Leadership Team

Chris Rosica

President and Chief
Executive Officer

A hands-on PR agency leader and industry thought leader and innovator, Chris is passionate about entrepreneurship and helping businesses grow, adapt to change, outpace the competition, and improve internal and external communications. Since joining the agency in 1998 and purchasing it in 2000, he has added a dynamic dimension and style to the firm. Chris is a popular keynote speaker and lecturer on social media, online reputation management, and thought leadership. He is a seasoned writer and author of three books: The Authentic Brand, which details interviews with 12 iconic entrepreneurs and what they have in common (starting with authenticity); The Business of Cause Marketing, which describes the strategic process and impact of successfully incorporating cause marketing into a company’s business strategy; and The Power of B2B Social Media, highlighting the various benefits of B2B social, which is often underrated and undervalued. Chris is past president of the New York chapter of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization (YEO) and currently serves on the statewide board of Salvation Army in New Jersey, as well as the state board of Boys & Girls Clubs. In 2008, he was named volunteer of the year for Boys & Girls Club in New Jersey. Chris is a graduate of Johnson & Wales and Florida International Universities.

Kathy Carliner

Senior Vice President,
Client Services & Strategy

Kathy provides Rosica’s nonprofit and corporate clients, particularly in the education and healthcare sectors, with award-winning brand strategy, creativity, writing services, media training, and outstanding client management. Her work at Rosica ranges from counseling education think tanks and scholarship organizations to building thought leadership and engagement for healthcare nonprofits and medical device companies.

A dynamic PR practitioner who is personally invested in our clients’ success, Kathy brings energy, drive, and positivity to her work, which results in productive collaboration, lasting partnerships, and meaningful impact. Her decades of hands-on management experience (all on the PR agency side) give her a deep sense of ownership and a commitment to delivering results that align with client imperatives. Kathy is a tireless advocate for her clients’ interests and has managed numerous award-winning PR campaigns.

Kathy has had her own media training firm in the past and is a highly effective media and public speaking trainer who has helped hundreds of CEOs, authors, educators, KOLs, and subject matter experts communicate effectively with the press and other key audiences. She has lectured on personal branding at Columbia University, Williams College, Rutgers University, Seton Hall University, among others, and has spoken at The White House Conference on Childcare. She is a fluent writer, ghost-writing numerous op-eds and bylined articles for clients in the education, nonprofit, and animal health sectors. She was an adjunct professor at Drew University, where she taught business writing, and actively volunteers in matters of immigration and mental illness. She earned her B.A. from Williams College.

Terese Kelly

Senior Vice President,
Media Relations

With over 25 years of PR Agency and Corporate PR/Marketing experience, Terese brings award-winning PR strategy to nonprofit, education, and healthcare clients using Rosica’s PitchSmart PR and other approaches to regularly general national media results including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, Today Show, Good Morning America, USA Today, Associated Press, Business Insider, and literally hundreds of regional and local placements each year. An expert storyteller, Terese uses the agency’s PitchSmart strategy to convert print stories into broadcast segments and vice versa, magnifying results.

Terese is responsible for driving Rosica’s strategic media relations activities. She and her team secure world class-earned media coverage for our client-partners which helps with their business and organizational goals, especially when it is repurposed. These include building thought leadership, growing website traffic, influencing stakeholders, raising funds, strengthening advocacy, and fortifying reputations.

Terese is a hands-on media relations practitioner who has cultivated and maintained relationships with leading national print and broadcast editors, producers and reporters as well as trade outlets throughout the course of her career. She has deep experience in all facets of public relations, including national media events and press conferences; grassroots, community-based initiatives; and high-profile cause marketing campaigns. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.A. in journalism.

Connie Ludwin

Senior Vice President

Connie is an insightful strategic thinker, social impact leader, and agency executive who has provided purpose-driven communications support and thought partnership to organizations in the nonprofit, philanthropic, education, and public health sectors.

For almost a decade, Connie oversaw account operations and led the Social Impact practice for a purpose-focused consultancy, where she was the account lead for prominent clients including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Rutgers University (Newark), New Jersey Prevention Network, New Jersey Health Initiatives, Prudential Foundation, United Way of Mercer County, and the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, to name a few.

Prior to that, she had a 25-year career in the nonprofit sector that included serving as CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey where she worked to heighten visibility and raise funds for local Clubs. She also forged numerous partnerships between public and private entities and celebrities and developed and executed cause marketing, public relations, special events, and other brand-building activities for Boys & Girls Clubs.

Connie is a passionate social justice ally who is active in the nonprofit community and contributes as a member of the resource development committee of the NJ Center for Non-Profits, where she previously served on its board of directors. In 2024, she was appointed to the board of Executive Women of New Jersey as chair of the public relations committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Kean University and certificates in nonprofit management from Columbia University and Seton Hall University. She is also a 2002 LeadNJ fellow.