Bio

Dana Hughens
CEO
Clairemont Communications

Dana Hughens, chief executive officer of Clairemont Communications, has 16 years experience in public relations and marketing. Her focus on creating magical client experiences began the year she interned in guest relations at Walt Disney World and was the co-founder of a student-run public relations agency on her college campus. Prior to launching Clairemont Communications, Dana served as a senior vice president of Fleishman-Hillard. During that time, she managed international, national and regional accounts and projects for Thomasville Furniture, Kingsdown’s Sleep to Live, Briar Chapel by Newland Communities, Krispy Kreme, Cheerwine, Cree, Lenovo and RSM McGladrey. Dana was Fleishman’s global consumer practice group co-chair and led her team to win several industry awards including: a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil for the Darryl Carter for Thomasville launch campaign, a PRSA Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for an annual product promotion strategy with Krispy Kreme, an Inspire Silver Best in Show by the North Carolina PRSA chapter for a series of grand opening events for McCormick and Schmick’s in Raleigh, and several other Inspire and Raleigh Public Relations Society Sir Walter Raleigh awards.

In addition to her agency work, Dana has held corporate communications positions, including the role of key lieutenant to Nortel’s chief marketing officer. In that role, she was responsible for global planning and integration of all marketing functions including corporate communications, branding and advertising, employee communications, and tradeshows and events. Prior to that, she led media relations, marketing communications and analyst relations teams at Nortel.

Including work with other companies in the telecommunications and technology sector such as BellSouth and ITC^DeltaCom, Dana spent nearly ten years in the industry. She has also worked with non-profit organizations and small communications agencies. Dana is a member of the Public Relations Society of America’s Counselors Academy, and was recently named to the Raleigh Leadership Council of the American Cancer Society. In 2009, she served as the Fox-Thornburg Visiting Professional to the journalism department of at her alma mater, Eastern Illinois University. Hughens was inducted to the Triangle Business Journal’s “40 Under 40 Hall of Fame” in 2006. An Illinois native who has lived and worked in New York, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee, Dana now considers Raleigh, North Carolina home. She regularly volunteers her time at the Montessori School of Raleigh, and completed Raleigh’s City of Oaks Marathon in November 2009.

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