In recognition of its support of local food insecurity relief efforts, Crosby Marketing Communications has been named the 2023 Community Partner of the Year by the Anne Arundel County Food Bank (AACFB). Crosby President & CEO Raymond Crosby accepted the award at the food bank’s recent Feeding Hope event.

The annual award is given to a business that has gone above and beyond to support the mission of AACFB. In the past five years, Crosby has donated $240,000 to the food bank, as well as volunteer time.

“Not only have the financial contributions of Crosby Marketing made a difference for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity, but their generous gifts have motivated others to support our important mission,” said Leah Aiello Paley, Chief Executive Officer of AACFB, in announcing the award.

“We thank the AACFB for this tremendous honor,” said Raymond Crosby. “We are proud to give back to our community and help make a positive difference in the lives of our neighbors.”

Anne Arundel County Food Bank was founded in 1986 to distribute food to community partners throughout the county. To this day, AACFB continues its commitment to providing free food and other critical services to under-resourced residents, working alongside county and state governments to address food insecurity throughout the county. The AACFB network of member agencies includes over 70 community-based member food pantries.

Crosby provides integrated advertising, public relations, social media, and digital marketing services through specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits & Causes, and Military & Veterans. The firm ranks #27 on O’Dwyer’s list of national communications firms and is a top provider on the GSA Professional Services Schedule. Crosby was named Small Agency of the Year by PRovoke Media in 2021 and has been a Washington Post Top Workplace for seven consecutive years.

Crosby Marketing Communications has won eight awards in the 44th annual Telly Awards, which showcases the best work created within television and video.

Chosen from nearly 13,000 entries this year, winners represent work from some of the most respected advertising agencies and production companies around the world. Crosby was honored for:

Two PSAs for the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) “Victories for Veterans” campaign in the Promotional Video, Public Service category. The PSAs tell how veterans Adam Alexander and Michael Naranjo overcame battle wounds and found their “victories” with support from DAV.

“African Swine Fever: Training Video for Veterinarians” in the Non-Broadcast, Health & Safety category. Produced for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA, the video explains how veterinarians can help keep America’s pork industry safe from the deadly African swine fever.

Five awards for the Military OneSource program of the Department of Defense, which provides quality-of-life services to service members and their families worldwide:

• “Pinning Down PCS Success” in the Non-Broadcast, Employee Communications category, teaching military families how to manage a successful permanent change of station move.
• “Memorial Day: Everywhere and Always” in the Non-Broadcast, Government Relations category, promoting the Military In Lasting Tribute website that honors fallen service members and their families.
• “Adoption and Foster Care” in the Non-Broadcast, Employee Communications category, introducing adoption resources offered to service families through Military OneSource.
• “Virtual Military Spouse Symposium” in the Branded Content, Virtual Events & Experiences category, saluting the many ways spouses support their service members and the military community.
• “Military Youth of the Year” in the: Branded Content, Cause Marketing category, showcasing teens whose lives were changed by participating in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Military Youth of the Year program.

Crosby provides integrated advertising, public relations, social media, and digital marketing services through specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits & Causes, and Military & Veterans. The firm ranks #27 on O’Dwyer’s list of national communications firms and is a top provider on the GSA Professional Services Schedule. Crosby was named Small Agency of the Year by PRovoke Media in 2021 and has been a Washington Post Top Workplace for seven consecutive years.

Crosby Marketing Communications has been named to MM+M’s Agency 100 for the third consecutive year. The list ranks North America’s 100 largest and most successful healthcare marketing agencies.

MM+M (Medical Marketing and Media) provides coverage of breaking industry news and analysis for an executive audience who work in pharma, medical device, diagnostics and greater healthcare marketing. The Agency 100 is part of MM+M’s annual industry report, which includes a profile of Crosby and other listed firms.

“It is a tremendous honor to again be recognized as one of the nation’s top healthcare marketing firms,” said Raymond Crosby, President and CEO of Crosby. “We are also proud that our work for major healthcare clients is helping to improve the quality of life of so many people in this country.”

