Noreen Heron Zautcke

President

Noreen Heron Zautcke began her career as an usher at the Candlelight Playhouse as a sophomore in high school. She went on to become the theater’s house manager and publicist after graduating from UIC with a degree in Communications and Theatre. Along with Eileen LaCario (Broadway in Chicago), the duo handled the marketing for Chicago’s long-running smash hit, Nunsense, and then went on to represent productions at the Royal-George Theatre and numerous other theaters. In 1995 she became the Director of Public Relations for Hyatt Regency Chicago, Hyatt’s biggest property and the city’s largest hotel. In this capacity, she planned and executed the World’s Largest Office Party, the Bud Bowl, and the Pepsi Easter Fairy Tale Adventure that culminated with a parade down Wacker Drive. Noreen also supervised the PR efforts for the hotel when it was the headquarters for the Democratic National Convention, working with the White House press staff. Further responsibilities at Hyatt included handling crisis communications, securing sponsorships and creating advertising campaigns. She left to start her own company in 2000, now employing a total of 12 full and part-time employees. Hyatt was one of her company’s first clients (and still remains a client), and she happily began working with and representing theater again, as well as various hospitality, leisure, corporate and non-profit clients. She has served on numerous boards and planned dozens of charitable fundraisers, receiving many awards (see awards page). Noreen has represented more than 1000 productions in her career. In 2000, she married John Zautcke, an emergency medicine physician at UIC. They have two children, Connor and Ava, who are students at St. Clement School in Chicago. In her spare time, she volunteers for Concern Worldwide.

Katharine Hughes
Senior Account Executive

Kate has worked on publicity campaigns for Hyatt Hotels, the National Tour of The Screwtape Letters, the National Tour of Broadway in Chicago’s Sing-A-Long Wizard of Oz, Smirnoff Vodka, The Harlem Globetrotters, the grand opening of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, Marriott Theatre’s 35th Anniversary, Massage Envy, the 40th Anniversary of Geja’s Café, Sesame Street Live!, the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, Baileys, Bettinardi Golf and the acclaimed production A Steady Rain, which opened on Broadway starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig. She has represented hit shows at theaters including The Allstate Arena, The Rosemont Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace, Porchlight Music Theatre, The Royal George Theatre, The Chicago Theatre, The Coral Springs Center for the Performing Arts, The Lansburgh Theatre, and The Mercury Theater. Placements secured include USA Today, Variety, Christianity Today, People Magazine, Travel + Leisure, Playbill, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, The Courier-Journal, The Chicago Sun-Times, Time Out, Chicago Magazine, Metromix.com, ABC News, NPR and WGN Radio. She has represented A-list celebrities including Dan Aykroyd, The Beach Boys, and Olympic athletes. Kate has worked on promotions with organizations such as American Express, Bally Fitness, the Chicago White Sox, PBS and Motorola in cities including Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.

Kate graduated from Taylor University where she worked in the University Relations department for four years. She has been married to Virgil Hughes, a Sales Executive at Kingsdown, Inc., since June 2006. An avid runner, she completed the Chicago Marathon in 2005. In her spare time Kate volunteers with her church and animal rescue organizations.

Lianne Wiker
Senior Account Executive

 Lianne has represented hit productions at venues including the United Center, Rosemont Theatre, Allstate Arena, Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Theatre at the Center, Apollo Theatre, Mercury Theater and The Royal George Theatre.  Lianne has worked on publicity and marketing campaigns for the National Tour of THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, UFC, The World Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, Geja’s Café, Big Onion Tavern Group, Massage Envy, Harlem Globetrotters, Luna Carpet, Bettinardi Golf, Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Hyatt Regency Chicago and Hyatt on Main, Green Bay.

Lianne has created value-added promotions for clients with organizations including Motorola, Ticketmaster, Staples, WBBM AM, Chicago Tribune and Ferrara Pan Candy Company.  She has secured numerous placements in various major Chicago media outlets as well as national placements including USA Today, Variety and The New York Times.  Lianne has also secured and supervised television and radio features on top broadcast stations both locally and nationally.

Lianne is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Prior to working at Noreen Heron & Associates, she worked in Special Events at Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization, Illinois Affiliate.  She is a former member of the Chicago Luvabulls NBA Dance Team, is a member of the Young Executives Club of Chicago and a member of the Junior Board for Reach Out Chicago.

