Tammy Snook
Founder and President

Tammy has 25 years experience in the high-tech industry, representing some of the world's largest telephony, cable, streaming media, e-commerce, hardware and software companies. She has extensive experience in all aspects of public relations and marketing/branding, including strategic planning, key message development, media management, industry analyst relations, regulatory and crisis communication.   She has also served as chief spokesperson for major companies including the world's largest media and entertainment company's leap into digital interactive television.  

She has been quoted in many high-profile national and international media outlets including USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg Business News, Time Magazine, New York Times, LA Times, London Times, CNN, CNBC, NHK, RAI, BBC, NPR, Globo TV, San Jose Mercury News, The Red Herring, CED Magazine, Multichannel News, Broadcasting & Cable, Convergence Investor, Communications Technology and many others.

Prior to launching HighTech Public Relations, Inc., Tammy was regional director of corporate communications at MediaOne (now Comcast). She served as chief spokesperson for the company's National Markets Group, comprised of a nine-state area. Her primary focus was directing all internal and external communications for the company's offering of bundled digital cable, telephony and high-speed data services, including the industry's first high-speed Internet service which was featured in USA Today.  

Just prior, Tammy served as chief spokesperson and vice president of corporate communications for Time Warner Cable's digital interactive television trial -the Full Service Network. She created strategic communications plans for the company’s employee communications, economic development, crisis communication, public policy and community relations efforts. She also represented the company at numerous major speaking engagements during that time. Most notably, she spoke alongside then Time Warner President Gerald Levin, to the Federal Trade Commission in the wake of the Turner/Time Warner merger approval process.

Earlier, Tammy was director of public affairs for GTE (now Verizon), overseeing its employee communications, media relations, community relations, economic development, and public policy advocacy in its Florida markets. She also served as presidential speechwriter and chief spokesperson.

Tammy earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida in communications in 1981.   She completed the Fuqua School of Business in Competitive Telecommunications Strategies at Duke University in 1990.   She has received numerous awards for achievements in public relations, including the coveted Beacon Award from the Cable Public Affairs Association, and the Golden Globe from the Public Relations Society of America.

In addition to Founder and President of HTPR, Inc., Tammy serves as VP-Corporate Communications for SeaChange International.

John Coulbourn
Vice President

Vice President John Coulbourn is an impassioned communications expert who has consulted with many of the technology and media companies at the eye of “convergence.”  With a focus on positioning and market awareness, John helps technology companies create clear distinction.  Formerly communications director of SeaChange International, he and his team built the awareness of the on-demand system leader in North America, Europe and Asia.  He has held senior positions at Weber and Miller Shandwick, two of the hottest PR Agencies in high-technology. 

John has been recognized by the cable marketing association (CTAM) for his efforts in promoting on-demand TV, where he worked alongside senior marketers from companies such as: Comcast, Time Warner, Disney, MTV, News Corp. and Motorola.

John has recently worked closely with Verivue, a formidable VC-backed company building new integrated switch/server solutions for the onslaught of video services over IP networks.  He worked with Yankee Publishing, the venerable New England brand, to navigate changes in media, including social networking and video strategies.  He has captured coverage in media worldwide, including BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and various business and consumer TV programs. 

John is an adjunct professor of communications at Endicott College.  He also serves as co-chair of the Sustainability Forum in Boston’s North Shore region.  He has an MS in Communications from Boston University and a BS from the University of Rochester. 

Michael Vernetti
Vice President

Michael Vernetti has been practicing telecommunications PR, with a strong emphasis on wireless, since 1993. He started with a Weber-Shandwick affiliate in Washington, DC, and transferred to his home turf in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996, eventually moving to a Hill & Knowlton technology subsidiary, Blanc & Otus. He has been an independent PR consultant since 2004.

Michael has led positioning, launch and brand management for more than 20 telecommunications companies, including the launch of the nation’s 1st digital cellular (PCS) network Global One alliance of Sprint, France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom. Michael has represented new and early-stage technology companies including Sygate Technologies, Visage Mobile, Healthia, Availigent and CellJournalist.com, as well as other established companies such as Compaq Telecom, Concert, Clarent Corp., Innomedia, Solid Information Technologies, the WAP Forum, McKinsey & Co., Sorrento Networks, TeleCorp PCS, Bionova, DBS Industries, Western Multiplex, LGC Wireless, Atrionix and EndoTex Interventional Systems, Inc.

Providing background for his field of expertise, Michael served as Senior Vice President of PCIA, a wireless telecom trade association, and as a government relations executive for Pacific Telesis Group, both in DC. He began his career as a reporter for daily newspapers and the Associated Press, and moved to Washington as press secretary to the late U.S. Senator Howard Cannon of Nevada.

Michael has written two books, a biography of Sen. Cannon (Senator Howard Cannon of Nevada: A Biography), and a revisiting of the controversial prosecution of former Federal Judge Harry Claiborne (Lies Within Lies: The Betrayal of Nevada Judge Harry Claiborne).

Michael has an MA in Telecommunications Policy from George Washington University, an MA in English from California State University, and a BA in English from Saint Mary’s College of California.