ALCOA, Tenn. – Mary Beth West Communications, LLC, announced this week the addition of two new team members – Sarah Merrell as manager of digital media and production and Tonya Jelf as office coordinator.

Merrell brings nearly a decade of experience in marketing and business within a variety of industries to her role, working closely with clients to achieve results through website and social media development as well as production of various communications tools.

Merrell began her career as a financial analyst before transitioning into marketing management. She served as marketing manager for an outdoor gear manufacturer and retailer and most recently led the marketing department for Leisure Pools, the largest swimming pool manufacturer in the world.

She has worked as a freelance marketing consultant, event planner and public relations professional and has been responsible for the execution and publicity of several “Fashion Week” events, including Asheville Fashion Week, Chattanooga Fashion Week and Knoxville Fashion Week.

In 2007, Merrell earned an MBA from Western Carolina University and has since been named an alumni success story by the university. In 2013, Merrell was named one of Asheville, North Carolina’s “Top 40 under 40 Young Professionals.” Her work has been recognized by a number of national and regional publications including Capital at Play, SNEWS, Verve Magazine, the Citizen-Times and Asheville Grit.

Merrell’s board service as included the American Advertising Federation, the Western Carolina University MBA Advisory Board, the Asheville Affiliates and the Western North Carolina Nature Center. In her free time, Merrell serves as a fashion correspondent for WATE-TV and enjoys directing charity fashion events.

With a bachelor’s degree in English and more than 15 years in office administrative experience, Jelf’s background in office administration serves in her role overseeing internal office operations and scheduling, agency-account organizational research and media monitoring.

Previously, Jelf was an import broker and team lead for UPS Supply Chain Solutions in Louisville, Ky. While in Louisville, Jelf served on the board of the Louisville Poetry Guild and co-hosted a community television show recognizing local poets.

Before moving back to her home state of Tennessee, she served as office administrator for Key Electronics in Southern Indiana.

In her free time, Jelf enjoys writing and is a published poet. She also volunteers for Breaststrokes, an organization enabling breast cancer patients without medical insurance to pay their bills. She is an avid hiker and active in Knoxville’s arts and music scene.