MarketInk: Jean Walcher sells agency to longtime colleague Sandy Young

A few years ago, during Sandy Young’s previous 16 years working for San Diego public relations agency J. Walcher Communications, agency founder Jean Walcher and Young had a private conversation.

According to Young, “Jean said to me, ‘When I’m ready to not be owner of the agency, I would like you to be owner if you are interested.’ I was extremely honored to be considered. I said ‘yes,’ and here we are today.”

This past summer, Young, previously the agency’s VP, acquired 100% ownership of the PR agency and was named CEO and owner, overseeing agency operations and strategic leadership.

In late October, a press release announced, “Jean Walcher names long-time employee Sandy Young as new owner.” 

“The official handover was effective June 1,” Young told Times of San Diego. “We focused on the transition itself over the summer and then developed a marketing plan to get the news out in the fall.”

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“It has been a whirlwind of a journey the past few months to step into Jean’s shoes and leading all sides of the operation,” said Young, who believes she is San Diego’s only Asian PR agency woman owner.

Jeans mother, San Diego PR legend Laura Walcher, founded her PR agency in 1974. At the time, Walcher was believed to be the first woman in San Diego’s marketing history to own a PR agency.

Jean began her PR career working for her mom before moving to New York to work for several PR agencies, including Ruder Finn & Rotman. She then spent eight years in Los Angeles working in film production and development and served five years as VP of marketing and PR for the American Council on Exercise. She founded her agency in 2001.

The agency now has four full-time employees, including Young, and also works with a half-dozen independent contractors.

“I’m honored to continue building on the legacy of that Jean and Laura Walcher have created,” Young said. “Our team and clients are a testament to their dedication and impact embedded in our work ethic.”

Young, 42, a native of Sacramento, arrived in San Diego in 2002 to attend UC San Diego, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communication and a minor in literature-writing. She also studied abroad at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge in Film Studies and Italian Renaissance Art.

She has 21 years of experience working in PR. Her areas of expertise include PR and marketing strategy, writing-editing, media relationship building, community partnerships, crisis communications and media training. She has also served as a freelance writer, columnist and contributor for various media outlets.

She is a member of the national Public Relations Society of America’s Counselors Academy for senior public relations practitioners. In 2023, Young was named the “Deborah Baker PR Pro of the Year” by the PRSA’s San Diego-Imperial Counties Chapter, and made the San Diego Business Journal’s 2023 Asian Pacific Islander Leaders of Influence list.

According to Young, Jean is not retiring and will continue as an integral part of the agency, including consulting with clients and attracting new business. Jean also is active in the community as a member of the city of San Diego’s Commission for Arts and Culture.

“I’ve gotten so much satisfaction from running J. Walcher Communications for the last 24 years, and I look forward to seeing where Sandy takes it next,” said Jean in a statement. “She’s been an effective right-hand and has played a pivotal role in mentoring staff, cultivating long-standing client relationships and developing strategic communications and crisis management programs that have earned client and media respect and trust.”

Young said Laura Walcher “is still a source of advice and expertise. We call her our PR Fairy Godmother.”

The agency’s current and recent clients include Jewish Family Service of San Diego, Policy and Innovation Center, City Heights Community Development Corporation, Greystar, the Invictus Games San Diego 2029 bid, Civico 1845, Comic-Con Museum, MVE + Partners, Circulate San Diego, the #WelcomeWithDignity Campaign and Bazaar del Mundo restaurants and shops. 

Services include media relations and strategy, social and digital media, content creation, crisis communications, media training, digital optimization, award and speaking coordination, influencer relations, branding and graphic design and advertising. The agency has been included on Forbes’ “Best PR Agencies in America” list.  

San Diego AMA to discuss how AI is not replacing creativity

The American Marketing Association San Diego chapter will present a program titled, “The Future is Now: How AI (Artificial Intelligence) is Empowering, Not Replacing, Marketing Creativity,” starting at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center, 200 West Harbor Drive.

The speaker will be Mary Ann O’Brien, founder and CEO of OBI Creative. Her consulting firm has worked with many companies to steer their strategic direction, evolve their brand positioning and guide their marketing and communication efforts, the AMA said.

Discussion topics will include how AI can enhance, not replace, creativity in marketing, practical tools to elevate campaigns and client relationships and the future of marketing and consumer engagement. Rather than replace creativity, AI expands it, opening doors to smarter strategies, deeper insights and more impactful campaigns, a statement said.

Cost to attend is $45 for members, $55 for nonmembers, which includes appetizers and one complimentary drink.

For more information, send an email to info@sdama.org or visit sdama.org.

MarketInk earns San Diego Press Club writing awards

Times of San Diego’s “MarketInk,” a weekly marketing and media column covering trends and news in the news media, marketing, advertising, branding and creative industries, was presented with a first-place writing award at the San Diego Press Club’s recent Excellence in Journalism awards program.

The column was recognized in the “Online and Daily Newspapers” division, “Profile” category, for profiles about food blogger Darryl Gordon, who goes out to eat every night, and radio talk-show host Mark Larson’s fight with lymphoma.” The food blogger profile received a first-place award and the radio talk-show profile received an honorable mention.

The column also was recognized in the “Online and Daily Newspapers” division, “Column, Light Subject” category with an honorable mention.

The column, now in its 10th year, is posted on Monday mornings.

Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.