MP&F has been spreading its wings of late and, with it, the scope of our services. After the best year in company history in 2017, we are proud to announce major enhancements to our communications offerings and a new name: MP&F Strategic Communications. MP&F’s commitment to providing solid strategic counsel has been a hallmark of this agency for more than three decades. What’s changing today are the tools at our disposal to implement strategies, deliver messages and track results. Our menu of services now includes: Integrated marketing: We have enhanced our marketing capabilities by developing a data-driven, integrated approach under …

There are many people throughout the world who contribute to making the communities where they live better. Some are even able to effect change in a larger scale. But, in the grand scheme of things, not many individuals are able to leave a lasting mark on society that impacts generations and penetrates the broader social consciousness. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a towering figure whose teachings and leadership still are influencing action and inspiring us 50 years after his assassination (April 4, 1968). I am a young African-American professional in the field of communications at MP&F Public Relations, and …

MP&F’s founding partner, Mark McNeely, was recently presented with the Nashville Emerging Leader 2016 Impact Award by YP Nashville and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. The award honors a top Nashville leader who has made a significant impact on guiding and mentoring young professionals in the community. Since MP&F’s doors opened in 1987, hundreds of PR pros and interns have contributed to the company’s success. Mark has invested in the professional development of each and every one of them. Mark also supports communications students through his relationships with universities across the state and continued support of communications scholarships. In …

MP&F recently welcomed Conexión Américas intern Arturo Prieto for a nearly monthlong internship. Arturo, a rising sophomore at Trevecca Nazarene University studying political science and business, previously interned with District 31 Metro Nashville Councilman Fabian Bedne and at Hola Tennessee. Wanting to hone his professional communication skills during his time at MP&F, Arturo played an important role on several client teams, from helping out with live social media postings to event management and distributing materials. We asked Arturo a few questions about himself that we thought our Engage readers may be interested in. Tell us something interesting about yourself that others …

In a world where all graphic designers are exceptional pingpong players … one … is not. But, that’s not stopping him from diving into Nashville’s Ponger Games: an underground pingpong tournament where one second you’re the paddle … and the next second, you’re the ball. Meet Greg Ellis. He’s got everything you would expect a young, big-city graphic designer to have: cool headphones, a tattoo, tight pants that are somehow also kind of baggy, an ironic hat and a sweet ride. Greg is hiding something from his fellow designers. He can’t pong. He can’t even ping. Now, Greg needs help …

MP&F Partner Katy Varney recently penned a guest column for the Nashville Business Journal about the firm’s new office space and how it’s an asset for clients and the future of the company, along with the reasoning for why we stayed downtown. If you’re interested in reading Katy’s column, please click here. To complement the column, the NBJ photographed the new space.  A 27-photo slideshow can be found here. (A paid online subscription is required to read the column and view the photos.)

I’m very proud to report that, for the fourth consecutive year, MP&F has been named a Top Workplace in Middle Tennessee by The Tennessean. What is especially gratifying is that the Top Workplaces list is based on the results of employee surveys. In speaking about the Top Workplace winners, Doug Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics, which administers the contest, said, “Time and time again, our research has proven that what’s most important to them [employees] is a strong belief in where theorganization is headed, how it’s going to get there, and the feeling that everyone is in it together.” We work as a …

Every college student looks forward to walking across the stage and receiving his or her undergraduate degree. The late nights filled with double espresso shots, the frantic cram sessions during finals week and the insurmountable piles of homework have taken their toll, and graduation can’t come soon enough. In my last semester, I had the opportunity to intern at MP&F. My previous internship experience included stops at Fletcher Rowley, Inc., U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper’s office and the Tennessee General Assembly. I was convinced I wanted to work in politics, until I interned at MP&F. As I neared the final weeks …

Happy New Year. May 2016 be productive and rewarding. Before it gets too far gone, though, I want to talk about 2015, a year like none I have ever experienced in my 28 years of PR agency work. 2015 was wrenching, heartbreaking and heartwarming. Our partner Mike Pigott’s untimely passing in June was a historic low for our company. We lost not only a great practitioner, but a great person. There is not a day that has gone by since June 29 that I have not wanted to ask his advice or opinion on something related to our company, our …

Katy Varney’s roots in Tennessee and Nashville political circles run deep. She took time off in college to work on Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign, a stint that got her a job offer straight out of school from Ned McWherter. She served on McWherter’s staff when he was governor and most recently worked with Megan Barry on her successful mayoral campaign. Those ties put Varney in a unique and powerful position. She’s a close adviser to Barry and also a partner in Nashville’s second-largest public relations firm, McNeely Pigott & Fox. In her spare time, you’ll likely find Varney baking. Read the Nashville Business Journal’s …