Frank Pepe’s – In the News

Barbara W. Goldberg | CEO

Barbara W. Goldberg, is the CEO and co-founder of O’Connell & Goldberg, leading one of Florida’s most respected public relations firms, championing the mission that “Good People Make Good News.” With over three decades of experience, she has directed impactful PR campaigns across industries, including real estate, hospitality, education, and healthcare. Known for her expertise in storytelling, social innovation, and strategic partnerships, Barbara has helped O&G earn recognition as a top PR firm and Women-Owned Business. A University of Miami alumna and community leader, she serves on nonprofit boards and takes pride in being a mother, grandmother, and owner of Rosie, O&G’s lovable “Director of Drool.”

Lesli Cartaya Franco | VP

Lesli Cartaya Franco is a vice president at O’Connell & Goldberg Public Relations and she brings the agency’s motto, “Good People Make Good News,” to life daily. With 20 years of professional experience across various sectors, she is a dynamic communicator known for delivering results and exceeding client expectations. Previously, she served as Communications Director at Broward College and actively supports the community as a board member for the Hispanic Unity Foundation and Emerge Broward, and was a member of Leadership Broward Class XXXIV. Franco has been recognized as a March of Dimes “2020 Woman of Distinction” and a “2022 Up and Comer” by South Florida Business & Wealth. A Florida native, she earned her bachelor’s in Communication from Stetson University and her master’s in Integrated Communications from FIU.

MATT LEVINSON | COO

Matt Levinson is a seasoned communications strategist with over 30 years of experience in public relations and journalism. Since joining O&G in 2000, Matt has focused on national real estate developments, celebrity resort and restaurant openings and major public affairs projects. Through his 20+ years of representing some of the country’s largest shopping destinations, Matt became a trusted real estate and crisis communications expert. He was a lead instructor for ICSC John T. Riordan School and was recently appointed Chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Florida Retail Development Council. Matt is also on the board of Path to College, a Palm Beach County-based nonprofit. Born and raised in Miami, Matt is a graduate of the University of Florida and began his career as a newspaper reporter.

Boca West Children’s Foundation

O’Connell & Goldberg supports the Boca West Children’s Foundation with strategic counsel across its county-wide initiatives, helping raise funds and awareness for vulnerable children throughout Palm Beach County. Through a combination of media relations, social media content creation, and event strategy, O&G elevates key events through earned media and drives engagement across social channels to support its year-round efforts.

Take Stock in Children

O’Connell & Goldberg works closely with Take Stock in Children to strengthen its state-wide exposure through a comprehensive media relations strategy. Through targeted outreach and campaign development, O&G elevates awareness of its mission across Florida by securing statewide media coverage in priority markets and sharing the powerful stories behind the students, mentors and communities the program serves.

Jacinta de México

In 2026, O&G launched its partnership with Jacinta de México, an authentic, elevated Mexican restaurant located in Aventura Mall. Our role spans full-service marketing support during the restaurant’s first year and continued growth phase. We manage Jacinta’s social media with a focus on building an engaged Instagram audience through short-form video content and visually driven carousels that highlight the restaurant’s atmosphere, cooking practices and hospitality. We provide ongoing creative and strategic counsel to refine brand storytelling, from in-store promotions to experience-driven activations. We also lead proactive media relations, working closely with local reporters and outlets to secure coverage around timely initiatives, menu updates and key milestones. This integrated approach has helped establish Jacinta’s voice in a competitive market while driving early awareness, engagement and sustained visibility. 

Momentum

Momentum is an international organization empowering Jewish mothers through life-changing trips to Israel, leadership summits around the world, a robust multimedia platform and expansive resources for Jewish living and learning. Momentum inspires Jewish mothers to live their most meaningful lives and transform themselves, their families and their communities. Since Momentum’s founding in 2008, more than 24,000 individuals from 450+ partner organizations and 38 countries have experienced its flagship program, the Momentum Journey of Growth. O’Connell & Goldberg supports Momentum through strategic media relations and social media, helping amplify its global impact, elevate brand visibility and share its mission of promoting unity without uniformity across Israel and the Jewish world.