Brenna O'Leary
Account Executive/Advertising Manager

Brenna is a graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in magazine journalism and a minor in creative writing. Her experience with media began while working at her hometown's newspaper, The Woodstock Independent, followed by writing and editing What the Health magazine in college and interning at The Post-Standard.  She also interned at Time Out Chicago and served as a freelancer for the magazine before entering into the public relations arena.

She has worked on publicity campaigns for Hawthorne Race Course, Massage Envy, Geja’s Café, Harlem Globetrotters, Hyatt, the Lynn Sage Foundation, and Big Onion Tavern Group.  She has represented shows at theaters including The Mercury Theatre, The United Center, Chicago Dramatists and First Folio Theatre. Local placements secured include The Chicago Tribune, CS, and The Sun-Times. Brenna has also secured and supervised television and radio features on top Chicago stations like NBC/WMAQ, ABC/WLS, and WGN Radio. She has also coordinated and secured placements nationally on the TODAY show and in USA Today, Variety, and in Travel + Leisure magazine.  Brenna has created numerous promotions and events for clients and secured partnerships with organizations including WBBM AM, Nerds at Heart, MillerCoors, and Julius  Meinl.  She has placed media for the National Tour of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein, and for productions at Drury Lane Theatre and the Mercury Theatre.  Additionally, she manages the Heron PR monthly e-newsletter. 

Recreationally, Brenna is a runner and volleyball player, and is a member of the Erie Auxiliary Council.  

Katharine Nichols

Assistant Account Executive

Katharine is a recent graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a degree in advertising & public relations and minors in marketing and French. During her academic career, she was actively involved with the International Association of Business Communicators, where she served as President, and the Beta Rho Communication Honors Society. During her senior year, she received the Outstanding Advertising/Public Relations Major award and the President’s Medallion, an award given to one student from each school at Loyola for outstanding scholarship, leadership and service.

She has worked on publicity campaigns for the National Tour of The Screwtape Letters, Big Onion Tavern Group, Massage Envy, and numerous productions at theaters including Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace, Theater at the Center, Chicago Dramatists, and The Mercury Theatre.

Prior to working at Noreen Heron & Associates, Katharine interned at GolinHarris, where she worked in the consumer marketing practice. A Chicago native, she enjoys trying new restaurants, watching French films and going on walks with her yellow lab, Lulu.

Jocelyn Ocampo

Social Media Coordinator

Jocelyn has been interested in social media professionally after seeing the measureable benefits an online social media presence could have for an organization.  Her experience with social media began in high school while volunteering for one of American Cancer Society’s local Relay for Life events in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Since then, she has become skilled in producing online copy, facilitating content production, developing and maintaining editorial calendars, and managing and monitoring presence in social media networking websites including Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare.

She has worked on campaigns for the National Tour of The Screwtape Letters, Big Onion Tavern Group, engagements at the United Center, Massage Envy and productions at theaters including the Mercury Theatre, Marriott Theatre, First Folio Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre and Theatre at the Center.  

Jocelyn enjoys traveling, reading fiction novels and cooking.  She is a volunteer for the Israel Idonije Foundation and C3 Presents’ Lollapalooza.  

Holly Gustavson
Executive Assistant

Holly Gustavson attended Northern Illinois University for three years and is currently completing her bachelor's degree, majoring in elementary education. She enjoys reading and outdoor activities.

Jennifer Marschand 
Research & Data Entry Specialist

Jennifer received her Bachelor's Degree in Theatre from Indiana State University, with a minor in History.  She is the former Associate Artistic Director and current Casting Director for The Strange Tree Group where she has appeared in numerous shows: including the Jeff Award winning The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen at The Steppenwolf Garage; and The Spirit Play in association with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.  Jennifer is a volunteer Docent at The Newberry Library.

Andrew Flanigan

Tom McDermott
Controller

Tom joined Heron PR in 2009 and manages all the company accounting and finance functions. Tom has 25 years of accounting/finance experience including McDonald’s, Flat Top Grill and Rosebud Restaurants.
In addition, he is a CPA and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Tom is a Chicago resident where he lives with his wife, Susan, and their two daughters Grace and Claire.

Complex Network Solutions
IT Consultants

CNS is a small startup IT firm serving the greater Chicago area, specializing in network solutions for the government and private sectors. Their knowledgeable team is dedicated to helping its clients achieve their technical goals by utilizing are diverse set of skills and backgrounds ranging from network design, security, and software development. They have served as a consultant to Noreen Heron & Associates for over nine years, building and maintaining the company’s IT infrastructure.

