Company: Valpak, Largo, FL
Company Description: Headquartered in Largo, Florida, Valpak is owned and operated by Cox Target Media, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America. The blue Valpak envelope delivers savings to 45 million households throughout North America. Annually, Valpak distributes approximately 19.4 billion offers in 528 million envelopes.
Nomination Category: Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Executive – Service Businesses – up to 2,500 Employees

Nomination Title: Melissa Fisher, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, Inc.

1. Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated executive during the eligibility period (up to 500 words):

As Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Valpak, a Cox Target
Media company, Melissa’s vision has catapulted the company to extraordinary
places, and she is credited with moving the company far beyond its previous
capacities.

Melissa joined Valpak in 2000 (then a 32-year old company) and reengineered the
entire marketing department from a team of 12, to 92, adding extensive research
functions, including GIS, branding, advertising, development of sales materials
and support, sales data, creative services, communications, public relations,
meetings and events, product development and advertiser relationship management.
She had a vision of the brand and she knew what was needed to. She focused on
building the marketing infrastructure to support the vision of Valpak as a
sophisticated direct marketer, an equal to the world-class promotional and
business partners she sought to attract.

She has professionalized Valpak’s marketing functions using integration of data
from leading research partners which has had enormous impact on other groups
within the organization. The marketing team has grown and is recognized as a
thought leader in the research and analytics field. Her research team created a
new presentation method for Claritas syndicated research group under Nielsen,
and received a Claritas award for innovation and revolutionizing direct
marketing consumer targeting.

Melissa’s vision has transformed a local direct mail envelope, to a brand
that partners with organizations including CBS, Turner Broadcasting, Sony
Television, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, King World and
more – every month. Her networking contacts culminated in an outstanding
campaign for 2007-08 – a monthly promotion campaign including national partners
such as Emmy-award winning Ellen DeGeneres, CBS, Disney, 20th Century Fox Movie:
Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!, the National Association of Letter Carriers’
Stamp Out Hunger, HGTV's Design Star and Food Network’s Grill It! With Bobby Flay.

This past year she led the successful re-branding of Valpak product lines, and
the creation of new award-winning national advertising campaigns for the Valpak
blue envelope product.

As a leader, Melissa takes pride in making time to seek ideas and opinions from
her team. She approaches each day with a collaborative mindset – believing
great ideas and execution come from working together, sharing information, and
remaining flexible.

As a mentor, she and her leadership team focus on developing team members so
they can advance. She is admired within the ranks because she is always ready to
reflect accomplishments of employees in her group to top management.

Melissa still makes time to maintain her vast network of contacts and
friendships in areas ranging from broadcast media to niche industry contacts
because she sees the value in every person she meets.

She translates those relationships and adds value in sometimes unexpected ways
by connecting non-traditional partners to the Valpak brand. For example, she
created Valpak’s’ first advertising partnership with the United States Postal
Service by promoting direct mail and Valpak to more than 600,000 small
businesses. She created the first national charitable sponsorship with the
National Association of Letter Carriers union in support of Stamp Out Hunger –
resulting in an increase in food donations by 10 million pounds.

2. List the URLs (web addresses) of any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that you would like the judges to see that support your entry. IMPORTANT: List each URL on a separate line, begin each URL with http://, and enclose each URL in square brackets. For example, [http://www.yourcompany.com/pressrelease.html]:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeJknQdpa_g

http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/03/16/afx4778161.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS121294+07-Jan-2008+PRN20080107

http://promomagazine.com/contests/news/valpak_santaclaus_110706/

http://www.franchising.com/pressreleases/5728/

http://www.franchisewire.com/article.php?id=1982

3. Provide a brief biography of the nominated executive (up to 100 words):

Melissa Fisher is Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at
Valpak, a leading direct marketing company, and a subsidiary of Cox Target Media.

Ms. Fisher joined CTM in 2000. Prior to joining CTM, she was marketing manager
for Cox Media Communications Company in Virginia. Before that she was Manager of
Support Services for Sentara Health Systems in Virginia.

Fisher received her master’s degree in management from Regent University (suma
cum laude) in Virginia, and her bachelor’s degree in business administration
from Houghton College in New York.