Kathleen Smarilli, M&AMI

Kathleen (Katie) Smarilli is the President and CEO of Smarilli Strategic Partners, a Pennsylvania Business Advisory firm. Katie is also CFO and co-owner of Smarilli Marketing Communications, a successful branding and communications consulting company, which she co-founded in 1984. Katie is a successful leader with significant knowledge in the financial services, distribution, manufacturing, construction, service and not-for-profit sectors. Katie is a master intermediary and has negotiated and closed numerous transactions. In her consulting roles, Katie has extensive experience in growing revenue and maximizing profitability while delivering the highest quality service, and has a proven track record of helping businesses grow market share and improve brand awareness. With more than 40 years of business leadership experience, Katie brings a high degree of integrity and personal touch to all of her efforts.

Prior to her investment banking experience, Katie was President of Wachovia Bank’s seven county Central Pennsylvania market. Katie led the $3 billion bank in South Central Pennsylvania to remarkable results, with annual revenues of over $185 million. Katie’s career in finance included leadership roles at BNY/Mellon, Fulton Bank and PNC Bank in Central Pennsylvania.

Katie held senior executive roles throughout her thirty-plus year banking career with the hallmarks of her tenure being the mentoring and growth of key industry leaders, outstanding customer satisfaction, increased employee engagement, and continuous growth of revenue and net profit, as well as heightened community presence.

Katie is a graduate of Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania. She is past President of the Penn State Alumni Association and an honorary lifetime member of the Penn State Harrisburg Board of Advisors. She has been honored as an Alumni Fellow, Penn State’s most prestigious alumni award. In addition, Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Business honored Katie as its Distinguished Business Leader. Katie also served on the search committee for the 18th President of Penn State University, Eric J Barron.

Katie has a wealth of expertise in both leading and serving on Boards of Directors. She is currently involved with the following organizations:

• Board Member, Penn Medicine/LGH System and Hospital Board of Trustees and Vice Chair of the Finance committee and member of the Governance committee
• Member, Pennsylvania Chamber of Business of Industry Board of Directors, and Vice Chair of the PCI Insurance Board
• Member, Women Presidents’ Organization, Lancaster Chapter
• Past Board Member, Diakon Lutheran Ministries DFL Board of Directors
• Past Board Member, Penn Medicine/Lancaster General Hospital Foundation Trustees and Executive committee, immediate past board chair

Click to visit Katie’s LinkedIn page. 

James Smarilli

James (Jim) Smarilli is co-owner, CEO, and president of Smarilli Marketing Communications, a marketing, consulting, brand identity, and design firm based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Jim’s industry expertise is broad and varied, and includes healthcare, insurance, consumer products, manufacturing and distribution, and financial services. His work has been recognized with many industry awards.

Founded in 1984, Smarilli Marketing Communications specializes in helping clients solve a wide variety of communication challenges, specifically the development of branding and corporate identity systems, and the marketing tools necessary to successfully compete in today’s marketplace.

Smarilli Marketing Communications helps clients meet and exceed their marketing objectives with strategically driven solutions that communicate in ways that best influence customers, employees, investors, and the financial community.

The company provides a wide range of corporate design and communication services, including:

• Communications Analysis
• Strategic Marketing Communications Planning
• Corporate Identity and Branding Development
• Nomenclature Systems
• Name Development
• Financial & Corporate Communications
• Internet Strategies & Web Design
• Packaging & Point-of-Purchase
• Environmental Graphics & Signage
• Information Architecture

Jim is a graduate of Penn State University with a BFA in Design.