Executive Team
Chris Foster
President and CEO
Chris Foster rejoined GIE Media as President & COO in May, 2005 after spending nine years away holding senior positions with InsightExpress LLC, the largest online market research company globally, as VP of Technology and Product Development, and Attachmate Corporation running the Global Network Technology Practice. Prior to that, Chris has worked at GIE Media in various roles from Controller to General Manager, having started with GIE Media directly out of college. He holds degrees in International Business Administration and International Marketing from Heidelberg, Germany.
James R. Keefe
Executive Vice President and Group Publisher
Jim Keefe joined GIE Media in 1991. After a series of promotions, he was promoted to Publisher of Recycling Today and its affiliate publications in 1995. There, Jim was instrumental in the development and launch of Construction & Demolition Recycling, Storage & Destruction Business, and Recycling Today Global Edition magazines. He has also assisted in developing GIE's events business through the formation of the Paper Recycling Conference, Paper Recycling Conference Europe, and the C&D Recycling Forum. Currently Group Publisher of our recycling business and Executive Vice President of GIE Media, Jim is a graduate of Ohio University with a degree in Finance and concentration of study in interpersonal communications.
Kelly Antal
Controller
Kelly was first hired by GIE as a billing clerk in 1998. She moved to Accounting Coordinator (2001) and then promoted to Accounting Director in 2010. Kelly was named to GIE Media’s Executive team at the beginning of 2020 and currently serves as company controller. In this role, Kelly manages the company’s 401K, payroll, accounts payable, and oversees building maintenance.
Mike DiFranco
Group Publisher
Mike DiFranco is the group publisher of GIE Media’s industrial group that includes Aerospace Manufacturing and Design, Defense and Munitions, Today’s Medical Developments, and EV Design & Manufacturing. Mike began his career in the manufacturing industry in 1998 working in sales for Motch Corporation and Cone Blanchard. He then moved to the publishing side of the manufacturing industry, joining the American Machinist and Welding Design and Fabrication sales teams with Penton Publishing. In 2004, Mike joined GIE Media as a regional sales manager for the company’s largest title, Lawn & Landscape. A few years later, Mike was instrumental in forming GIE Media’s industrial group by co-founding its first title, Today’s Medical Developments. Today the group has expanded to its current four titles, of which Mike is group publisher.
Jodi Dorsch
Group Publisher
Jodi Dorsch is group publisher of the PCT Media Group, which includes PCT and QA magazines. Previously, she served in various editorial roles at PCT magazine for 25+ years. During her editorial tenure at PCT, Dorsch grew PCT’s leadership position significantly, while making the PCT Top 100 list the pre-eminent business scorecard in North America. As publisher, Dorsch oversees the day-to-day operations of the PCT Media Group, while also representing GIE Media at various events. She graduated from Ohio University with a double major: a bachelor of business administration in business economics and a bachelor of science in journalism from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
Michelle Simakis
Group Publisher
Michelle Simakis is group publisher of Greenhouse Management, Nursery Management, Produce Grower and Garden Center magazines, the leading trade publications serving the horticulture industry. Michelle was first hired by GIE Media in 2012 as associate editor of Garden Center magazine and A Garden Life, a digital magazine and consumer app focused on health, wellness and gardening. In 2015, she was promoted to editor of Garden Center, and helped build the educational track for the brand’s first conference in 2018. She joined Cannabis Business Times, one of the leading trade news organizations serving licensed cannabis companies in 2019, helping shape the magazine’s editorial content and contributing to the brand’s annual event. She is a graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
Dave Szy
Group Publisher
Dave Szy was hired by GIE Media in 2002 as an account manager for the company’s snow and ice accounts. The sales growth Dave provided in this segment led directly to the launch of Snow Magazine, GIE Media’s first stand-alone publication serving the snow and ice industry.
Next, Dave worked his way up the ranks and took on additional responsibilities as a regional sales account manager for Lawn & Landscape. He then moved into both national accounts management and national sales management for the entire Lawn & Landscape group.
He has had proven success over the last 13 years in multiple markets. Dave’s ability to increase revenue and establish deep client relationships across the landscape, golf and snow markets earned him the current role of publisher for Lawn & Landscape magazine and associate publisher for Snow Magazine. He has a degree in business administration from Xavier University.
Christina Warner
Director of Data Acquisition
Christina Warner was hired by GIE Media in 2004 as Market Coordinator for the Lawn & Landscape Media Group. In 2006, she was asked to become a team member of GIE Media’s Web Group where she managed many aspects of online advertising. Since then, she held many roles within the Web Group, including Web Content Editor and Email Production Manager. She was promoted to Audience Development Director in 2014 and currently oversees all operations in that department.