Miami Dade College

O&G works closely with Miami Dade College and the Miami Dade College Foundation to provide robust media relations support and strategic social media counsel. The team elevates awareness of the College and its Foundation by publicizing key events, new initiatives, and compelling storytelling across both organizations. Through its support over the past year, O&G has helped amplify several major milestones and programs, generating thoughtful media coverage and increasing visibility among key audiences.

Goodwill of South Florida

O’Connell & Goldberg partners with Goodwill South Florida to elevate awareness of its mission to create pathways to employment for individuals with disabilities and barriers to work. Through a strategic media relations and storytelling approach, O&G highlights the organization’s impact across South Florida—from workforce training and job placement to sustainability efforts that divert millions of pounds of goods from landfills each year. Our work has helped amplify key initiatives such as Goodwill’s 305 Day promotions, major hiring events, and community partnerships, reinforcing Goodwill’s role as the No. 1 employer of people with disabilities in Florida and a leading force for economic opportunity in the region.

Tiffany & Co

Vi at Aventura

Berger Singerman

Florida’s business law firm, Berger Singerman is known for delivering strategic, high-level counsel across complex litigation, corporate, and transactional matters. With offices throughout the state and a client base that spans local, national and international markets, the firm has built a strong reputation for its entrepreneurial culture and deep legal expertise. O&G supports Berger Singerman through strategic public relations efforts designed to elevate the firm’s visibility and thought leadership. By securing targeted media opportunities, developing compelling bylined content and managing award submissions, O&G positions the firm’s attorneys as go-to experts on emerging legal trends and complex business issues. As a result, Berger Singerman attorneys are consistently recognized by leading industry organizations, reinforcing its position as a trusted advisor to clients.

Diplomat Resort & Spa

W Fort Lauderdale

Fountainebleau Miami Beach

Goodman Jewish Family Services

The Residences at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort

South Florida Spine & Orthopedic Institute

When PSN Affiliates and 10 local surgeons sought county approval to develop a micro-hospital specializing in spinal care and orthopedics in the Ag Reserve, O&G developed a comprehensive communication strategy that helped win unanimous commission approval.

Integrated Dermatology

Miami Children’s Hospital

Tenet Healthcare System

O&G was enlisted to support PR efforts for 11 hospitals across the South Florida region helping elevate visibility around key services, leadership initiatives, and community impact. Through strategic media relations and localized storytelling, our team positioned Tenet hospitals as trusted healthcare providers within their respective markets. Over the course of the engagement, O&G secured consistent regional coverage highlighting hospital milestones across consumer, business, and healthcare media outlets. By tailoring messaging to each hospital’s unique role within its community, we ensured coverage resonated with both local audiences and broader regional stakeholders.

TriVent Healthcare

TriVent Healthcare, a pioneer in ventilator liberation and rehabilitation services, turned to O&G to help expand awareness of its multidisciplinary and transformative model of care. Throughout the four-year partnership, O&G has developed a targeted B2B media strategy and digital marketing campaign focused on the clinical and financial benefits of TriVent’s in-hospital units – successfully driving qualified traffic to its website. Our team also created original content, videos, and SEO-focused assets to strengthen website visibility, resulting in more than a 400% increase in impressions and a 170%+ increase in clicks. Through compelling storytelling and strategic outreach, O&G is helping TriVent engage hospital decision-makers and further establish its position as a national leader in ventilator liberation.

Nano Health Associates

O&G led the PR, branding, and social media rollout for the opening of NanoHealth Associates, positioning Dr. Adam Splaver’s new Hollywood practice as a modern, proactive approach to total-body health. The launch generated strong print and broadcast coverage, supported by strategic messaging, a brand discovery document, and ongoing social content to introduce the practice to the community.

Following the successful debut, O&G broadened NanoHealth’s visibility through timely, story-driven media opportunities. Our team developed a creative angle around “broken heart syndrome,” positioning Dr. Splaver as an expert source for both broadcast and print interviews. The campaign was strengthened by a powerful patient testimonial, resulting in compelling earned media that reinforced the practice’s credibility and approach to heart-centered wellness.

