Celebrity Judge

David Carson

Design Director

David Carson, a Emmy-nominated, multi-award winning graphic designer, creative director and artist, is the recipient of graphic design’s highest award, the AIGA Gold. He is the first, and only, graphic designer to be included in the Masterclass series, and has recently been advising on a case in front of the US Supreme Court to decide if ‘Graphic design is art’. in 2023 David has rebranded the Macallan .

Apple called Carson ” a pioneer with profound influence ” Carson has VR and Gaming projects currently in the works.

David has spoken at events for TED , Adobe Max, Cannes Lions 2022, OFFF Barcelona/Mexico City +hundreds of events worldwide. Recent work includes the Macallan whisky, Shift Clean Energy, + new worldwide projects launching spring ‘25

Nationwide Judges:

Dr. Ty’ya Tahara Pettis

President, AMA New Jersey | Brand Marketing & Communications Strategist

Dr. Ty’ya Pettis is a seasoned Brand Marketing & Communications Strategist with over a decade of experience driving marketing initiatives for national and regional brands in the real estate sector. As the current President of AMA New Jersey, she leads the chapter’s strategic direction, fostering collaboration and creating opportunities for professional growth within the marketing community.

Dr. Pettis has a proven track record of success, including leading the corporate communications and marketing operations for a privately held real estate company with $2 billion in assets. Her expertise spans brand strategy, digital marketing, public relations, and data-driven decision-making. She is passionate about creating culturally responsible marketing campaigns that align with organizational goals while enhancing stakeholder engagement and brand equity.

Her commitment to excellence is reflected in her academic achievements, including a Doctorate in Business Administration with a focus on integrating corporate socio-political activism into brand strategy and corporate brand communications. Recognized as a Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP®) and Professional Certified Marketer (PCM®), Dr. Pettis also holds certifications in social marketing and diversity leadership.

Dr. Pettis is dedicated to leveraging her expertise to elevate marketing standards, foster inclusivity, and inspire future marketing leaders.

Brian McHale

CEO Brandience

Passionate, hands-on leader, Brian McHale is the CEO and Owner of Brandience, he strongly believes that any true partnership is built on shared values, open dialogue, and a strong desire to push for new, innovative solutions. This philosophy drives his work with clients to reach branding and advertising goals. With experience spanning a variety of industries, geographies, and demographics, Brian leads his team in executing creative campaigns. Over the course of Brian’s career, he has partnered with many brands, using his eagerness to understand their goals and objectives to learn, explore, and test ways to achieve the best marketing solutions. As someone who always has his eye on the next possible opportunity to grow, Brian has honed skills in helping regional brands grow to become super-regional or national brands. This growth can be attributed to Brian’s intuition and ability to know when brands should expand into new markets, advertising locations, and launch new products.

As the CEO of Brandience, Brian has built an award-winning agency over two decades focused on long-term client relationships and strategic creative. Prior to Brandience, he was President and Partner at Empower Media Marketing, Cincinnati’s largest media agency, for a decade. With a career of advertising and marketing leadership experience, his mantra of five rules to stay nimble drives him: only measure what’s meaningful, communicate openly but judiciously, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good, be able to sprint when necessary, and be ready for what’s next.

Recently, he’s leveraged his expertise as a juror for the Houston American Marketing Association’s (AMA) Crystal Awards, the largest AMA recognition program in the U.S., leading a strategic planning workshop for the Cincinnati AMA and as a panelist at the Houston AMA Marketing Edge 2024 event discussing scaling businesses through skills-based hiring and artificial intelligence (AI). His skills and successes have been recognized throughout his career, including Ad Age naming him a Media Maven and as a member of the prestigious Cincinnati Business Courier “40 Under 40.” Brian is deeply committed to the Cincinnati community, serving on the boards of Greater Cincinnati Sports Corporation, Cancer Support Community of Greater Cincinnati as well as non-profit business boards such as The Goering Center and the Cincinnati YPO. Brian has volunteered for a variety of organizations including the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired. Brian also serves on a number of privately held business boards. He is a Miami University of Ohio alumni.

Fabiana Castro

President, AMA Connecticut | Head of Global Marketing, Trusted Data Solutions

Alok Jain

Sr Director – CRM, Loyalty and Marketing Analytics

Alok Jain is a Senior CRM Director with over 15 years of experience driving customer engagement, retention, and revenue growth across healthcare, retail, and automotive sectors. Currently serving as Senior Director of CRM & Loyalty at West Marine, Alok leads multi-channel CRM strategies that have significantly boosted customer engagement, digital sales, and loyalty program performance. Prior to this, he spearheaded CRM and lifecycle marketing efforts at well known consumer retail brands, generating over $100M in incremental sales annually and transforming the company’s customer engagement strategies.

Throughout his career, Alok has been recognized for his innovative use of data-driven insights, marketing automation, and customer journey mapping to optimize campaign performance and enhance personalization at scale. His expertise in marketing automation and omnichannel strategy development has earned him multiple awards for marketing excellence and leadership.

Barbary Award Judges