Kathy Townend Named 2026 Volunteer of the Year by the American Marketing Association
CHICAGO, IL / AGILITYPR.NEWS / April 23, 2026 / Contact: Amy Gwiazdowski, agwiazdowski@ama.org
Kathy Townend Named 2026 Volunteer of the Year by the American Marketing Association
Kathy is a long-standing member of the AMA San Diego Chapter and a played a key role in the chapter’s success and community impact
Chicago, IL—The American Marketing Association (AMA) is excited to announce Kathy Townend of the AMA San Diego Chapter as the 2026 Ric Sweeney Professional Chapter Volunteer of the Year award winner! This award recognizes and rewards outstanding professional chapter leaders whose contributions have added significantly to the AMA’s goals.
Kathy is a senior marketing and product leader known for shaping high‑impact go to market strategies, strengthening brands, and guiding cross-functional teams to deliver meaningful business results. She thrives in highly regulated B2B environments where she brings deep experience in product marketing, brand strategy, and commercial execution. Kathy is recognized for her collaborative, people first leadership and her ability to simplify complexity and turn market opportunities into actionable plans. Based in Encinitas, she leads with integrity, curiosity, and a commitment to building marketing functions that elevate brands and drive long term impact. Kathy is the Co-Vice President of Membership and Volunteer Management for the AMA San Diego Chapter.
“Congratulations to Kathy for her continuous work and amplification of the AMA San Diego Chapter. Kathy’s leadership, commitment, and dedication are unsurpassed, and I’m pleased to honor her with the distinction of AMA’s 2026 Volunteer of the Year,” said Bennie F. Johnson, CEO of AMA. “Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your incredible talent with AMA, for your support of our chapter members, and for being a leader in our marketing community. You exemplify what it truly means to be a volunteer and marketing leader.”
Nick Hofer, AMA San Diego’s current President, stated in the nomination, “Kathy Townend represents the very best of what AMA San Diego stands for. Her experience, steady leadership, and forward-thinking mindset have helped shape our chapter into one of the strongest in the country. Kathy is the rock of this association—the person who keeps us grounded while always pushing us to grow and improve. Our chapter, our volunteers, and the entire marketing community in San Diego are stronger because of her commitment and passion. She truly deserves this recognition as Volunteer of the Year.”
We also want to honor to recognize this year’s finalists, all of whom have undoubtedly made an impact on the AMA community. Please join us in saluting this incredible class of community builders and givers.
- Susan Campbell—AMA Kansas City
- Loki Higa—AMA Las Vegas
- Andy Noller—AMA Cincinnati
- Mandy Peterson—AMA Lincoln
- Jason Revzon—AMA New York
This award was named in honor of Ric Sweeney, former AMA Chairman of the Board, former Professional Chapters Council President, former Cincinnati Chapter President, and member of the AMA since 1996. For more information about the award and past winners, please visit AMA.org.
Learn more about AMA and our amazing volunteer community at ama.org/volunteer/.
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About Us
About the American Marketing Association (AMA)
As the leading global professional marketing association, the AMA is the essential community for marketers. From students and practitioners to executives and academics, we aim to elevate the profession, deepen knowledge, and make a lasting impact. The AMA is home to five premier scholarly journals including: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of International Marketing, and Journal of Interactive Marketing. Our industry-leading training events and conferences define future forward practices, while our professional development and PCM® professional certification advance knowledge. With almost 70 chapters and a presence on 350 college campuses across North America, the AMA fosters a vibrant community of marketers.
The association's philanthropic arm, the AMA’s Foundation, is inspiring a more diverse industry and ensuring marketing research impacts public good. The AMA Foundation strengthens and elevates the marketing profession by advancing knowledge, building a global community of marketing leaders, and supporting marketing initiatives that drive innovation and societal impact.
AMA views marketing as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. You can learn more about AMA’s learning programs and certifications, conferences and events, and scholarly journals at AMA.org.
Contacts
Amy Gwiazdowski
VP, Communications
agwiazdowski@ama.community130 E. Randolph St., 22nd Floor, Chicago, 60601
Phone: 312-542-9076
https://www.ama.org/