GoTu Dental Staffing

Throughout our partnership, O&G focused on establishing GoTu, formerly TempMee, as an industry disruptor, which we accomplished through a multi-channel PR and marketing strategy. Our team supported various marketing initiatives and brainstormed new ways to create media-worthy opportunities that would establish GoTu as a brand, then build awareness and industry credibility. O&G not only successfully supported the company’s brand transition from TempMee to GoTu, but also secured numerous media placements and awards for the company, including a company profile in South Florida Business Journal and recognitions on important lists, such as Inc. “Best in Business”, Inc. 5000 and South Florida Business Journal’s “Fastest Growing Companies.”

EVEXIAS Health Solutions

O&G recently partnered with EVEXIAS Health Solutions, a national leader in integrated wellness and hormone health, to expand its visibility in the healthcare and anti-aging industries. Over the two-year partnership, our media relations strategies helped amplify the voice of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Terri DeNeui through top-tier media placements in outlets including “Women’s World,” “The Checkup,” “Best Life,” “AskMen.com,” First for Women,” and more. We also secured guest appearances on relevant wellness podcasts to promote her new book, Hormone Havoc, and collaborated with the EVEXIAS team to plan and execute a high-profile book launch event in Dallas. Through earned media and strategic storytelling, O&G elevated the EVEXIAS mission to help bring total wellness solutions to patients across the country.

Post University

HeyTutor

In 2024, HeyTutor partnered with O&G to expand visibility, establish thought leadership, and drive new leads. First, we worked to refine its brand character and develop a robust new website built to attract and convert prospective school districts. To execute this strategy, we executed a multichannel content strategy which included bylined pieces, sponsored content in key publications, organic social media, blog posts, white papers, case studies, and RFP content. Media outreach focused on the rising demand for in-person tutoring in response to AI backlash and ESSER funding changes. We secured an EdTech Breakthrough Award by managing the full submission process and promoting the win through targeted media outreach, resulting in 147 media placements and reaching 78.3 million visitors. Our collaboration with K-12 Dive produced three sponsored content pieces, generating over 2,500 clicks and 400,000 impressions. LinkedIn and Google campaigns drove conversions, with leads from high-intent searches.

Sentinel U

Sentinel U, a healthcare simulation provider, aimed to build credibility for simulation as an alternative to clinical hours. In 2021, we supported the launch of the Sentinel U Nursing Simulation Research Grant (SUNSRG) program to drive awareness and recruit researchers. Our multi-phase approach included application announcements, recognition of grant recipients, and promotion of preliminary results. This initiative attracted over 20 prospective researchers to the information session and garnered press coverage in Minority Nurse, South Florida Hospital News, and HealthySimulation.com. We also secured media placements in the hometowns of awarded researchers, including Kansas City and New York, further amplifying Sentinel U’s reach and credibility.

Community College of Denver

O&G supported the Community College of Denver (CCD) in its mission to expand access to education and support marginalized communities. In 2023, CCD collaborated with the City of Denver to assist incoming migrants by turning its campus garage into a processing center. Within 24 hours, we worked with CCD to incorporate a call for donations into the college’s commencement ceremony, resulting in over 800 pounds of essential items collected. Local TV stations highlighted CCD’s community involvement, and the college’s president shared insights on supporting marginalized communities in a feature on the podcast In the Margins. This initiative not only showcased CCD’s commitment to community service but also strengthened its public image.

Time4Learning

EducationDynamics

EducationDynamics (EDDY), a leader in higher education marketing and enrollment services, sought to amplify its presence and authority. O&G leveraged our experience in higher education PR to position EDDY as an industry thought leader. Through leadership interviews and targeted press kits, we secured thought leadership articles in University Business, Chronicle of Higher Education, CIO Magazine, and Medium. One particularly successful interview with Greg Clayton, President, Enrollment Management Services, led to two articles and widespread coverage across multiple platforms, ultimately earning Clayton an invitation to speak on a Google-hosted panel. Our efforts have reinforced EDDY’s status as a go-to source for insights on enrollment and marketing.

Fortis Colleges and Institutes: Annual Give Kids A Smile Campaign

Fortis Colleges and Institutes has partnered with O&G for over a decade, collaborating on initiatives that boost visibility and deepen community connections. In 2019, we expanded this partnership to support the American Dental Association’s Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) campaign. What began with seven campuses has grown to include 19 campuses across 11 states, reinforcing Fortis’s dedication to service and dental education. Over the past four years, campus participation has tripled, and media impressions have increased by 15%, surpassing 872 million in 2024. Each year, we coordinate efforts across campuses by facilitating early planning calls, developing comprehensive timelines, and streamlining the submission process with ADA. Our efforts consistently secure over 20 media placements during event weeks and have expanded social engagement by more than 600%.

