WHO WE ARE Our Story
MeShae Hankerson, Acct. Exec. / Visual CommunicationsA graduate of Georgia Southern University, MeShae was able to pinpoint her passion for sports and PR early and was determined to break into the business. MeShae has worked with the Georgia Southern University Athletics Department, as well as the Atlanta Beat Women's Professional Soccer Team. An act of fate and effective social networking led her to LaTonya and LPS. Starting as an intern, she now serves as an account executive for LPS, as well as the visual communications specialist. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and also acts as a youth mentor in Atlanta and her hometown of Waynesboro, Georgia.
CEO LaTonya P. Story began her public relations career in 2000 serving as Director of Public Relations for the Allen Iverson Celebrity Summer Classic in Hampton, VA. She continued in this capacity until 2001 when she began serving as publicist to New Orleans Saints Quarterback, Aaron Brooks for 2001-2002 NFL seasons. She used her New Orleans media contacts and experience to become the Media Relations Coordinator for the Marshall Faulk Celebrity Golf Tournament for Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans. While attending the Super Bowl festivities, she met Samuel McNabb, father to Eagles' Pro Bowl quarterback, Donovan McNabb of the newly formed National Football Players Father's Association whom she has represented for the past decade. Through her business, LPS Consulting PR, LaTonya has represented Model/TV Personality Toccara Jones, Mike Peterson (Atlanta Falcons), Curtis Lofton (Atlanta Falcons), Mike Adams (Cleveland Browns), Dominic Rhodes (Indianapolis Colts), Gerald Hayes (Arizona Cardinals), The National Football Players Fathers Association (NFPFA), DJ Traci Steele (V103 On-Air Personality & DJ for Musiq Soulchild) and currently Celebrity Photographer Derek Blanks, along with Ellis Hobbs(Philadelphia Eagles). Past clients have included NFL Players Raheem Brock, Pro Bowl KR/WR, Joshua Cribbs, Torrie Cox, The Napoleon Harris Foundation, Ray Edwards, Chris Baker and Jerome Bettis Celebrity Bowling Fundraiser during Super Bowl XL in Detroit. LaTonya is an active member of the African-American Public Relations Collective (AAPRC), National Association of Black Sports Professionals (NABSP) and National Association of Black Females in Music & Entertainment (NABFEME). She lends her talents to community organizations such as the Hampton Roads Youth Foundation and the American Cancer Society's Determination Comittee, as well as sitting on Committees for The Warrick Dunn Family Foundation and Big Kidz Foundation (founded by Outkast member Big Boi). Companies such as CarMax, have called upon her services for two of the dealer Grand Openings. Ms. Story is happy to add to her resume Contributing Author to the highly successful series, Souls of My Young Sisters, sharing her personal story of triumph over adversity and courage to rise above. She received her education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA majoring in Professional Communications. LaTonya currently resides in Atlanta, GA.
Jeanine Smith, Acct. Exec. / Brand StrategistJeanine Smith is a result oriented professional with a diverse background and proven track record for quickly building rapport and personal branding on an enterprise basis. She is a self-starter with strong sales, marketing, and relationship management acumen, which has provided immediate value, adding to both internal and external customer relations. She has consistently been recognized as a fast learner with a passion to grow and contribute along side strategic organization goals and objective. A major highlight of Jeanines career was being selected 1 out of 900 applicants to work for The Oprah Winfrey Show where she specialized in Human Resources and Event Planning as the Executive Assistant to the Senior Vice President of Human Resources. In 2008 she increased her brand management experience by interning for Vienna Beef Company were her organizational goal was to increase brand awareness; resulting in a 50% increase in sales. Ultimately, as an established Account Executive she is striving to increase her 2011 efforts in sports and entertainment public relations. Jeanine received her Bachelors of Science from DePaul University with a major in Marketing and a concentration in Sales Leadership. Originally from Chicago, IL, Jeanine now resides in Atlanta, GA.
LaToria Spencer, Acct. Exec.Latoria Spencer is a graduate of the University of Georgia. She has a degree in Broadcast News and a minor in Womens Studies. While at UGA, Latoria participated in many extracurricular and volunteer activities, which included reporting for NewSource 15, a local student-run news station, and tutoring at risk youth. Also while at UGA, Latoria became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Latoria met LaTonya Story, a sports publicist, during the summer of 2008 while interning at V-103 on The Frank and Wanda morning show; she soon started interning for Ms Story. She worked with her on The Deshawn Snow foundation camp for young girls. Latoria soon realized what she was destined to do and her passion for public relations blossomed. Latoria is highly committed to this industry and looks forward to growing as a successful sports and entertainment publicist.
Kayla Osborne, InternA senior and soon-to-be graduate of the public relations sequence at Florida A&M University, Kayla currently serves as a public relations intern with LPS. Since the summer of 2010, she has worked alongside LaTonya and helped with the planning and execution of the Mike Peterson Foundation 2010 Celebrity Weekend in Atlanta, Ga. and has also assisted in the planning and execution of many other LPS initiatives. Kayla is active in several on-campus organizations and serves as a public relations liaison for those organizations.
WHAT WE DO Our Services
Leadership & Social Responsibility Advocate After 11 years in sports and entertainment public relations, LPS Consulting PR sees the need to help collegiate players avoid the pitfalls that many professional athletes are currently facing. Taking the lead to help collegiate athletes become leaders today in order for them to be effective leaders tomorrow, LPS will embark on collegiate workshops to include media training for athletes and social media responsibiltiy. Apart of the LPS Social Responsibility initiative includes a new definition of PR which will stand for Purpose & Responsibility. After years of helping professional athletes, LaTonya realized that she was missing out on her own purpose and responsibility. Everyone has a plan, purpose and destiny for their lives and often times our career choices and life purpose do not align. Through her Circle of Inspiring People, she will help to encourage and inspire others learn the purpose of LIVING FOR WHAT MATTERS. Career Development In an effort to help guide new and aspiring Sports PR Professionals in their career aspirations, LPS will hold quarterly workshops to give tips, information and support on the REAL behind the scenes scoop of being Sports Publicists. These workshops will cover topics on how to begin in sports, proper etiquette, working with the media, how to secure and retain clients and insight on working with team, league or agencies. LPS Consulting PR will launch quarterly PR workshops. Stay tuned for more details!
