Judges

The SoMe Awards are judged by industry experts.  Stay tuned for the unveiling of all the 2013 SoMe Awards Judges!

Cindy King

Cindy King is the Director of Editorial of Social Media Examiner, a leading social media resource with now over 200,000 subscribers. Cindy also has an extensive background abroad and also likes to share international stories on her personal blog.

Ric Dragon

Ric Dragon is the CEO and co-founder of DragonSearch, a digital marketing agency providing services to North-American companies and organizations. Dragon is also the author of Social Marketology from McGraw-Hill, as well as a regular writer for Marketing Land, Social Media Monthly, Social Media Today, and other publications and blogs. He is a frequent speaker at industry events such as Blog World, SMX, ReThink Conf, Brite Conf, Social Media Marketing World, and more.

Zena Weist 

Zena Weist is the Vice President of Strategy at Expion, a social business software firm. She is an integrated media strategist with over 20 years of executive leadership in online marketing on both the agency and brand side, providing digital communications and social media strategic counsel across a portfolio of Fortune 500 companies.
Zena has led award winning interactive teams at Edelman, H&R Block, Sprint, Hallmark and Embarq, providing leadership in online brand engagement, digital strategy, and integrated marketing communications. Her work has been featured in six business books and highlighted in the Harvard Business Review.

When her fingers aren’t on the keyboard, Zena is playing with her family of four active kids plus one adorable husband or trying to sneak in a run.

Brycie Jones

Brycie Jones has worked in social media on behalf of large organizations since 2007. She’s currently a member of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s new media team. Previously she managed Oregon Health & Science University’s social media strategy, working with colleagues from across the institution to establish a thriving network of channels for the Portland, Ore. academic health center. Brycie has also held roles in media relations and internal communications. A graduate of Whittier College, her current favorite social network is Goodreads.

Amber Naslund

Amber Naslund is a business strategist and the president of SideraWorks, a social business advisory firm she co-founded to help companies adapt their culture and operations to the demands of the social web.

Her professional expertise spans nonprofit management, corporate communications, marketing, professional services, and social business strategy. She’s successfully run multimillion dollar fundraising campaigns, built and led executive communication and professional services teams, and launched and grown international brands.

Amber is also the co-author of the best-selling social business book, The NOW Revolution. She speaks professionally about social business and strategy at dozens of industry conferences and private events every year.

Shashi Bellamkonda

Shashi Bellamkonda Speaker and Digital Marketing Expert is the Vice. President, Digital Marketing at The Bozzuto Group whose mission is to be “the best real estate company in America.” Bellamkonda is also Adjunct Professor  at the Georgetown University.

Bellamkonda has been featured and/or published in more than 15 books on Social Media. He is also an experienced speaker, serving as keynote at national and regional small business, communications and marketing conferences. In addition, he has received several awards and honors for his social media prowess, including being named one of Washingtonian’s Top 100 Tech Titans from 2009 through 2011, and being included as one of the 100 Small Business Influencer Champions in 2011 and 2012, by Small Business Trends.

Bellamkonda holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Public Administration, Sociology and Economics from Osmania University (India); a Diploma in Business Management from Indira Gandhi Open University (India); a degree in Hotel Management from the Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology (India); and has completed the Essentials of Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.