Rebecca Epperson

Rebecca Epperson, CEO and Founder of Chartwell Agency, has more than 30 years of corporate communications, public relations, and marketing experience with a variety of business-to-business, consumer-oriented and non-profit organizations in developing and implementing strategic communications programs on a local, regional, national and global basis.

In March 2017, Epperson was awarded the Women of Achievement in Business Award by the YWCA of Northwestern Illinois. In March 2016, Epperson was named as a person “Creating Momentum” in Rockford by the YMCA of Rock River Valley. In 2012, Chartwell was awarded the “Heart of Rockford” by the River District Association for outstanding commercial renovation. Additionally, in 2011, Epperson received the Chamber’s “Women Business Owner of the Year” and was also named as one of the “Twenty People You Should Know” in Rockford. In October 2008, Chartwell Agency (formerly PR Etc.) received the Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s “Small Business of the Year Award.”

Epperson has led the marketing and communications activities for a wide breadth of clientele including healthcare, education, technology (software, hardware, analysts), non-profit organizations, biotechnology, consumer products, legal services, food service, hospitality, retail, financial services, communitywide initiatives, city governments and manufacturing. Her experience includes a full spectrum of marketing initiatives, such as, strategic direction, planning/implementation, corporate and brand positioning, collateral development, press release creation, community affairs, crisis management, media relations, industry analyst relations, presentation and media-interview training, event and trade show coordination, and editorial services, among others.

Epperson holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism/public relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston.

She sits on the boards of Rockford Area Economic Development Council, Keith Country Day School, Rockford University, Anderson Japanese Gardens, and YWCA Northwestern Illinois Foundation.