John C. Zaher
Founder/President/CEO
email johnzaher@theprmg.com
phone 631-310-4655
View Resume
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John Zaher earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the University at Stony Brook and then worked for Republican National Committee and as a staff member on Rick Lazio’s campaign for U.S. Congress. In 1993, John joined Congressman Lazio’s staff as a Special Assistant.
In August of 1994, he joined TCI Cable of Brookhaven (later Cablevision of Brookhaven) as its Community Affairs Manager and later as Franchise/Government Relations Manager, earning numerous honors from the New York Cable Television Association for public service programs.
John graduated from Touro Law Center’s evening Juris Doctorate Program Cum Laude. His graduating paper, Exploring Councilmanic Districts for Long Island’s Towns, was published by the Suffolk Law Journal. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in January 1999. John served as Press Secretary in Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office beginning in 1999 and for the Nassau County Executive in 2001. In addition to his law degree, John holds a Masters in Political Science/Public Policy from the University at Stony Brook in December of 2000. He teaches Political Science and History at Suffolk and Nassau Community Colleges.
John formed the Public Relations and Marketing Group in January of 2002. The firm provides integrated services to attorneys and other professionals, governmental entities, non-profit organizations, retailers, restaurants, destinations, other corporations and political candidates.
The firm launched PR4Lawyers, a division of the company, in 2012 and launched Advocati Marketing in 2022. Since the inception of PRMG and later PR4Lawyers and Advocati Marketing, John and members of the firm have successfully provided marketing services to hundreds of law firms and attorneys.
Brad Swezey is a Veteran Air Force officer from West Islip, New York. He has experience at the local, national and international level in public relations and marketing. He is a co-founder of Advocati Marketing.
He has served in a variety of positions in and outside of government, including positions at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Space Command, the National Guard Bureau, the President of the United States Air Force Wing, and the Air Force’s (Now Space Force) premiere space launch wing at Cape Canaveral and Patrick Air Force Base, where he was the Director of Public Affairs for this organization of more than 14,000 people and an annual economic impact of $1.18 Billion. He also served as the General Manager of BLilley productions, responsible for the operations of some of the largest air shows in the country, including Ft Lauderdale, Ocean City, and Melbourne.
He has been helping small businesses and professional organizations integrate their marketing and public relations for maximum results since 2013, after leaving government service.
Brad graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with Academic Honors in 2002, attended Georgetown University Law Center, and holds a Masters of Science degree from Air University.
In addition to his work, Brad has served as a Governor of Florida appointee to the Cape Canaveral Hospital board, the Executive Director of the National Guard Association of Colorado, and the Executive Director of the Air, Sea and Space Foundation. He is a Board Member for the Center for Abuse and Rape Emergencies in Charlotte County, Florida.
He also has written a regular column on Small Business Marketing for one of the largest newspapers in Florida, Florida Today.
Laura Gottfried
Vice President & Creative Director
email laura@theprmg.com
phone 631-310-4625
View Resume
A 2006 graduate of Farmingdale State College, Laura Gottfried holds a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communications. During her time at Farmingdale, Laura was a member of the Alpha Beta Gamma International Business Honor Society and featured in Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges. She also attended the International Study Abroad Program in Greece.
Laura then went on to obtain her Master’s degree from Dowling College in 2008. During her time at Dowling, Laura was an active member of both the Dowling-Belmont Partnership Program and the American-Slovenian Collaborative Action Research Program. She was also featured in Who’s Who Among Female Professionals.
Highly skilled in Adobe Creative Suite, Laura has been designing professionally since 2005. Her initial job responsibilities focused on print and branding campaigns. However, as industry trends changed, Laura took several continuing education courses to expand her skillset to include website design and development, digital advertising, and video production.
Laura takes pride in delivering real-world advertising and marketing solutions that encompass multimedia programs — all within tight timeframes. By producing quality logos, websites, brochures, direct mail, TV commercials, among others, Laura provides the resources and guidance needed to build the clients’ businesses most effectively, establish and maintain their companies’ desired images and, ultimately, improve their bottom lines. She has been recognized for her work by being featured in World Wide Who’s Who and by receiving the Excellence in Communication Award (PRMG-2016) and the 40 Under 40 Award (2023) from Long Island Business News.
Laura is a member of the International Society of Female Professionals (ISFP), a global network made up of professional women who have excelled in their industry and aim to support and empower likeminded individuals. She is also a member of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), and the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).
In her free time, Laura loves to travel. She has traveled all throughout the U.S., Central America, Europe, and Asia. In fact, she credits her realization that the world has so many beautiful things to see, as what sparked her interest in art, and ultimately led her to a career in creative direction.
As someone who loves overcoming a challenge, Laura is most often found tackling outdoor adventures with her daughter and husband, including hiking, spelunking, kayaking and snorkeling. Their goal is to hike or swim at every national park in the U.S. Her other hobbies include painting, cooking, reading, and attending New York Islanders and New York Mets games.
Brian Kotkin
Assistant Account Executive and Legal Content Writer
email brian@theprmg.com
phone 631-310-4714
Brian Kotkin is a native Long Islander who loves his family and his pets. He graduated from Bard College with a B.A. in Political Studies, and received a J.D. from the Maurice A. Deane Law School at Hofstra University. He is formally admitted to the New York State Bar, and is the founder of Legally Literate LLC, a startup dedicated to helping regular people understand the law. He has also been involved in numerous political campaigns, and remains deeply involved in his community.
