Betsie Meric Gambel
President, Gambel Communications
One of the most respected public relations professionals in the Greater New Orleans area, Betsie is a “networker extraordinaire,” and her passion is putting people and ideas together.
A native of New Orleans, she received her Sociology degree from Sweet Briar College. Betsie serves on the boards of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute, the Jefferson Chamber and the Clarion Herald. She was president of the Junior League of New Orleans and has served on numerous professional and nonprofit boards, notably the International Association of Business Communicators, Louisiana Children’s Museum and the Academy of the Sacred Heart.
A graduate of the Goldman Sachs10,000 Small Businesses Program and certified by the Women Business Enterprise Council, Betsie is a contributing blogger for the Huffington Post.
Betsie has been widely recognized for her professional achievements and community service. In 2016, PRWeek named her to its inaugural list of Champions of PR, which honored the top women PR practitioners across the nation. Most recently, the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI) presented Betsie with the inaugural Regional Leader award. She was the first woman in Louisiana to be inducted into the Southern Public Relations Federation Hall of Fame and was named the United States Small Business Administration Woman Champion of the Year for Region VI of the United States (Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico). She also was twice named a Woman of the Year by New Orleans CityBusiness and a top Woman Achiever by New Orleans Magazine.
Betsie is the proud mother of two grown sons, Gregory who lives in Philadelphia and Meric who lives in Greenville, South Carolina, and she has identical twin grandsons, Collin and William, a granddaughter, Emily, and newest grandson, Sellers, and daughters-in-law Krista and Page. In her spare time, she loves to travel, bicycle, work out and spend restful weekends in Pass Christian, MS. Betsie treasures her network of friends and her community involvement, and lives life to the fullest, never wanting to miss a beat.
Sarah Hugg Centorino
Communications Strategist
Sarah learned to love PR while working at Washington and Lee University Store when receiving her undergrad Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Philosophy. There, she began to appreciate the importance of branding and marketing, of understanding the needs of a business, as-well as its desired clientele. Sarah went on to receive her Masters of Science in Commerce with a concentration in Marketing Management from the University of Virginia where she interned for U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond.
Sarah is currently a member of the New Orleans Museum of Art, Southern Yacht Club, The New Orleans Chamber and The Jefferson Chamber and is a recipient of the William Wells Chaffin Memorial Scholarship for Public Speaking (2015).
She resides in New Orleans, LA with her husband Scott, an Assistant Attorney General and their two kittens Pickle and Oliver.
Anna Grundmann LeDonne
Communications Strategist
Anna’s background in writing, editing, marketing and advertising naturally positioned her for a career in public relations where she strives to connect people, products, services and like-minded professionals.
Anna graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in Leadership and Society and minors in Political Science, History and Leadership Development. Much of her professional experience stems from four years in publishing, where she most recently served as editor in chief of Sophisticated Woman Magazine, a monthly lifestyle publication based on the Northshore.
Anna also creates and designs jewelry, calligraphy and hand-lettering services for her personal brand—Anna Liv Design. This side project began as a creative outlet and has evolved into a fully integrated e-commerce website where she can share her passions for interior design, DIY projects, fashion and food.
A native of Covington, LA, Anna currently lives and is actively involved in the Northshore community. She and her husband, Vinnie, recently opened a modern Italian restaurant, Meribo, in downtown Covington.