Florida Spine Associates

Florida Spine Associates (FSA) brings over 50 years of combined experience to their practice and to the care of every patient they serve. Their staff shares a true passion for improving the lives of people with spinal conditions. O&G has partnered with FSA since 2023 to manage all facets of their digital presence, from managing their website and analytics to their paid and organic media. Ensuring their online ecosystem reflects the same precision, trust, and compassion that define their practice. Through a thoughtful and integrated strategy, O&G has strengthened FSA’s visibility and engagement across platforms, positioning the practice as a leading authority in South Florida.

The Jewish Federation of Broward County

GL Homes

Kelly/Strul Emerging Scholars Program at Florida Atlantic University

Lynn University

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

Since 2021, we have led the PR program for Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, a 100-year-old family-owned and operated pizza brand widely regarded as the originator of New Haven-style pizza and the iconic White Clam Pie. Over the past few years, we’ve spearheaded communications efforts for the brand’s expansion into new markets, including Maryland, Virginia and South Florida. Our comprehensive approach includes influencer marketing to generate brand awareness; developing unique media angles to promote Frank Pepe’s iconic pizzas and leveraging timely hooks and newsjacking opportunities to garner local and national press. Through strategic public relations and a deep understanding of our client, we have secured features in the Washington Post, Food & Wine Magazine, and more.

Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza

When O&G started working with Anthony’s, they had four restaurants in South Florida and a big vision. Founder Anthony Bruno (and partner NFL legend Dan Marino) were poised for growth but needed the right strategy to scale. Over the next six years, we served as their full-service marketing team, leading branding, store launches, PR, social media, radio partnerships, direct mail campaigns and more. We didn’t just drive awareness; O&G helped the brand show up in meaningful ways in every new community. One standout example: the Well-Done Award, which honored local people making meaningful contributions to their local community. It played off their “Pizza Well Done” tagline and gave the brand a smart, cost-effective way to build goodwill and spark community engagement around every store opening. The results? The brand grew to more than 60 locations across Florida and the Northeast, with consistent, standout media coverage including USA Today and CNBC, and enough momentum to attract two separate private equity buyers.

Turnberry

Toll Brothers

We were retained by luxury single-family home developer Toll Brothers to oversee PR for its Southeast Florida division, which included several projects from Parkland to Boca Raton to Jupiter. Our success in building awareness ofthe brand and positively impacting sales led the Fortune 500 company to expand our footprint to the entire state of Florida. For eight years, we launched and maintained buzz for more than 20 communities in five regions: South Florida, Naples/Ft. Myers, Tampa/Sarasota, Orlando and Jacksonville. Through our work, Toll Brothers leaders were positioned as acknowledged business and real estate media sources, and we are proud of the influential partnerships we secured on their behalf.

The Residences at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort

We are proud of our “magical” efforts on behalf of the luxury The Residences at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort. In addition to crafting content, garnering local, national and international media coverage, and developing unique broker and prospect events, we created a spectacular, one-of-a-kind soirée atop the adjacent Bal Harbour Shops attended by Starwood’s CEO and Board of Directors to benefit a local charity. The show stopper was a colossal interactive video produced by O&G featuring magicians Penn & Teller that we projected onto the St. Regis’ middle hotel building. The celebrated duo appeared “larger than life” on the building exterior, while flawlessly executing an interactive card trick, engaging – and astounding – the entire audience.

Mattamy Homes

In 2022, Mattamy Homes, the largest privately owned homebuilder in North America, retained O&G to oversee PR for Newfield, its innovative new master-planned community in Martin County, Fla. Set to begin sales in 2024, Newfield will include 4,000+ homes, a town center, and more than 2,300 acres of open space with trails, parks and a working farm. Our success led Mattamy to expand our relationship and we now handle PR for the developer’s Southeast Florida division, which includes its award-winning Tradition MPC in Port St. Lucie and other developments in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Lincoln Road

O&G represents Lincoln Road—Miami Beach’s iconic outdoor pedestrian promenade featuring 200+ restaurants, cafes, shops and galleries. In March 2023, we took over The Road’s social media channels, focusing primarily on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. In just one year of collaboration, we grew the Instagram following over 65% and significantly enhanced engagement across all platforms by focusing on strong content creation, strategic paid campaigns, and partnerships with key influencers.

