Maureen McFadden

Maureen 'Mo' McFadden is owner of McFadden & McFadden P.R. based in Santa Barbara. The public relations firm, which opened its doors in 1992, specializes in working closely with arts, non-profits, food & beverage, health & human services, environmental and entertainment companies to create an overall image and/or design a PR campaign for a specific event. Loving the work she does is a big part of her success. Starting with a focus in entertainment, and events the firm shifted to flex with the economy and has a good track record with non-profits for long-term PR planning, capital campaigns and community outreach. McFadden has worked on both sides of the P.R. fence - as a writer and press agent - giving her a highly qualified approach in presenting stories to the media. Maureen won an Independent Theatre Award for her groundbreaking work in publicizing the Santa Barbara Performing Arts League in its first five years. Jim Sirianni of Rincon Broadcasting awarded her "Best PR Person" and editor/publisher of LifeBitesNews.com Bonnie Carroll also recognized her for her PR work. Prior to moving up to Santa Barbara in 1989 from L.A., she wrote for The Hollywood Reporter, served as Senior Account Executive in the TV department at Rogers & Cowan and as the trade paper liaison at Hanson & Schwam. At the latter firm, she handled PR duties for Julie Andrews, Blake Edwards, composer Jerry Goldsmith, writer/director/producer Jimmy Komack, and author Harold Robbins. At Rogers & Cowan she handled TV accounts: "Gimme A Break," "Hour Magazine," and "Mr. Belvedere" along with countless pilots that never made it on the air. Mo toured the U.S. & Canada with her first husband a professional truck driver, in a 44-foot semi for two years on rock 'n roll tours (1981-1982) with Stevie Wonder, The Moody Blues, Loverboy & Bryan Adams, The Tubes, and Kenny Rogers. Her CB handle was "The Shutterbug." 10-4 good buddy. Together, they crisscrossed the U.S. 17 times, and one tour across Canada, from Halifax to Vancouver, with the Canadian bands. It was a great experience to be on touring shows like these with so many moving parts and to be able to see the U.S. and Canada from the passenger seat of a big truck, she has a trunk loaded with photos from the tours. While living in New York City, pursuing a career in the theatre, she worked for the U.S. manager of Monty Pythons Flying Circus for the troupe's Broadway debut "Live at City Center" in 1975 and continued to work for that manager until landing a job at one of NYC's great cabaret's "The Bottom Line" where she worked for the club owners and left after a few years when she got an offer to work at High Times Magazine where she was executive assistant to the rebel founder/publisher/EIC Thomas King Forçade. Met some amazing people on this job and was given a lot of responsibility. Those were high times! McFadden grew up outside Philadelphia, where she studied theatre and became a member of the acting company at Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley (1970-73) and worked at Manning Street Theatre in Philadelphia where she portrayed Iphegenia in playwright David Rabe's "The Orphan" with actor Thomas Hulce as Orestes (Mozart in 'Amadeus' on Bdwy & film). She studied numerous dance forms - classical, jazz, tap & acrobatics - for more than 20 years. Mo was named "Best Dancer" in her H.S. graduating class. Dance is what gave her the discipline to be the business owner she is today.