Charlotte Milan—Founder and Principal
San Francisco native Charlotte Milan brings nearly 15 years of strategic media and public relations experience to C. Milan Communications. Her proven track record of success includes high profile media placements in a variety of publications including Fortune, New York Times, Architectural Digest, TIME, Business Week, ForbesLife, Saveur, Newsweek, Robb Report, Men’s Health, Bon Appetit, Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Traveler, Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine and Wine Spectator. Milan has represented and launched a variety of wineries and luxury industry projects, including Cliff Lede Vineyards, Poetry Inn, Mayacama Golf and Lodging Club and Dana Estates.
Prior to founding CMC, Milan opened the Northern California office of Wagstaff Worldwide as Executive Director, where she handled media relations for world-renowned restaurants including Masa’s, Tra Vigne and Lark Creek Restaurant Group. Milan also served as Director, Public Relations and Corporate Communications for Clos Du Val Wine Co., Ltd, a global network of wineries. At Clos Du Val, she repositioned the 30-year old brand, spearheaded the winery’s product placement and entertainment marketing campaigns and launched a new wine, Domaine de Nizas, from the Languedoc.
Milan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Georgetown University, with a double minor in Arab and Terrorist Studies. While at Georgetown, Milan explored her passion for food by working in the prep kitchen of Roberto Donna’s Galileo. She has lectured on public relations at The Stanford Graduate School of Business, and for Silicon Valley Bank, the Napa Valley Vintners and the Paso Robles Vintners and Growers Association. Her work at Clos Du Val has been developed into a marketing case study for University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.
A food-and-restaurant obsessed San Franciscan, Milan is also an avid hiker and loves to explore the Bay Area’s trails with her dog, Oliver. Her current favorite food finds include Ron Siegel’s amuse of sea urchin panna cotta at The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, steamed spot prawns at R&G Lounge, and Double Doubles at In-N-Out. She’s always on the look-out for old-school, East-Coast-style mozzarella sticks. Thankfully, her annual yoga retreat to Tulum, Mexico is on the horizon, providing a needed respite from her penchant for fried food.
Keely joined C. Milan Communications in June 2006. An integral part of the CMC team, Garibaldi works closely under Charlotte Milan on client strategy and pitching and maintaining relationships with high level media. A pitching pro, Garibaldi has garnered press coverage in Celebrated Living, New York Times, Robb Report, Sunset, Cooking Light and Los Angeles Times.
Garibaldi has also worked for a San Francisco based consumer public relations agency, where she oversaw business and lifestyle accounts, including the Fairmont Heritage Place Ghirardelli Square, MetLife Home Loans, American Craft Council and Museum of Craft and Design.
Originally from the Lake Tahoe area, Garibaldi made a bee-line to the Central Coast wine country for college where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Wine and Viticulture with a concentration in Wine Business at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Amanda Sorensen, Assistant Account Executive
Amanda Sorensen joined CMC in 2011 after returning home to the Bay Area, following a year of travels in Europe. Raised in a family of wine and food lovers, Amanda was sure she would be happiest with a career that allowed daily exposure to the world of fine wine and the good food that often comes with it. Prior to joining CMC, Amanda taught English in Spain as a way to experience another culture and round out her long academic career learning Spanish. She studied magazine journalism and communications at the University of Oregon, where she succeeded by incorporating her love for writing and interest in media relations with her knack for staying dry even in the worst Oregon rain.
At CMC she handles everything from writing and issuing press releases, building media contacts and crafting picture perfect press clips.
CMC also has long term relationships with a variety of people and companies who we work with to serve as a full-service marketing and communications team for our clients.
Freelance writers
We turn to published pros to craft our press materials, press releases and pithy pitch letters. These journalists regularly write for top publications including New York Times, Golf, Saveur, Bon Appetit and Outside Traveler.
Entertainment marketing companies/celebrity “wranglers”
Have an interest in getting coverage in People or US Weekly? We know the wranglers who can get celebs to your property or your product in an Oscar or Emmy gift bag.
Golf course raters
Want an unbiased opinion of your course? We’ll send in one of our secret shoppers to play your course and provide invaluable feedback before media and other raters hit the links.
Anonymous restaurant critics
Another weapon CMC has in its arsenal is one of the country’s few true anonymous restaurant critics. We can bring him in to evaluate all aspects of service, presentation and food, making sure that when members of the media visit your restaurant, they have a superb dining experience.
Web and graphic designers
We work with top, reasonably priced web and graphic designers.
Photographers
We’ve researched and worked with the best photographers for food, lifestyle images and architectural coverage—so our clients don’t have to do the leg work.
