Elise James-DeCruise has been named the Ad Council’s chief equity officer, a new role at the organization. James-DeCruise will oversee the Ad Council’s ongoing commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion.
James-DeCruise brings more than 20 years of experience in leading strategies and solutions to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and professional development within the world of marketing and communications. Previously, James-DeCruise held the positions of chief diversity and inclusion officer at Marcus Thomas, a Cleveland-based independent marketing communications agency, and VP, global head of multicultural marketing and inclusion at MediaMath in New York.
As chief equity officer of the Ad Council, the nation’s leading producer of social good communications, James-DeCruise will report to president and CEO Lisa Sherman. Working closely with senior leadership, James-DeCruise will initiate, advocate for and evaluate the programs and practices that foster a more diverse and inclusive environment, including overseeing and evolving the organization’s existing commitments to racial justice.
“The Ad Council is unequivocally committed to fighting systemic racism and injustice, both within our organization and in the work we do to reach and motivate the American public,” said Sherman. “I am thrilled to have Elise join our team and welcome her leadership as we accelerate our efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace and society.”
“Having the opportunity to join the Ad Council as the first chief equity officer is humbling, exciting and rooted in hope for our community, our industry and the next generation of leaders,” said James-DeCruise. “This work is truly at the intersection of my passion for community building, advertising for social good and my longstanding commitment to the advancement of equity and inclusion across the workforce, workplace, marketplace and community, and I couldn’t be more excited. I look forward to supporting everyone across the organization as we partner together to create psychologically safe and brave spaces and deepen the connections between our work and our values.”
James-DeCruise holds a Master of Science in Instructional Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Robert Morris University. Her awards and accolades include recognition by Forbes as one of the top “Female Leaders to Watch” in tech; by IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) for Excellence in Education 2019; by Ad Exchanger for Best Education and Tools 2019; by Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Awards 2016 for Strategy; and by Chief Learning Officer Awards 2016 for Innovation.
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More