Pier Sixty-Six Residences

Lakewood Ranch

In 2019, we were hired by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch (SMR), developer of the 31,000-acre, best-selling master-planned Lakewood Ranch community near Sarasota. The MPC had been selected as the hub for a long-term brain health study being conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. Working closely with SMR and the neuropsychologists overseeing the study, we developed a comprehensive strategy, which included media trainings and interviews for key spokespeople. We secured 25+ print and broadcast stories in top-tier media, helping propel the study toward achieving its initial $1.6 million fundraising goal. For the next three years, we continued supporting Lakewood Ranch’s ongoing media efforts and generating publicity for Waterside Place, the community’s upcoming 36-acre, mixed-use entertainment hub.

Kimco Realty

Gold Coast Florida Regional Center

Gold Coast Florida Regional Center retained O&G to publicize the announcement of its first mixed-use project, Hollywood Circle in Downtown Hollywood. With developers unable to secure traditional funding after the Great Recession, Gold Coast turned to the little-known EB-5 program. For more than a decade, we’ve educated key audiences on EB-5 benefits through content development and media outreach, supported the developer’s campaigns in China and South Africa, coordinated a major building implosion event, hosted a Hollywood Circle topping off event with local dignitaries, and oversaw a multi-layered campaign to open the property in 2018. Today, we handle corporate PR for Gold Coast, focusing on its new Hollywood projects.

Bove Development

The Agricultural Reserve in western Palm Beach County has long served as a protected zone for South Florida’s farming history. As farmers sold their properties, the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners drafted a Master Plan to ensure a proper development mix, but loopholes kept the plan from becoming reality. When Commissioners agreed to revise the area’s zoning, Bove Development prepared the first Ag Reserve’s multifamily housing land use application and we worked alongside their leadership and experts to secure a favorable vote. We crafted a compelling narrative and created collateral to garner community and stakeholder support, collecting 130+ letters and public comment cards. Our efforts helped secure approval for the first multifamily housing project in the Agricultural Reserve and was featured on the front page of the Palm Beach Post.

Berkadia

We began working with commercial real estate firm Berkadia, a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway and Jefferies Financial Group, in 2016 when they had a small presence in Florida. Today, Berkadia has climbed to the top spot on the South Florida Business Journal’s annual ranking of top commercial mortgage brokers, arranging financing and brokering multifamily, hotel and land sales on behalf of some of the state’s most prominent owners and developers. Today, O&G provides value to the Berkadia professionals in Miami, Boca Raton, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa by ensuring its people, platform and processes are viewed credibly and frequently, to drive business leads and opportunities to their doorstep.

Aventura Mall

We led the national PR program for Turnberry’s Aventura Mall, the 2nd most visited shopping center in the United States for 15 years. We guided the communications programs through two major expansions, including the addition of a 315,000 square-foot, three-level wing that includes a standalone Apple store, 93-foot-tall Aventura Slide Tower, food hall, and a rooftop events venue. Our comprehensive efforts have included developing unique media angles to promote the mall’s events, retailers and promotions within South Florida’s saturated media and retail market, as well as highlighting the center’s growth and continued success to major media, including a New York Times feature story.

Alosant

Since its 2017 inception, Alosant has quickly established itself as a PropTech industry leader and powers apps for 70+ master-planned communities (MPC), including more than a dozen of the nation’s top 50 MPCs. In early 2021, Alosant retained O&G to support its next growth phase, increase its footprint among existing clients, launch new technologies, drive awareness, and capture an even greater market share. We landed a feature story in Urban Land Institute that profiled the company’s growth and several of its clients, as well as work collaboratively with Alosant Founder/CEO April LaMon, establishing her as a thought leader through blog writing and social content creation. In 2021, we branded and launched a new vertical, Alosant Azul Prospect Experience™, and this fall created the Alosant Innovator Series podcast, featuring LaMon as host interviewing developers, tech experts and other real estate leaders.