Mary Beth West Communications Announces McGinnis as COO, Timko as Director of Client Service

Alcoa, Tenn. — Mary Beth West Communications, LLC (MBWC), a public relations and digital communications firm based in Alcoa, Tenn., announced this week the addition of Randy McGinnis as chief operating officer and April Timko as director of client service.

McGinnis brings more than 30 years of experience as both a business owner and an operational executive, with much of his experience in federal government contracting, as well as crisis prevention and response operations.

With expertise in strategy, vision, and mission planning, his excellent business relationships extend throughout the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense.

Prior to joining MBWC, McGinnis served as founder and CEO of Echota Technologies Corporation, Inc., a multi-million dollar corporation that specialized in providing technology and consulting services combined with effective management of large-scale projects within the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, international commercial nuclear communities and private industry.

Echota was the largest 8(a) firm in the Greater Knoxville area before McGinnis sold the company in 2011. In 2009, McGinnis was awarded “Tennessee Small Business Person of the Year” by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and in 2008, his company was named Tennessee’s Minority Business of the Year. In 2006, he was awarded the U.S. Department of Defense’s prestigious Nunn-Perry Award.

McGinnis’ earlier career included special assignments and supervisory posts at the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Plant in Oak Ridge and at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Portsmouth, Ohio, supervising all plant operations personnel.

A Cherokee Native American (Deer Clan), McGinnis is well-known in East Tennessee as well as nationally as a Native American flute player, with numerous CDs released – from which he directs all proceeds go to charity – and a winner in 2010 of the Native American Music Awards. He serves on the board of the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend, Tenn., where he also founded the Smoky Mountain Flute Circle.

Timko is responsible for managing marketing, public relations and digital communications campaigns and projects for MBWC clients, ensuring all work is communicated and executed on time and within budget, according to the strategic direction of each campaign.

With her experience in account management as well as project and production supervision, April is skilled at listening and leading to achieve strategic communications results above and beyond clients’ expectations.

Timko comes to MBWC with more than a decade of agency experience including Knoxville-based Shelton Group and BOHAN. She has worked with a variety of national clients and brands such as Grainger, Kohler, Johnson & Johnson, Boeing, Weis Markets, Food City and numerous utilities such as Ameren, FirstEnergy and Vectren. She’s earned a reputation as someone who can bring together and execute a communications plan with discipline and creativity.

Now celebrating 11 years in business, Mary Beth West Communications, LLC, specializes in strategic public relations, digital communications and reputation management programs to reach client sales objectives and other financial, business development and advancement goals.