Our Team
Learn more about the VAN LEUVEN Communications team – our experience, our specialties and our passion for what we do for our clients.
Diana Van Leuven | Principal
Diana Van Leuven’s marketing and public relations background of 17 years includes account management, leading integrated communications programs and implementing strategic business to business and business to consumer marketing programs. Her strength of public engagement and strategy facilitation enables her to help her clients formulate their ideal vision for their company delivering the best products and services for their customers. Her media relations experience in securing local, regional, national and international media placements help her client’s share their vision through consistent key messages. Her strategic planning experience provides a full circle approach to the public relations process generating sales through story placements enabling her clients to see results through recognition. Van Leuven works with several national and local retail and business to business clients as well as assisting many non-profit organizations with their communications needs.
As part of her public relations services for clients, she develops and implements communications strategies, including byline stories, international and national media coverage, press events, development of publicity materials and ongoing story pitching resulting in hundreds of media placements on an international, national and local basis. Before founding VAN LEUVEN Communications in November 2001, she worked for Weber Shandwick Worldwide, leading national account teams and launching the first broadband ready PCs for Compaq and producing the first webcasts for both MasterCard International’s Global Technology and Operations Division and Hewlett‐Packard’s Printing Division.
When Diana is not working she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children going hiking, swimming and biking.
Connect
Leah Almeling | Director, St. Louis
Leah Almeling represents clients locally, regionally and nationally as Director of the St. Louis office of VAN LEUVEN Communications. Leah oversees the client account management for Purina Small Animall, Mazuri, SWT Design, Gateway Greening and Missouri Humanities Council with communications strategy and proposal development, client account service, media pitching and coordination and social media management. Client highlights include coordinating a three-part story on Gateway Greening for the NBC TODAY Show, managing the Land O’Lakes Purina Feed “Rule the Roost” Facebook Sweepstakes, which garnered more than 11,000 fans for the page over 60 days, and assisting in the launch of Rolling Strong as a national company focusing on the professional driver’s health.
Leah graduated Summa Cum Laude from Missouri State University with a degree in public relations and a minor in journalism.
Leah loves playing recreational league sports of all kinds, sitting down with a good book, watching the Cardinals, spending time with her family and friends and hanging out in the great outdoors.
Connect
Hiliary Smith | Account Executive
Hiliary joined the VAN LEUVEN Communications team in February 2010 and specializes in strategic communications, media relations, external communications and social media. Hiliary has gained media attention for clients including Land O’ Lakes Purina Feed, Gateway Greening, SWT Design, Gateway Packaging and Missouri Humanities Council for product launches, programs and services, events and charitable giving. She also creates monthly newsletters for clients interviewing customers and writing product features and bylined articles.
Hiliary graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Honors College at Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in international marketing. She completed an internship with the American Cancer Society, supporting the Society’s communication efforts for Southwest Missouri through media relations, social networking, event planning and marketing. While at Missouri State, Hiliary volunteered her skills to various local nonprofits including Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, National Kidney Foundation, GYN Cancer Alliance, MS Society, Downs Syndrome Group of the Ozarks and Ozarks Marriage Matters. Hiliary was a member of Lambda Pi Eta, a communications honor society, and Phi Eta Sigma, honor society. She also spent time studying at Imperial College London in London, England, and at the University of Limerick in Ireland in 2009.
In her leisure time, Hiliary enjoys traveling, reading, running, volunteering and spending time with her family and friends.
Connect
Caitlyn Emmett | Account Executive
Caitlyn Emmett is the newest member to join the VAN LEUVEN Communications team in November of 2011 and specializes in photojournalism, strategic communications and social media.
Caitlyn graduated Cum Laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in photojournalism and a minor in Spanish. With a background in photojournalism, Caitlyn created, edited and produced several multimedia pieces that combine audio, still images and video such as The Missouri Monk. A project that took an inside look at what it is like to be the only Cambodian Buddhist Monk in Missouri. Caitlyn believes that by hearing the voices of the subjects and seeing the actions and emotions within a video unfold, the viewer becomes captivated by the story and their experience is enhanced as the viewer feels they become more a part of the story.
Caitlyn previously worked with Rural Missouri magazine and the Columbia Missourian newspaper. As the 2011 summer intern with Rural Missouri magazine, Missouri’s largest print publication, she was responsible for covering and photographing stories throughout the state of Missouri and working with design staff for future issues. In addition, Caitlyn gained valuable experience at the Columbia Missourian newspaper in visual journalistic storytelling. Beginning as a staff writer and progressing to a staff photographer and then staff editor, Caitlyn was responsible for creating daily content that included sporting events, daily news and human interest stories.
When Caitlyn is not working she enjoys curling up with a good book, spending time with family and friends, working out and enjoying the outdoors.