The Nareit communications team welcomed two new staff members in June. Rachel Kerestes is vice president, marketing communications, and Diane Rusignola is senior director, editorial content.
Kerestes’ work at Nareit will include developing and implementing a comprehensive marketing plan and strategy, helping to continue to implement the REIT brand initiative for the REIT industry, and providing marketing counsel across the organization.
She joins Nareit after a successful tenure as vice president of external affairs at Lutheran Services in America—the nation’s largest nonprofit organization serving one in 50 Americans each year—where she was the organization’s senior most executive responsible for marketing, communications, and public affairs.
Prior to joining Lutheran Services in America, Kerestes was a principal at The Fratelli Group; strategy director at MiresBall; vice president of research at National Strategies, Inc.; managing director of the Council for Biotechnology Information at BIO; director of government relations at the Lupus Foundation of America; and director of policy and research at PhRMA.
Kerestes has been a spokesperson for both business and nonprofit groups alike and is a regular media commentator on brand, marketing, and advertising issues. She holds a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and an M.P.P. from Georgetown University. She can be reached at rkerestes@nareit.com.
In her new role at Nareit, Rusignola oversees the development, writing, and editing of all editorial content for the association’s print and online publications, including REIT magazine, Nareit Weekly e-newsletter, and all online and digital content.
Prior to joining Nareit, Rusignola was deputy editor at the National Association of Convenience Stores, where she helped guide the content, design consistency, and editing of NACS Magazine, and served as editor in chief of the NACS Daily e-newsletter. She previously served as associate publisher and managing editor at the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, and assistant editor at the Association of Corporate Counsel.
Rusignola received her M.S. in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University, and her B.A. in communication and political science from Villanova University. For the past 15 years, she has been an active member of Association Media & Publishing, serving on the nonprofit’s board of directors from 2011-2015, and rejoining in June 2018 as treasurer, and a member of the executive committee. She can be reached at drusignola@nareit.com.