Josianne W. Pennington, one of the principals of the firm, has been running her own marketing and event company, Pennington & Associates for six years. Projects include developing a one year strategic marketing plan for a new health care company, helping to design a unique women's conference series for a health education company, developing a ground breaking seminar series for a New York financial firm and developing a new marketing strategy for two innovative lifestyle companies. Before starting her own firm Josianne managed international and domestic financial seminars for a global publishing company. This was a multi-million dollar division, which experienced significant growth under her supervision. In addition to designing marketing plans, selecting speakers and sites, negotiating travel and accommodation contracts, she also serves as the master of ceremonies for many of the meetings.
Josianne was a featured guest on the cable TV show "Money Talks," and was featured and quoted in articles in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and Baltimore Magazine. Her previous experience includes Communications Director for The American Heart Association, Assistant Marketing Director of American Security Bank and in new business development for Time Inc. in New York. She brings over twenty five years of marketing and management experience to Full Bloom.
In her spare time she is President of the Board of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Maryland Affiliate and runs art, cooking and wine tours twice a year to Italy.
Andrea Farnum, the other principal of Full Bloom has an accomplished career as a caterer, event planner and food and entertaining writer. She began her food career in New York fifteen years ago with a successful cottage catering business called The Sweet Tomato. After moving to Baltimore in 1995, she followed with a three year stint at The Classic Catering People, and then created her own independent corporate event and wedding planning business.
She has planned or catered several noteworthy events including: The 100th Episode of the television show Homicide for 1000 guests, The Baltimore Sun's Pulitzer Prize Winner Celebration for 400 guests (put together in 48 hours), and a Goldman Sachs/Johns Hopkins Symposium on Minority Achievement.
She also works with famed chef, cookbook author and restaurateur, John Shields, as his right hand. She conceived and developed the catering division of John's restaurant, Gertrude's at The BMA, and has turned it into a successful, thriving business. In fall 2005, she will star, as John's sidekick - the Kitchen Goddess- on his upcoming PBS show, Coastal Cooking with John Shields, which will air nationwide.
Andrea's food column, The Kitchen Goddess, as well as other feature articles appear in Smart Woman magazine. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and performs fund-raising for numerous local charities.
