Clearpoint Team
Bonnie Shaw
President / Co-Founder
Bonnie has led award-winning brand positioning, messaging, and PR strategies for companies such as Airspace, Beyond Meat, Caravan Health (a Signify Health co), Eddie Bauer, Meatable, Toshiba, USD’s Angel Conference, Zodiac, and dozens of companies in healthcare, technology, financial services, life sciences, real estate, and consumer goods. She uses her broad experience to craft objective-driven comms strategies and create an authentic voice for her clients that differentiates, engages target audiences, and builds trust.
She previously worked as a PR account supervisor for McQuerter Group, leading PR teams for tech brands. Prior to that, she led marketing and partnerships for the MS Society in Southern California and worked at San Diego Magazine.
Bonnie is often a featured speaker and guest author on PR strategy, social media and connecting with audiences. She and her teams have been recognized with 30+ awards of excellence for PR and marcomm. Very relationship focused, Bonnie often consults with clients on how to forge strategic partnerships that meet goals, grow audiences and expand budgets. Bonnie earned a BS in Journalism/Public Relations from Cal Poly SLO, where she was part of the team to launch the university’s first television station, CPTV.
Beth Walsh
Vice President
Co-founder of Clearpoint Agency, Beth is an expert at developing targeted messaging and communications strategies that generate brand awareness for clients. In 2012, Beth was awarded the Otto Bos Lifetime Achievement Award from the Public Relations Society of America, San Diego.
Prior to Clearpoint Agency, Beth was senior vice president of public relations at McQuerterGroup where she managed the client services and public relations operations of the integrated high tech-focused agency.
Beth is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners and a former co-chair of its PR committee. Beth has personally won ten Bernays Awards for excellence in public relations and Clearpoint has received 19 Bernays Awards for PR excellence. In addition, Beth has been a finalist three times in the “Women Who Mean Business Awards,” sponsored by the San Diego Business Journal, twice been named a finalist in the individual service category of the UCSD Athena Pinnacle Awards, and in 2001 was named to Wireless Week’s list of “Top 25 Influential Women in Wireless.”
Public Relations Director
Hilary McCarthy draws on 20 years of experience in media and analyst relations, as well as marketing strategy, content creation and development, crisis communications, and social media.
In addition to having worked at agencies and in-house at technology companies, she has also worked in television news and radio.
Hilary’s knowledge of editorial needs has resulted in coverage in leading outlets including USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Fox & Friends, Consumer Reports, Time Magazine, Fortune, ABC World News and numerous technology and trade magazines. She has also written and placed numerous articles for clients in trade publications.
Passionate about connecting with clients to determine their needs and leveraging information to convey their key messages, she loves seeing the positive impact of marketing and PR campaigns on clients' bottom lines.
Hilary graduated Magna Cum Laude from Boston University with a Master of Science degree in Journalism and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Assumption College. She has written articles for American Marketing Association, Marketing Profs, Smart Briefs, Chief Marketer, Ragan’s Health Care Communications News, Expert PR, PRSA’s PR Strategy.
Collette Stefanko
Creative Director
An award-winning creative director, editor, and brand strategist with expansive experience developing effective solutions for companies large and small.
Collette has worked for clients including Salk Institute, Genentech, National University, UCSD, Kodak, Qualcomm, Jack in the Box, Jenny Craig, Fox, ABC, Ben & Jerry’s, and others.
Collette demonstrates passion for getting to the core of a client’s goals, crafting the path to accomplish them, and executing each element with attention to detail.
Director of Integrated Strategies
Tessa Mitchell is a strategic marketing expert with a 15-year proven track record of building strong brands, launching new products, and delivering profitable market share growth.
She has in-depth experience developing and executing strategic plans, establishing brand voice and architecture, leading creative strategy and advertising initiatives, large- and small-scale event programs, content marketing, public relations, research and segmentation, and has an innate ability to build and retain successful, loyal, and highly productive teams. Previously, Tessa held high-level leadership roles at global and domestic companies ranging from $100M-$1B in annual revenues. She has a wealth of brand, product marketing and operations experience, most recently serving as Director of Global Marketing for Sound-United, a San Diego-based consumer electronics company that markets under the Polk Audio and Definitive Technology brands, and previously served as Director of Marketing for Zodiac Pool Systems, a leading global manufacturer of pool and spa products. In each role she spearheaded B2B and B2C marketing and PR initiatives, which contributed to substantial topline sales growth and market share gain.
Researcher and Account Coordinator
Since 2007, Lisa has been supporting client accounts through: competitor research, media and tradeshow research, list development, award and speaking engagement investigation, maintaining clip logs, drafting social media content and monitoring social channels for clients.
Prior to Clearpoint she worked with Mambo Communications, Chereskin Communications, Caton Marketing and Moore Media Relations gaining valuable industry experience. Lisa also worked in the retail sector as a marketing coordinator, buyer, territory and visual merchandising manager for more than six years. Lisa received a bachelor’s degree in consumer science from Montana State University and professional certificate in marketing from University of California, San Diego. Lisa enjoys spending time with her husband, Dave, and chasing after their three children. She has been involved with San Diego Alumnae Panhellenic as a volunteer, JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and is a certified Zumba instructor.
Troy Brajkovich
Visual Creative Director & Cinematographer
Troy specializes in HD video/film cinematography and editing, and still photography. He has traveled the world creating compelling content to express the human condition and unearth universal truths in a modern mythological form. Using proven methods of storytelling and principals of traditional art, Troy uses contemporary technology to tell the stories in today's ever changing world.
Troy graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Film, Television and New Media Arts, and studied in music and anthropology in New Zealand. Today Troy lives in Encinitas and is an avid musician, surfer, traveler and artist.
Julie Smith-Taylor
Senior Content Specialist
Julie Smith-Taylor, APR is a nationally accredited public relations and marketing consultant with more than 25 years of experience. She helps clients reach their communication goals through strategic planning, creative action strategies and content writing.
Julie especially enjoys helping clients build their brands through the power of storytelling. She recently developed a highly effective formula called the “PR Spotlight System” that leverages existing creative assets with powerful content over a variety of platforms.
Dedicated to her profession, Julie has been an active member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for almost three decades. She has served the society at the local, regional and national levels in various leadership roles and currently serves on the local board of directors as the Ethics Chair.
Julie earned a BA in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and often acts as a mentor to students and young professionals. In her spare time, she plays the alto saxophone in a community band, volunteers at her church and enjoys kayaking, traveling, gardening and painting. She and her husband live in Oceanside, CA and have two grown daughters.