Noreen Heron Zautcke

President

Noreen Heron Zautcke began her career as an usher at the Candlelight Playhouse as a sophomore in high school. She went on to become the theater’s house manager and publicist after graduating from UIC with a degree in Communications and Theatre. Along with Eileen LaCario (Broadway in Chicago), the duo handled the marketing for Chicago’s long-running smash hit, Nunsense, and then went on to represent productions at the Royal-George Theatre and numerous other theaters. In 1995 she became the Director of Public Relations for Hyatt Regency Chicago, Hyatt’s biggest property and the city’s largest hotel. In this capacity, she planned and executed the World’s Largest Office Party, the Bud Bowl, and the Pepsi Easter Fairy Tale Adventure that culminated with a parade down Wacker Drive. Noreen also supervised the PR efforts for the hotel when it was the headquarters for the Democratic National Convention, working with the White House press staff. Further responsibilities at Hyatt included handling crisis communications, securing sponsorships and creating advertising campaigns. She left to start her own company in 2000, now employing a total of 12 full and part-time employees. Hyatt was one of her company’s first clients (and still remains a client), and she happily began working with and representing theater again, as well as various hospitality, leisure, corporate and non-profit clients. She has served on numerous boards and planned dozens of charitable fundraisers, receiving many awards (see awards page). Noreen has represented more than 1000 productions in her career. In 2000, she married John Zautcke, an emergency medicine physician at UIC. They have two children, Connor and Ava, who are students at St. Clement School in Chicago. In her spare time, she volunteers for Concern Worldwide.

Katharine Hughes
Senior Account Executive

Kate has worked on publicity campaigns for Hyatt Hotels, the National Tour of The Screwtape Letters, the National Tour of Broadway in Chicago’s Sing-A-Long Wizard of Oz, Smirnoff Vodka, The Harlem Globetrotters, the grand opening of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, Marriott Theatre’s 35th Anniversary, Massage Envy, the 40th Anniversary of Geja’s Café, Sesame Street Live!, the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, Baileys, Bettinardi Golf and the acclaimed production A Steady Rain, which opened on Broadway starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig. She has represented hit shows at theaters including The Allstate Arena, The Rosemont Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace, Porchlight Music Theatre, The Royal George Theatre, The Chicago Theatre, The Coral Springs Center for the Performing Arts, The Lansburgh Theatre, and The Mercury Theater. Placements secured include USA Today, Variety, Christianity Today, People Magazine, Travel + Leisure, Playbill, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, The Courier-Journal, The Chicago Sun-Times, Time Out, Chicago Magazine, Metromix.com, ABC News, NPR and WGN Radio. She has represented A-list celebrities including Dan Aykroyd, The Beach Boys, and Olympic athletes. Kate has worked on promotions with organizations such as American Express, Bally Fitness, the Chicago White Sox, PBS and Motorola in cities including Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.

Kate graduated from Taylor University where she worked in the University Relations department for four years. She has been married to Virgil Hughes, a Sales Executive at Kingsdown, Inc., since June 2006. An avid runner, she completed the Chicago Marathon in 2005. In her spare time Kate volunteers with her church and animal rescue organizations.

Lianne Wiker
Senior Account Executive

 Lianne has represented hit productions at venues including the United Center, Rosemont Theatre, Allstate Arena, Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Theatre at the Center, Apollo Theatre, Mercury Theater and The Royal George Theatre.  Lianne has worked on publicity and marketing campaigns for the National Tour of THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, UFC, The World Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, Geja’s Café, Big Onion Tavern Group, Massage Envy, Harlem Globetrotters, Luna Carpet, Bettinardi Golf, Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Hyatt Regency Chicago and Hyatt on Main, Green Bay.

Lianne has created value-added promotions for clients with organizations including Motorola, Ticketmaster, Staples, WBBM AM, Chicago Tribune and Ferrara Pan Candy Company.  She has secured numerous placements in various major Chicago media outlets as well as national placements including USA Today, Variety and The New York Times.  Lianne has also secured and supervised television and radio features on top broadcast stations both locally and nationally.

Lianne is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Prior to working at Noreen Heron & Associates, she worked in Special Events at Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization, Illinois Affiliate.  She is a former member of the Chicago Luvabulls NBA Dance Team, is a member of the Young Executives Club of Chicago and a member of the Junior Board for Reach Out Chicago.

