“Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.”

–Kahlil Gibran

Sara M. Vance Waddell

Sara brings to the table over 32 years of Media Buying and Planning experience. The owner/president of SMV Media, a media management company, Vance has handled many local accounts including, The Cincinnati Art Museum, Newport on the Levee, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Summerfair Cincinnati, and consults with several local advertising agencies. Her expertise also includes marketing and creative strategy.

Vance's career began at Fahlgren in 1985 where she was responsible for media planning and buying for clients such as McDonalds Restaurants (Dayton, Lima, Columbus, South Carolina and Lexington), Donnelly Directory/Cincinnati Bell Yellow Pages, and RE/MAX (Cincinnati/Dayton). As Media Director at Krienik Advertising, she handled the Barleycorn's Saloons and Riverboats, Subway Sandwiches, and Down Lite Intl., accounts. Other account experience includes Pizza Hut, Donato's Pizza, Henry Fischer Builder and Meijer Stores. Vance began her media management company in 1994.

Sara attended Morehead State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, with an emphasis in public relations/advertising, graduating Cum Laude in 1984. She was a member of the Board Of Directors for the Advertising Club of Cincinnati from 1985-1992. Vance was the recipient of the “Rookie of the Year” in 1987. Sara has been inducted into the 1999 edition of Who's Who of Entrepreneurs.

Sara’s current Board commitments include The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Board as incoming President, Ohio Citizens for the Arts as Secretary, Artworks as Trustee Emeritus, Arts Midwest, Cancer Family Care as Lifetime Trustee, the Ohio Advisory Group and The National Advisory Board for the National Museum of Women in the Arts in D.C., a member of the Modern Women’s Fund Committee for the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Acquisition’s chair for the Neuberger Museum of Art in New York. Her previous board commitments include Appointment to the Ohio Arts Council (2010-2014) by former Governor Ted Strickland, The Contemporary Arts Center as Vice President, the Cincinnati Art Museum as Acquisitions Chair, The Neuberger Museum of Art in New York as Acquisitions Chair, Enjoy the Arts, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, The March of Dimes, The Ronald McDonald House Charities and Equality Cincinnati.

Vance has received the House Advocate Award in 2005 from the Ronald McDonald House, the Heart for the Arts Award in 2007 from Learning Through Art, the 2009 Champions for Children Award from 4C for Children, Justin Friedman Presidents Award from Cancer Family Care in 2011, Cancer Family Care’s Heart Award for Distinguished Service and the Civic Leadership Award from Venue Magazine, Class of 2011. Selected Enquirer Woman of the Year, 2010.

Sara’s hobbies include boxing, wine and contemporary art collecting. She served as a wine judge for the Cincinnati International Wine Festival for 10 years.

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