News

February 17, 2016

Albany County Bar Association Appoints New Executive Director

Newly elected president Daniel W. Coffey of the Albany County Bar Association (ACBA), along with the entire Board of Directors, is pleased to announce the appointment of Marquita Jo Rhodes as the new ACBA executive director. Bringing immediate focus to rebranding and engaging membership, Rhodes, who assumed the position in mid-November 2015, will utilize the professional experience she has garnered in the U.S. and well beyond.

“The search for a new executive director was not easy,” explained Janet Silver, immediate past president, ACBA. “We feel that Marquita’s background in marketing and communications, coupled with strategic planning and knowledge of downtown Albany will be a tremendous asset for the growth of the Organization.”

Prior to coming to the ACBA, Rhodes served as the Assistant Director and the Director of Marketing and Communications of the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District, where she was in charge of the day-to-day operations of the BID as well as the strategic movement of Downtown’s marketing and communications through creative collaboration of partners. Her accomplishments include elevating brand standards for the Organization and downtown Albany; driving communication and social medias platforms forward; and conceptualizing and implementing new event programs. In 2015, spearheaded by Rhodes, the BID received recognition by the Times Union newspaper as having one of the best Twitter feeds for locals to follow.

“As the ACBA looks to evolve and strengthen itself, we are excited to have Marquita onboard to define a renewed sense of relevance for the Association,” said Coffey.
She has also led a wide range of agency projects including: brand development, marketing and advertising strategy, industry and customer communications, website development and media relations at an internationally recognized brand and communications firm based in upstate New York. Additionally, she has worked in both New York State and Italy managing community and housing programs for the U.S. Department of Defense. During her federal tenure, she implemented a global marketing campaign resulting in $2 million revenue and was instrumental in finding ways to save taxpayers thousands of dollars.
“Part of the attraction of coming to the Bar Association was to better integrate the collective energies inside the legal profession with the entire County of Albany,” explained Rhodes. “It is going to be interesting to see how much of an impact we can make within a field whose intention is to do good work.”
Rhodes holds a Master’s of Public Policy (MPP) from Regent University and a Bachelor of Arts from Sweet Briar College. Rhodes currently serves as past president for Soroptimist International of Saratoga County.
An avid hiker, Rhodes is working on becoming a Adirondack 46er. She lives in Saratoga County, NY with her husband and their English Springer Spaniel.