About

With nearly 30 years of experience doing just about everything when it comes to marketing, communications, and public relations, Nancy brings both expertise and energy to any project she’s involved with. Clients who work with her quickly see that she is a quintessential “go-to” person.

A Tennessee native, Nancy began her career working on a local school-to-business partnership program where she learned the importance of establishing strong relationships, community involvement, and project management. Seven years of her career were then spent at a not-for-profit health system in Knoxville, moving through the ranks in the marketing and public relations division. She worked and learned at six facilities with unique and plentiful opportunities to build a solid base of communications expertise. Nancy relocated to the Washington, D.C. area in 2003 and launched Mayes Communications — now Blue Wagon Group — in 2004.

In addition to the hands-on work she’s done in the field, Nancy also has plenty of paper on her walls to verify her credentials. She graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s in communications, earned her master’s in communications at the University of Tennessee, and is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America. She’s currently on the adjunct faculty roster for Johns Hopkins University’s graduate communications program, teaching courses in public relations and managerial communications.

Through the years, Nancy has worked extensively with clients in the healthcare industry, as well as non-profit associations. Clients come to her for her strengths in project management, teamwork, and strong writing skills.

Melana has nearly 20 years of experience in health care public relations and marketing. In her work for a large not-for-profit hospital in central Tennessee, she managed internal and external communication projects and coordinated a variety of publications. Additionally, she has experience in media and employee relations in her work with a nationally known teaching and research medical center in Nashville. For Blue Wagon, Melana manages media relations projects and provides editorial and writing services to a variety of healthcare clients.

Melana holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with an emphasis in public relations from Middle Tennessee State University. She offers extensive knowledge of effectively relaying information, whether the audience is seasoned employees or the general public.

Vanessa is an innovative communicator with significant experience in branding, marketing, corporate communications, and event planning. She has a passion for solving complex challenges and developing actionable strategies to engage target audiences across a variety of channels.

Prior to joining Willis Tower Watson, Vanessa honed her tactical communications and project management skills in a variety of nonprofit and health care settings, including Evolent Health, NRECA, Kaiser Permanente, MedStar Harbor Hospital, and the Navy Marine Coast Guard Residence Foundation.

Vanessa obtained a bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in public relations from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland and recently earned her MBA from The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.

Amanda is a communications professional with more than a decade of experience in marketing, public relations, business development, and project management. As the assistant vice president of marketing & communications at an independent community bank, her responsibilities included creating brand messaging and advertising campaigns, developing and distributing materials to area media, managing the bank’s website and social media content, and coordinating and implementing tactical marketing initiatives to support the institution’s strategic goals and strengthen community relationships.

She also served on the American Advertising Federation-Greater Frederick Chapter’s board of directors and volunteered with several nonprofit organizations to support their marketing outreach efforts. Amanda received her bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in public relations from Hood College, followed by an MBA with a focus in marketing from Mount St. Mary’s University.

Robin is a passionate, energetic communications, media, and public relations professional with 20 years of experience.

After a decade as a broadcast journalist in Virginia, she transitioned her career to the other side of the camera, working in corporate communications. She has served as the vice president of communications for a large mental health and substance use non-profit in North Carolina. Robin also works with several events and businesses in the Tarheel state as a communications and digital media consultant.

Robin graduated from the University of Virginia with her bachelor’s in history and completed her master’s in communications from Johns Hopkins University, with a dual concentration in public and media relations and digital communication.

Tanya has worked on marketing and public relations projects in a variety of industries, including healthcare, home improvement, and non-profit organizations. Having spent more than 15 years as an in-house communications director in the financial, banking, and educational sectors gives her a sophisticated point of view and a keen awareness of compliance and regulatory requirements. She has an instinctive ability to capture and convey targeted messaging through compelling, strategic content that builds brand engagement and brand value. As a member of the Blue Wagon team, she assists with a variety of initiatives, such as project management, web development, brand management, and strategic communications.

She received a bachelor’s degree in drama and speech from Loyola University New Orleans. Her early professional experiences in college admissions and higher education outreach initiatives led her to pursue a master’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee, where she concentrated in public relations with a focus on crisis communication.

Alissa is a communications specialist with more than 15 years of experience in public relations.

Previously, Alissa served as an account director at JPA Health Communications, where she provided strategic counsel and day-to-day support for a variety of national health organizations, and as a manager with Burson-Marsteller where she focused on media relations, thought leadership, advocacy and messaging for health care and corporate clients.

Early in her career, Alissa served as the communications manager with the Center for Health Transformation and as an associate with the Advisory Board Company.

A Florida native, Alissa received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Florida and her master’s degree in communications from Johns Hopkins University.

Leslie is a seasoned communications professional with nearly 15 years of experience—almost exclusively in health care.

Leslie worked for a community hospital in Baltimore under the umbrella of a large nonprofit health system in the Maryland/D.C. region. Her primary focus areas were in employee communications, especially related to human resources, information technology, and quality and safety, as well as community outreach and community engagement.

Leslie earned a bachelor’s degree in communication arts with a public relations focus from Hood College.