UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Three Penn State alumni were recognized for their career accomplishments in advertising/public relations and presented with awards by the Ad/PR Alumni Network Board this week.
Nominations for the awards were drawn from Bellisario College alumni, faculty/staff and members of the network. The three recipients were recognized during a midday awards luncheon. They are:
Outstanding Alumni, Advertising
Kelly Gallagher, a vice president at Ketchum, earned her bachelor’s degree from Penn State in 2014. She also earned a master’s degree at Northwestern University and participates in mentoring programs at both universities.
Gallagher, who emphasizes authenticity and storytelling to help brands connect with audiences, has been with Ketchum since 2022 and is based in Chicago. Previously, her career path included opportunities at agencies as well as in-house positions, working with companies like Allen & Gerritsen, Havas Formula, Ogilvy and Ulta Beauty.
Outstanding Alumni, Public Relations
Adam D. Pietrala, a partner at FleishmanHillard, earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State in 2004. Based in New York City, he is part of the agency’s global business development and marketing team, where he leads new business efforts.
Pietrala is skilled at leveraging data and culture to develop insights and ideas that drive audiences to action. His work has been recognized with a Cannes Lion as well as Silver Anvil, SABRE, Big Apple and PR Week awards.
He has experience with major global brands and companies across a range of industries, including Bayer Consumer Health, JP Morgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks and others. He is a frequent guest lecturer on campus.
Lifetime Achievement Award
T.J. Brightman, senior vice president/chief revenue officer for the Baltimore Orioles, earned his bachelor’s degree at Penn State in 1991. He has more than 30 years of industry experience, specializing in sports marketing through relationships with Major League Baseball and the NFL, including his tenure with radio and television companies, Infinity Broadcasting and CBS.
With the Orioles, Brightman focuses on revenue generation and business operations, such as ticket and corporate sales, in-park assets, digital media, radio and hospitality for the team’s operations at Camden Yards in Baltimore and Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Beyond baseball, Brightman uses his outside industry experience and relationships to support Orioles Entertainment by luring major concerts, including Sir Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen, and other events that support driving tourism to downtown Baltimore and creating local economic impact for the city and state of Maryland.
Before rejoining the Orioles (he originally served as a vice president sales and sponsorship from 2003 to 2005), Brightman was president of A. Bright Idea Advertising and PR, the coast-to-coast advertising and public relations agency his wife Anita founded and owns. The Brightmans have two adult children — Maddie, a Bellisario College graduate who works as a content producer for ESPN, and Parker, a professional actor living in Los Angeles.
The Ad/PR Alumni Network Board, a group of alumni chartered by the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, focuses on the networking of alumni and professionals in the fields of advertising, public relations, community relations and marketing. In addition, the group serves as a resource for the Bellisario College, its faculty and students.