Fenton Names Health and Development Communications Veteran Rose Mary Romano as Senior Vice President in Washington D.C. Office

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fenton has named Rose Mary Romano, M.A., an internationally recognized expert on social marketing, health and development communications as a senior vice president in its DC office.

Romano was previously Senior Communication Specialist for the Academy for Educational Development (AED) in Washington D.C. where she managed a number of country programs and global media projects for C-Change, a multi-million dollar U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) global communication contract. Romano also directed the South African office for AED.

Romano's background includes designing and implementing health communication and behavior change programs on HIV, family planning and malaria in Kenya, Albania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia. She has managed and provided technical oversight for a range of media projects including: the African Broadcast Media Partnership's multi-country media campaign on HIV; an MTV collaboration to produce a multi-country television drama series on HIV prevention, and Half the Sky, a communication program on women's empowerment. She has advised African government officials (in Kenya, Namibia, and Swaziland) on health communication programs and served as advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on a national HIV prevention program in Botswana.

"Rose Mary brings decades of experience on large-scale, important government and UN funded international health and development projects. As Fenton expands abroad, she'll bring invaluable on the ground experience in Africa and India," said Fenton's Chief Strategy Officer Lisa Witter.

Romano previously held communications leadership positions at the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Health Resources and Services Administration.   She has managed communication and public affairs activities for maternal and child health, AIDS, national vaccine program, community and migrant health care, primary care, and other programs providing health services for underserved populations. She also designed and managed communication program for Healthy Start, a White House initiative to reduce infant mortality.

"I can't imagine a better specialist on the issues of behavior change communications, health, international development and women than Rose Mary," said Fenton's CEO David Fenton.

About Fenton Fenton opened its doors in 1982 to create issue campaigns that serve the public interest. We have been part of some of the defining movements of the past quarter century, from ending apartheid to curbing global warming. Today, Fenton is the largest public interest communications firm in the United States with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. We combine decades of expertise with creativity and innovation to accelerate progress on today's most pressing global and national issues. For more information, visit www.fenton.com.

SOURCE Fenton