Joe Bogardus

Director of Client Service

Joe Bogardus brings more than 35 years of career experience working in marketing communications with multinational corporations and agencies to his position with Mary Beth West Consulting, where he informs strategies and directs services and relationship management for agency accounts.

Joe spent much of this decade with Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), headquartered in Chicago, Ill., where he served as executive director of brand marketing communications. There, he led BCBSA’s national advertising effort, oversaw the Association’s internal and external internet assets, directed BCBSA’s creative services organization and was responsible for its Olympic sponsorship. Under his leadership his team developed the strategic positioning and messaging for the world’s largest medical record database, Blue Health Intelligence. He replaced an ineffective 19-year-old brand advertising campaign with an integrated issues-oriented communications program, driving perceptual shifts on healthcare costs. In addition, he led a team that motivated millions of Americans to start walking by collaborating with 40 Blue Companies to launch a national lifestyle promotion, “Walking Works.”

Prior to BCBSA, Joe spent 16 years with Rochester, NY-based Eastman Kodak Company, in multiple posts, including director of marketing communications for the Japanese Region based in Tokyo; director of marketing communications for the Europe, Africa and Middle East Region (EAMER) based in London; and director of communications and marketing operations for the Latin American Region (LAR) based in Miami.

His tenure with Eastman Kodak included a range of noteworthy accomplishments, including large share building programs, devising some of Kodak’s first online communications programs and numerous effective cross-border programs. Much of his work was recognized with industry awards and characterized by establishing productive multi-national teams.

In his earlier career, Joe spent seven years with Champion Products as manager of advertising and sales promotion, where he was instrumental in helping Champion evolve to a retail active-wear brand from a supplier of athletic team uniforms. There, he administered all aspects of marketing communications, including corporate and financial public relations. Previously, Joe started his career with Rochester, NY-area advertising agencies, including Rumrill-Hoyt, Inc. (a subsidiary of Saatchi & Saatchi) and Hart-Conway, Inc.

Joe earned his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY, and also completed several executive management training programs with such academic institutions as the University of Chicago Graduate Business School, the Fuqua School of Management at Duke University and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He has a professional certification from the Academy of Healthcare Management, and he was the first marketing communications professional worldwide to receive the Kodak Black Belt Management Certified designation.

Since moving to Loudon, Tenn., Joe has given back to his profession and community through his local involvement in the Knoxville Advertising Federation and has served as the chairperson for the Tellico Village Property Owners Association’s Board of Directors Communication and Marketing Advisory Committee. In 2008 he was recognized with the Village’s Presidents Award for his service to the community.

Joe’s wife of 40 years, Mary Kay, is an accomplished decorating professional. They have two grown sons. Bryan, a graduate of Michigan State University, is a market researcher in the performance audio industry based in Chicago, Ill. Kevin, an alumnus of the College of the Holy Cross, is a writer/reporter for the Washington, DC, publication, The Hill.