Crosby’s client roster includes the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Kaiser Permanente, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Crosby provides integrated advertising, public relations, social media, and digital marketing services through specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits & Causes, and Military & Veterans. The firm ranks #10 on O’Dwyer’s list of national healthcare communications firms and is a top provider on the GSA Professional Services Schedule. Crosby was named Small Agency of the Year by PRovoke Media in 2021 and has been a Washington Post Top Workplace for seven consecutive years.

For the seventh straight year, Crosby Marketing Communications has been named a “Top Workplace” by The Washington Post. The award recognizes Crosby as one of the best places to work in the region and is based on high levels of employee satisfaction.

The Top Workplace award celebrates companies that prioritize a people-centered culture. Selection is based solely on employee feedback gathered through an anonymous third-party survey administered by research partner Energage, LLC.

“Being named a Top Workplace for seven straight years is a tremendous achievement,” said Crosby President & CEO Raymond Crosby. “We are committed to working with purpose-driven clients and building an inclusive culture where everyone can grow and thrive. That continues to drive high employee satisfaction and amazing growth.”

Crosby fosters a vibrant employee culture through events such its annual Inspiring Actions That Matter™ day of community service, and a more inclusive workplace with company-wide DE&I training and participation in the Diversity Action Alliance and the 4As Workplace Enlightenment Certification Program. The firm also sponsors the Crosby Marketing Scholars Program, a $100,000 scholarship in partnership with Anne Arundel Community College, to help underrepresented students from diverse backgrounds pursue degrees and future careers in the advertising and public relations field.

One of the nation’s leading independent communications firms, Crosby provides integrated advertising, public relations, social media, and digital marketing services through specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits & Causes, and Military & Veterans. The firm ranks #27 on O’Dwyer’s list of national communications firms and is a top provider on the GSA Professional Services Schedule. Crosby was also named Small Agency of the Year by PRovoke Media in 2021.

Crosby Marketing Communications has won a $1.9 million contract to provide strategic communications to promote Telehealth.HHS.gov, a federal resource to support the integration of telehealth services into the standard of care.

The Telehealth.HHS.gov website provides health care professionals, researchers, and states with the latest on telehealth best practices, policies, research, interstate licensure, broadband, funding opportunities, and events. Telehealth.HHS.gov also provides patients and consumers with helpful information about accessing and getting the most out of telehealth visits. The website was created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Crosby won the initial contract to support HRSA when it launched the Telehealth.HHS.gov website at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this new contract, Crosby will conduct formative research and create an integrated marketing campaign to further drive greater awareness, visits, and engagement with the site.

”Since the pandemic, Telehealth.HHS.gov has been a critical resource to promote telehealth’s ability to increase access to quality care, including for rural and underserved populations who have more limited options for medical services,” said Crosby CEO and President Raymond Crosby. “We’re excited to continue working with HRSA as the adoption and efficacy of telehealth services and technologies continues to grow.”

HRSA programs provide equitable health care to the highest-need communities. This includes people with HIV, pregnant people, mothers and their families, and those otherwise unable to access quality health care. HRSA also supports the training of health professionals, the distribution of health care providers to areas where they are needed most, and improvements in health care delivery.

Crosby provides integrated advertising, public relations, social media, and digital marketing services through specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits & Causes, and Military & Veterans. The firm ranks #27 on O’Dwyer’s list of national communications firms, is a top provider on the GSA Professional Services Schedule, and is a Google Premier Partner. Crosby was named Small Agency of the Year by PRovoke Media in 2021 and has been a Washington Post Top Workplace for six consecutive years.

A new book, “Poker, Politics & Presidents,” by author Ralph W. Crosby reveals the significant influence card-playing and other games had on U.S. presidents – from George Washington to Joe Biden – and, therefore, impacted all Americans. It illustrates how almost all presidents played games and used these and additional pastimes to escape the overbearing stresses of the presidency. The book also shows how cognitive games, such as poker and chess, went far beyond stress relief, creating a link between those games and politics.

