NEW ORLEANS – DEVENEY recently named Chief Financial Officer Chris Costello and Senior Account Executive Carrie DeVries, APR, as partners. The installation of the partner role, which was made at the firm’s annual strategic planning retreat in January, marks a significant milestone for the 21-year-old agency.
“As the agency grows, DEVENEY remains committed to making valuable investments to prepare our team and our clients for the best possible future,” said President John Deveney, ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA and IABC Fellow. “Our internal structure continues to evolve, and the addition of partner positions is an exciting next step in the future of those investments.”
The newly promoted duo represents leadership from the executive team and PR division. Costello joined the agency full time in 2005 and as CFO, he leads overall agency operations. He serves as the America’s region finance chair for WorldCom, a global PR agency, and his professional achievements in the industry were recently recognized when he was named a 2016 Money Maker by New Orleans CityBusiness.
DeVries joined the firm in 2012 and leads the agency’s LifeStyle practice area (tourism, travel and hospitality). A 12-year veteran of the communications industry, she serves as president of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL) New Orleans Chapter. DeVries has frequently been recognized for her leadership, hard work and dedication to the field. In 2015, she received her accreditation in PR (APR) and was honored as an Agency Awe Professional by PRNews. In 2016, she earned the distinction of PRAL-NOLA’s PR Practitioner of the Year and accepted the Individual Award of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter.