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Cork Tree Creative, Inc. Announces Staff Additions and Promotions

March 13, 2023

Award-winning public relations and marketing firm Cork Tree Creative, Inc. announced today the additions of Madeline May as an account executive and Kristina Johnson as the firm’s spring intern, as well as the promotion of Haley Wakeford to senior account executive.

Madeline May joined Cork Tree Creative full-time as an account executive in January. The Hillsboro, Ill. native graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in December last year. May has worked with Cork Tree Creative since January of 2022 as an intern and later an associate, applying the concepts she learned in her marketing courses at SIUE directly to several of the agency’s clients.

Kristina Johnson is local to the area and an Edwardsville High School alumnus. She graduated from SIUE in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Mass Communications with a focus in journalism. In addition to her internship at Cork Tree Creative, Johnson coaches field hockey at St. Louis Field Hockey Club. With a background in journalism and a passion for writing, Johnson will have the opportunity to expand her skill set as she gains hands-on industry experience, specifically in public relations, social media management, and content writing for search engine optimization (SEO).

Laura Reed, co-founder of Cork Tree Creative, said, “We are thrilled to have Madeline join our team full-time. During Madeline’s time at Cork Tree, she has proven to be an asset to our clients with her strong writing skills and extensive knowledge of SEO. I am excited to watch her continue to grow as a marketing professional.”

Reed added, “We are also so excited to welcome Kristina as our spring intern. Her passion for writing and enthusiasm for learning the ins and outs of a marketing agency makes her an excellent addition to our team.” 

Recently, Haley Wakeford was promoted to senior account executive. Wakeford joined the ranks at Cork Tree Creative as an account executive in 2019. During the past three years, she has grown her skillset, specifically in marketing for the healthcare and industrial sectors, as well as project management and writing for the digital landscape. In this new role, she will continue strategizing and implementing marketing campaigns for her clients and coordinating and managing the firm’s intern program.

Jan Carpenter, co-founder of Cork Tree Creative, said, “Haley has been an integral part of the Cork Tree Creative team, and Laura and I are proud of her accomplishments. We are excited to watch her succeed in her new role as a senior account executive.”

Kristina Johnson, Internship
Maddie's headshot outdoors
Madeline May, Account Executive
Haley's headshot outdoors
Haley Wakeford, Senior Account Executive
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