Rob Whittle, CEO of Williams Whittle in Alexandria, received the Best Columnist Award for a weekly newspaper from the Society of Professional Journalists. The award was presented at a dinner at the National Press Club. Whittle, shown above, writes a general interest column for the Alexandria Times. This is the second year in a row he has won this award.

Folger Shakespeare Library in D.C. appointed Melanie Bender Martin as their first Director of Marketing & Communications Director.  She most recently served as the Chief Innovation Officer at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA), leading the Museum’s efforts in marketing, communications, visitor services, information technology, digital media and creative services. She joined the BMA from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., where she managed digital products and user research. Prior to the Holocaust Museum, Martin was the Director of Digital Products for Washingtonian Magazine. She teaches Applied Marketing Analytics in Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies and has taught courses in web design, production, and strategy at American University’s School of Communications.

Jenn Garbach joined PNC Financial Services Group as chief marketing officer. Previously, Garbach served as the head of marketing transformation and operations at PayPal. Before joining PayPal, she spent a decade with Capital One, where she held several leadership positions, including director of customer strategy, senior director of digital product management and product marketing management, vice president of small business card brand and acquisition marketing and vice president of consumer card marketing and customer analytics. At PNC, Garbach will lead a team of 200 marketing professionals focused on brand and line of business marketing, paid and social media, direct marketing and all digital marketing strategies. She will also oversee the bank’s relationship with Arnold Worldwide, which was recently announced as PNC’s integrated marketing and advertising agency of record. Based out of PNC’s Washington D.C. office, Garbach will report to Amanda Rosseter, PNC’s chief communications and brand officer.