Crosby also discusses how numerous presidents used the camaraderie of poker games to their political advantage, some creating contacts that helped their rise to the presidency. It also details the author’s discovery that the highest-rated presidents were card players, which helped in their strategic thinking, risk-taking, bluffing and ability to read their opponents, including their political adversaries and the country’s enemies.

Little-known personal anecdotes and presidential life experiences enliven the stories, including the following:

• George Washington keeping track of his many gambling wins and losses in his diary.
• Thomas Jefferson playing cards while writing the Declaration of Independence.
• Theodore Roosevelt becoming accepted by New York saloon, backroom pols by playing poker with them, thus jump-starting his political career.
• Franklin Roosevelt cheating at his weekly White House poker game.
• Harry Truman playing cards while awaiting the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
• Dwight Eisenhower buying his first officer’s military uniform and his future wife Mamie’s wedding ring with his West Point poker winnings.
• Richard Nixon financing his first congressional campaign with his World War II Navy poker winnings.
• Barack Obama amassing political support through poker games with fellow legislators.

“Poker, Politics & Presidents” is available on Amazon and through local book stores. For more information, contact Kelsi Fink at kfink@crosbymarketing.com.

Biography

Ralph W. Crosby has spent a multifaceted career as a journalist, author and marketer. Currently, he is chairman of Crosby Marketing Communications, a national advertising/PR firm he founded in 1973. The company is one of the nation’s most successful independent PR firms, with 120 employees and offices in Annapolis, Md., and the Washington, D.C., area.

A graduate of the University of Maryland College of Journalism, Crosby began his professional life as a newspaperman in Baltimore, later becoming a White House correspondent and magazine writer during the Eisenhower-Kennedy-Johnson presidential years, culminating his journalistic career in 1972 as an editor with the Kiplinger organization. He has published three previous books and numerous articles in national magazines, lectured at the University of Maryland and taught writing courses at Anne Arundel Community College.

Key School senior Isabel Littmann has received the 2023 Crosby Marketing & Media Studies Scholarship. The $5,000 award is given each year through the Scholarships for Scholars program to a high school senior who has displayed the attributes and academic rigor necessary to excel in the fields of marketing or media.

“During her time at Key School, Isabel has demonstrated solid writing and research skills — important tools for a successful journalist,” said Raymond Crosby, President and CEO of Crosby Marketing. “She has also been steadfast in giving back to the community through volunteering her time and talent. We are proud that this scholarship will help her take the next step to prepare for her career.”

Littmann plans to study Journalism and Mass Communication at George Washington University. At Key School, she honed her skills by editing the school newspaper and yearbook. She also conducted an independent study program that involved researching and writing about the beaches used by Annapolis’ African-American population in segregated times.

Littmann served as captain and choreographer for her school’s dance activity, and played lacrosse and volleyball. She also led food drives, raised money for charitable causes, and volunteered as a creative movement specialist at a local nonprofit that serves people with Down syndrome.

Scholarships for Scholars, Inc., awards scholarships annually to graduating high school seniors who are Anne Arundel County residents, have demonstrated exceptional abilities in specific disciplines, and have contributed to their schools and to the community at large.

With headquarters in Annapolis, Crosby Marketing provides integrated advertising, public relations, social media, and digital marketing services through specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits & Causes, and Military & Veterans. The firm ranks #27 on O’Dwyer’s list of national communications firms and is a top provider on the GSA Professional Services Schedule. Crosby was named Small Agency of the Year by PRovoke Media in 2021 and has been a Washington Post Top Workplace for six consecutive years.

To better support its continued growth of healthcare and federal government clients, Crosby Marketing Communications has promoted four senior staff to the position of Associate Vice President.

