With more than 20 years experience on both coasts, Marijane Funess brings a strategic public relations and media placement specialty to theONswitch. She is currently managing media relations, corporate speaking engagements, and press interviews for clients in the real estate, green living, non-profit, arts, food, technology, professional services, education, parenting, fitness, and health categories.

Her track record securing regional and national coverage for clients of theONswitch encompasses both “bricks-and-mortar” media as well as web-based coverage. She has recently secured coverage for clients in the food & beverage, spa and new products categories with various media including: Everyday with Rachael Ray and Woman’s Day magazines as well as Good Morning America. Marijane consistently garners coverage for Yonkers real estate client, MetroPartners in local press as well as the New York Times, and the New York Post. Other recent press successes include client interviews with the New York Enterprise Report and the Wall St. Journal.

Her experience securing local coverage for clients of theONswitch is near perfect, with media mentions for clients in virtually all the local media (usually within a 3-month timeframe). She regularly places Westchester business owners, non-profit executives, artists, and personalities in top county media including NewsChannel12, RNN TV, Westchester Magazine and all the local newspapers from the Scarsdale Inquirer, Mt. Kisco Examiner and Rivertowns Enterprise to the Journal-News and Shoreline Publications.

Prior to joining theONswitch in 2005, Funess consulted for many major public relations firms including Cohn & Wolf, Chandler-Chicco, Edelman Worldwide, and Ruder Finn. Her work included assignments in health care, banking and prescription drugs. This followed eight years with Burson-Marsteller in Los Angeles and New York, where she was responsible for brand assignments and new product launches for Hunt-Wesson, Suzuki Motorcycles, Bell Atlantic, Kodak and Sears.

Funess began her career as a book publicist, placing prominent authors like Danielle Steele, Joan Didion and Margaret Atwood on media and lecture tours. Following a five-year publishing stint, Funess opened her own boutique agency in Los Angeles, MJPR. MJPR was ultimately acquired by Ogilvy & Mather Los Angeles where Funess became a VP in the consumer division with a specialty in creative media strategy. For clients including General Foods and Polaroid, Marijane helped train corporate spokespeople for trade and media appearances. When she is not busy “securing 15 minutes of fame” for theONswitch clients, Marijane is involved in fundraising for The Picture House Foundation.