Alyssa DeSimone is native to Long Island and an Assistant Account Executive at The Public Relations and Marketing Group. She attended University at Buffalo where she earned her B.S. in Political Science and minored in Communications and Marketing.
Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys reading, going to the gym and spending time with her friends and family.
Kaitlyn Tascarella is a Long Island native and an Assistant Account Executive at The Public Relations and Marketing Group. She attended Hofstra University where she maintained a 4.0 GPA and earned a B.A. in Public Relations. Prior to working at PRMG, Kaitlyn interned at a small PR agency where she was responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships with key media contacts as well as executing comprehensive PR strategies.
Outside of work, Kaitlyn spends most of her time at the gym, or with family and friends.
Rachel Smith
Marketing and Executive Assistant
email rachel@theprmg.com
phone 631-207-1057
Rachel Smith is a Marketing and Executive Assistant at The Public Relations and Marketing Group. She graduated from American University in 2022, where she earned a B.A. in Public Relations and Strategic Communication with a minor focus in Entertainment Business. Rachel has interned in various fields, including social media. Most recently, she worked as a content intern at a digital marketing agency in Washington D.C. where she gained experience in legal marketing by assisting in content development and SEO strategies. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys baking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Caitlin Crudden
Account Executive
email caitlin@theprmg.com
phone 631-207-1057
Hank Russell earned his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from St. Bonaventure University. He has more than 15 years’ experience as a writer, editor and proofreader. His first job was sports editor of The Long-Islander. In 1991, he was named Suffolk County Wrestling Coaches Association Newspaperman of the Year.
He joined Volt Information Sciences as a proofreader in 1993. In July 1994, he earned Volt’s “Catch of the Month” award. He spent the first three years as a proofreader and two years as a trafficker. He also spent another year as a proofreader and copy editor for Wilen Business Media.
Between 2000 and 2006, Hank worked for a series of magazines as an assistant, associate and managing editor. He has also freelanced for numerous scientific and medical imaging magazines, and, in 2008, was a contributing writer and poetry editor for The North Atlantic Review. Before joining PRMG, Hank was a political reporter for Suffolk Life.
Traci Gagarin is a seasoned marketer and Michigan native. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration with a marketing emphasis from Grand Valley State University. As the Marketing Specialist at PR4Lawyers, Traci focuses on the company’s external marketing efforts. She thrives on being creative in and out of the office. In her free time, Traci enjoys time with her husband and rescue pup.
Freddie Cain is a video production specialist with over 10 years of experience. A Long Island native, his love for photography and videography started in junior high school, when he first got his hands on a 35-millimeter SLR. It was then that his passion for creating visual content became clear. He graduated from Manhattan Edit Workshops’ program in 2010. Since then, he has focused his efforts on creating and learning how to work on a wide span of projects, such as commercials, music videos, live streams and podcasts.
In his free time, Freddie enjoys watching movies, video photography, video games and Dungeons and Dragons.
Terence Dollard
Video Production Consultant
Terence Dollard is a ten-year veteran of television production. In that time, he has worked in all phases of production and in many genres. Terence has produced and directed a dramatic feature, numerous commercials, music videos, documentaries and an awards show.
Combining real-world experience with a strong visual style, Terence offers clients variety, professionalism and quality in their video projects.
In 2000, Terence earned his Master’s of Fine Arts degree in Television Production, and his Master’s thesis, “Set List,” an hour-long dramatic feature, won the Graduate Production Award from Brooklyn College.
Since joining PRMG, Terence has concentrated on documentaries, commercials, and satisfying the needs of PRMG’s clients.
As a graduate of Stony Brook University’s Computer Science program, Hannah Perez is a skilled website designer and developer specializing in HTML, CSS, PHP, WordPress and Drupal. Being detail-oriented, she ensures each website is programmed using the latest industry standards with attention to responsive layout and optimization for search engines.
In her free time, Hannah enjoys fostering kittens, biking, reading and watching movies.
Leonie earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut, concentrating in Communication Design. She then took up a role as a Marketing Advertising and Public Relations Intern at a casino- which revealed her aptitude for this field. Consequently, she was offered the permanent position of Advertising Specialist. During her 6 years there, Leonie managed social media accounts, developed marketing materials, and coordinated special events. One of the many perks of her time at the casino was the opportunity to meet renowned Asian celebrities in person. Alongside her work, she pursued her passion for learning and earned an Interactive Design Certificate from the Rhode Island School of Design. This further deepened her knowledge of web design and UI/UX design.
In 2020, Leonie decided to embark on a new adventure and relocated to Long Island to join an online grocery store as a Marketing Specialist. This role allowed her to gain valuable knowledge in various online marketing channels.
Now, armed with her diverse experiences, Leonie utilizes her expertise to help PRMG clients expand their businesses through digital advertising. She is dedicated to driving success for her clients and takes pride in witnessing their growth.
Some of her many interests include cooking, drawing, painting, hiking, traveling, singing, and watching movies.
Jane Sferrazza is a web developer and educator. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Computer Science from NYIT and has been a computer instructor for MLI, Hunter Business School, and CUNY. She has also been designing websites as a freelancer since 2004 with expertise in PHP, HTML, CSS, Javascript, Java, and SEO. Aside from building websites and teaching she has time to volunteer for the American Red Cross from time to time since 2009.