• Jennifer Brohinsky was named Associate Vice President, Integration Management. Since joining Crosby in 2016, she has helped lead innovative public health communications campaigns to engage providers, patients and diverse consumers for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force.
• Promoted to Associate Vice President, Integration Management, Flo Pique-Monnier leads communications and digital engagement programs for Kaiser Permanente and Telehealth.HHS.gov, the federal website that supports the growing use of telehealth services. She has been with Crosby for nine years.
• Karin Siomporas advanced to Associate Vice President, Integration Management. A Crosby team member since 2007, she helps lead integrated marketing campaigns for the Defense Department’s Military OneSource program, which provides quality-of-life programs for service members and their families worldwide.
• Glen Villegas was promoted to Associate Vice President, Digital Design. He creates innovative digital experiences, websites and mobile applications for Crosby clients using human-centered designs and user experience best practices.

Crosby provides integrated advertising, public relations, social media, and digital marketing services through specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits & Causes, and Military & Veterans. The firm ranks #22 on O’Dwyer’s list of national communications firms, is a top provider on the GSA Professional Services Schedule, and is a Google Premier Partner. Crosby was named Small Agency of the Year by PRovoke Media in 2021 and has been a Washington Post Top Workplace for six consecutive years.

To support a growing portfolio of federal agencies and healthcare clients, Crosby Marketing Communications has announced the promotion of three executives to the position of vice president.

• As Vice President, Strategist, Gabrielle Weber oversees the strategic development of large-scale public health outreach and community programs for clients including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Weber, who hold the Masters in Public Health designation, has been with Crosby since 2015.
• In her role as Vice President, Integration Management, Kelly Heritage helps lead comprehensive communications programs for the Department of Defense’s Military OneSource program and Milspouse Money Mission, a program sponsored by the USAA Educational Foundation. Since joining Crosby in 2017, Heritage has supported strategic outreach and engagement campaigns that help service members, military spouses and their families around the world connect with the resources and support they need.
• Promoted to Vice President of Accounting, Shannon Benil oversees the firm’s financial management functions. Benil has supported Crosby’s fiscal operations for nearly two decades.

Crosby provides integrated advertising, public relations, social media, and digital marketing services through specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits & Causes, and Military & Veterans. The firm ranks #22 on O’Dwyer’s list of national communications firms, is a top provider on the GSA Professional Services Schedule, and is a Google Premier Partner. Crosby was named Small Agency of the Year by PRovoke Media in 2021 and has been a Washington Post Top Workplace for six consecutive years.

Crosby Marketing Communications took top honors in the 2022 Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Best in Maryland competition for its work with the Department of Defense’s Military OneSource program, promoting the well-being of active-duty service members and their families across the globe.

Crosby won Best in Show for its work to support military families with special needs. The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) campaign was designed to focus on the unique needs of these families by providing digital tools and outreach that make it easier to access services, while creating a more user-friendly experience. The award is the top public relations honor in the state and is given for the most outstanding work entered in the competition.

Two additional Military OneSource programs took awards:

• “United to End Domestic Abuse,” a month-long communications campaign held during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October 2021. The campaign used outreach on and off military installations to raise awareness that preventing and responding to domestic abuse is a responsibility shared by the entire military community.
• The “Re the We” relationships campaign, which encourages couples and single service members to strengthen their relationships with themselves and others while normalizing getting help for challenges. The program provided tools to help military community members rekindle, retool and repair their relationships.

Sponsored by the Maryland Chapter of the PRSA, the annual Best in Maryland awards honors public relations practitioners in the state who, in the judgment of their peers, have successfully addressed a communications challenge with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness.

Crosby provides integrated advertising, public relations, social media, and digital marketing services through specialized practices in Healthcare, Government, Nonprofits & Causes, and Military & Veterans. The firm ranks #22 on O’Dwyer’s list of national communications firms and is a top provider on the GSA Professional Services Schedule. Crosby was named Small Agency of the Year by PRovoke Media in 2021 and has been a Washington Post Top Workplace for six consecutive years.