Dianne Yost
dianne@ellencommunications.com

With 17 years of experience in public relations and communications, Dianne Lively Yost brings a seasoned career to work for a wide range of companies and organizations. With extensive corporate and agency experience, Yost’s areas of expertise are broad in scope – from basic public/media relations to public affairs to high-profile crisis management to marketing support and investor relations.

Yost was most recently a public relations manager with Madison, Georgia-based Avado Brands, Inc., a multi-concept restaurant company that generated more than $600 million in sales in 1999.  From 1995 until 2001, she directed myriad corporate and brand communications efforts for the Company and restaurant brands, including Canyon Cafe, Don Pablo’s Mexican Kitchen, Hops Restaurant ∙ Bar ∙ Brewery, McCormick & Schmick’s, Belgo Nieuw York and San Marzano.  Specifically, she handled all media relations, executive speech writing and web site management activities. Yost also supported investor relations efforts and spearheaded video productions as well as crisis program development and management.

Prior to joining Avado, Yost garnered more than a decade of experience with Atlanta-based Cohn & Wolfe.  While there, she managed national and regional public relations efforts for Columbus, Ga.-based AFLAC Incorporated, including high-profile media placements.  She led the highly successful efforts that launched Sara Lee’s 1996 Olympic licensing deal and was a consumer media relations manager for The Cola-Cola Company, implementing a number of significant programs such as the 1991 U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame sponsorship program and the 1991 Coca-Cola/Sony Pop Music promotion.  She also was an agency manager on the public affairs account for Georgians For Responsible Insurance Policy (GRIP) and the 1990 Goodwill Games.  From 1987 until 1988, Yost was the project manager for the multi-million dollar, New York City Film Festival award-winning “Festival of Lights” fireworks and laser show in Calgary, Alberta, Canada during the 1998 Olympic Winter Games.   While at Cohn & Wolfe, she also did public relations work for Bell South Advertising & Publishing, The Portman Companies, Home Depot, the Peach Bowl, Hasbro, the State of Georgia, Shell Oil, Dornier and others.

Yost is active in her Madison, Georgia community.  She currently serves as secretary for the Madison Downtown Business Council and she serves on the vestry of the Church of the Advent.  In 1997, she served as a secretary for Morgan County By Design, a preservation organization, and in 1996, she served as chairperson for Madison’s Olympic Torch Relay Committee. 

She resides in Madison with her husband and three children.