing her with the knowledge of what businesses need to thrive in today’s market. She was also an intern at NJPIRG, where she coordinated zoom events, reached out to the media, trained volunteers, and created graphics to be shared on social media. These experiences created meaningful connections to her life and career.
She earned her Bachelors in Communications and Media Arts from Montclair State University
Want to learn more about a partnership with lotus?
Advisors & Advocates
Our in-house group of masterminds that lend their experience to our team for ongoing professional development.

Rachel Litner
Advocate of Agency Partnerships
About Rachel
Rachel’s Vision Statement: To empower people through music, writing and other art forms, as part of a community that is dedicated to creative expression and civil rights.
Rachel’s Background: Rachel is a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of public relations, marketing and journalism expertise. Prior to joining lotus823, Rachel was President and Founder of Rachel Litner Associates, a PR agency that specialized in the culinary and home industry. She previously held positions at CIT, Conair Corporation, Fairchild Publications (Home Furnishings Daily) and Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Her diverse background as an in-house PR executive, magazine editor, and an agency principal plays an instrumental role in creating new growth strategies for clients and the company as a whole.

Jeff Scott
Professional Communication Advisor
About Jeff
Jeff’s Vision Statement: To help individuals and organizations increase their level of influence through improved communication skills.
Jeff’s Background: Jeff previously founded Section 810 Communications, a training organization focused on communication and interpersonal skills, after repeatedly hearing business leaders voice a desire to improve their communication and leadership skills.
Jeff is an internationally recognized speaker, certified DISC personality consultant and published author, and has trained thousands of people across dozens of countries on various business and personal development topics.
In addition to his global business experience, Jeff is committed to DEI initiatives, including mentorship through ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals For America) and through volunteer work with Invest in Girls, a non-profit focused on financial literacy.

Pam Golden
Agency Strategy Advisor
About Pam
Pam’s Background: Pam founded GLA Communications in 1986 and provides high-level strategic and tactical counsel to clients, bringing the benefit of nearly 40 years of experience in creating and executing successful campaigns. She has a keen understanding of the inner-workings of the media, and affinity for strategic communications in consumer technology, banking and public policy.
Prior to forming the agency, Pam was an account supervisor at Robert E. Griffin Inc., New York and Frank Barth Inc., New York. Before entering the public relations field, she was an editor in trade publishing for the technology industries and she started her career as a newspaper reporter at a daily newspaper in Western Pennsylvania.
Pam earned a degree in Journalism and Communications from Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA. She is a member of Public Relations Society of America and its Counselor’s Academy Section and from 2014-2017 served on its executive committee. She was a 2017 recipient of the Leading Women Entrepreneurs Brand Builder Award.