Brenna O'Leary
Account Executive/Advertising Manager

Brenna is a graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in magazine journalism and a minor in creative writing. Her experience with media began while working at her hometown's newspaper, The Woodstock Independent, followed by writing and editing What the Health magazine in college and interning at The Post-Standard.  She also interned at Time Out Chicago and served as a freelancer for the magazine before entering into the public relations arena.

She has worked on publicity campaigns for Hawthorne Race Course, Massage Envy, Geja’s Café, Harlem Globetrotters, Hyatt, the Lynn Sage Foundation, and Big Onion Tavern Group.  She has represented shows at theaters including The Mercury Theatre, The United Center, Chicago Dramatists and First Folio Theatre. Local placements secured include The Chicago Tribune, CS, and The Sun-Times. Brenna has also secured and supervised television and radio features on top Chicago stations like NBC/WMAQ, ABC/WLS, and WGN Radio. She has also coordinated and secured placements nationally on the TODAY show and in USA Today, Variety, and in Travel + Leisure magazine.  Brenna has created numerous promotions and events for clients and secured partnerships with organizations including WBBM AM, Nerds at Heart, MillerCoors, and Julius  Meinl.  She has placed media for the National Tour of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein, and for productions at Drury Lane Theatre and the Mercury Theatre.  Additionally, she manages the Heron PR monthly e-newsletter. 

Recreationally, Brenna is a runner and volleyball player, and is a member of the Erie Auxiliary Council.  

Katharine Nichols

Assistant Account Executive

Katharine is a recent graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a degree in advertising & public relations and minors in marketing and French. During her academic career, she was actively involved with the International Association of Business Communicators, where she served as President, and the Beta Rho Communication Honors Society. During her senior year, she received the Outstanding Advertising/Public Relations Major award and the President’s Medallion, an award given to one student from each school at Loyola for outstanding scholarship, leadership and service.

She has worked on publicity campaigns for the National Tour of The Screwtape Letters, Big Onion Tavern Group, Massage Envy, and numerous productions at theaters including Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook Terrace, Theater at the Center, Chicago Dramatists, and The Mercury Theatre.

Prior to working at Noreen Heron & Associates, Katharine interned at GolinHarris, where she worked in the consumer marketing practice. A Chicago native, she enjoys trying new restaurants, watching French films and going on walks with her yellow lab, Lulu.

Jocelyn Ocampo

Social Media Coordinator

Jocelyn has been interested in social media professionally after seeing the measureable benefits an online social media presence could have for an organization.  Her experience with social media began in high school while volunteering for one of American Cancer Society’s local Relay for Life events in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Since then, she has become skilled in producing online copy, facilitating content production, developing and maintaining editorial calendars, and managing and monitoring presence in social media networking websites including Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare.

She has worked on campaigns for the National Tour of The Screwtape Letters, Big Onion Tavern Group, engagements at the United Center, Massage Envy and productions at theaters including the Mercury Theatre, Marriott Theatre, First Folio Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre and Theatre at the Center.  

Jocelyn enjoys traveling, reading fiction novels and cooking.  She is a volunteer for the Israel Idonije Foundation and C3 Presents’ Lollapalooza.  

Holly Gustavson
Executive Assistant

Holly Gustavson attended Northern Illinois University for three years and is currently completing her bachelor's degree, majoring in elementary education. She enjoys reading and outdoor activities.

Jennifer Marschand 
Research & Data Entry Specialist

Jennifer received her Bachelor's Degree in Theatre from Indiana State University, with a minor in History.  She is the former Associate Artistic Director and current Casting Director for The Strange Tree Group where she has appeared in numerous shows: including the Jeff Award winning The Three Faces of Dr. Crippen at The Steppenwolf Garage; and The Spirit Play in association with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.  Jennifer is a volunteer Docent at The Newberry Library.

Andrew Flanigan

Tom McDermott
Controller

Tom joined Heron PR in 2009 and manages all the company accounting and finance functions. Tom has 25 years of accounting/finance experience including McDonald’s, Flat Top Grill and Rosebud Restaurants.
In addition, he is a CPA and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Tom is a Chicago resident where he lives with his wife, Susan, and their two daughters Grace and Claire.

Complex Network Solutions
IT Consultants

CNS is a small startup IT firm serving the greater Chicago area, specializing in network solutions for the government and private sectors. Their knowledgeable team is dedicated to helping its clients achieve their technical goals by utilizing are diverse set of skills and backgrounds ranging from network design, security, and software development. They have served as a consultant to Noreen Heron & Associates for over nine years, building and maintaining the company’s IT infrastructure.