Senior Management

The relationship between the OAAA staff and members is a working partnership. Our expert team of industry veterans believes a trade association works best when it knows and understands the needs and priorities of the members it serves.

OAAA has a deep bench of experts who can help your team sell, explain, and advocate for OOH advertising:

	Anna Bager \| President & CEO \| Anna Bager, a seasoned media industry veteran, is the president & CEO of the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), the national trade association that represents the out of home (OOH) advertising industry. Bager is spearheading the OOH industry’s transformation into one of the most exciting media platforms for brands today, with a focus on tech innovation, ease of buying and integration with other mediums. Prior to joining OAAA, Bager was executive vice president of industry initiatives at IAB, leading all digital, mobile, video, audio, and data industry initiatives as well as all thought leadership which included the Digital Content NewFronts. She has been named one of the 30 most powerful women in mobile advertising by Business Insider and one of the top women in media by Folio magazine and Cynopsis Media.
	Mike Hershey \| Executive Vice President of Government Affairs \| Mike is an experienced government relations professional and brings an extensive public policy background to the OAAA in his role as Executive Vice President of Government Affairs. Mike started his career in the legislative branch, working for Pennsylvania Members of Congress in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. He served in key policy roles throughout his tenure on Capitol Hill and would eventually serve as a Senate chief of staff. Mike then worked in the private sector and was a chief advocate for the broadcast industry through their national trade association, representing America’s radio and television stations before Congress. He then garnered executive branch experience at the U.S. Small Business Administration, leading their congressional affairs department for four years, and serving in a senior advisor role during the agency’s implementation of major pandemic and economic recovery programs in 2020. Mike is a native of Lancaster County, PA and a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College with a degree in government.
	Laura Colona \| Executive Vice President - Commercial Marketing Officer \| Laura Colona brings a wealth of digital ad industry experience to OAAA where she will focus on providing executive leadership and management of OAAA's marketing organization. She will preside over various OAAA member bodies including the CMO Council, CRO Council, Creative Council, Innovations Committee, and others. Previously, Laura was the Vice President of Global Marketing & Communications at MediaMath, the acclaimed independent advertising technology company. Colona's resume also includes valuable trade organization experience, from 2004 through 2007, serving as Director of Marketing Communications at the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), acquired by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in 2018, and where she currently serves on the Board of Governors for the International Echo Awards.
	Marci Werlinich \| Executive Vice President of Operations \| Marci Werlinich has spent her entire professional career serving OAAA and its members. Werlinich focuses on membership recruitment, event planning, human resources, information technology, and a variety of other areas and programs that keep OAAA running. In the last 35 years, she has held various administrative and membership roles from administrative assistant to the oversight of the Outdoor Advertising Political Action Committee (OAPAC.) Werlinich was elected to the OAAA Hall of Fame in 2011.
	Steve Nicklin \| Senior Vice President of Marketing and Analytics \| Steve provides OAAA members, ad agencies and advertisers with marketing insights and trends, oversees the OAAA marketing research function and monitors ad spend performance of the OOH industry. His career has encompassed marketing leadership in the cable TV, radio and retail sectors. Steve holds an MBA in marketing and he earned his NAB Executive Development Program certificate at Georgetown University. He has received national award recognition from the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau, the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing, the National Association of Broadcasters, and the International Council of Shopping Centers for marketing and community service programs.
	Kerry Yoakum \| Senior Vice President of Government Affairs \| Kerry Yoakum joined OAAA in 2008, bringing extensive experience in the law, advocacy, public affairs, and state regulatory activities. Prior to joining OAAA, Yoakum practiced law for six years as an attorney for the Ohio Department of Transportation. As administrator for the office of contracts, he was responsible for managing five major work areas of the Office of Contracts: Construction Contracts, Contractor Pre-qualification, External Civil Rights, ODOT’s Purchasing program, and the Advertising Device Control program (which regulates the outdoor advertising industry in Ohio.)

	Anna Bager \| President & CEO \| Anna Bager, a seasoned media industry veteran, is the president & CEO of the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), the national trade association that represents the out of home (OOH) advertising industry. Bager is spearheading the OOH industry’s transformation into one of the most exciting media platforms for brands today, with a focus on tech innovation, ease of buying and integration with other mediums. Prior to joining OAAA, Bager was executive vice president of industry initiatives at IAB, leading all digital, mobile, video, audio, and data industry initiatives as well as all thought leadership which included the Digital Content NewFronts. She has been named one of the 30 most powerful women in mobile advertising by Business Insider and one of the top women in media by Folio magazine and Cynopsis Media.
	Mike Hershey \| Executive Vice President of Government Affairs \| Mike is an experienced government relations professional and brings an extensive public policy background to the OAAA in his role as Executive Vice President of Government Affairs. Mike started his career in the legislative branch, working for Pennsylvania Members of Congress in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. He served in key policy roles throughout his tenure on Capitol Hill and would eventually serve as a Senate chief of staff. Mike then worked in the private sector and was a chief advocate for the broadcast industry through their national trade association, representing America’s radio and television stations before Congress. He then garnered executive branch experience at the U.S. Small Business Administration, leading their congressional affairs department for four years, and serving in a senior advisor role during the agency’s implementation of major pandemic and economic recovery programs in 2020. Mike is a native of Lancaster County, PA and a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College with a degree in government.
	Laura Colona \| Executive Vice President - Commercial Marketing Officer \| Laura Colona brings a wealth of digital ad industry experience to OAAA where she will focus on providing executive leadership and management of OAAA's marketing organization. She will preside over various OAAA member bodies including the CMO Council, CRO Council, Creative Council, Innovations Committee, and others. Previously, Laura was the Vice President of Global Marketing & Communications at MediaMath, the acclaimed independent advertising technology company. Colona's resume also includes valuable trade organization experience, from 2004 through 2007, serving as Director of Marketing Communications at the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), acquired by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in 2018, and where she currently serves on the Board of Governors for the International Echo Awards.
	Marci Werlinich \| Executive Vice President of Operations \| Marci Werlinich has spent her entire professional career serving OAAA and its members. Werlinich focuses on membership recruitment, event planning, human resources, information technology, and a variety of other areas and programs that keep OAAA running. In the last 35 years, she has held various administrative and membership roles from administrative assistant to the oversight of the Outdoor Advertising Political Action Committee (OAPAC.) Werlinich was elected to the OAAA Hall of Fame in 2011.
	Steve Nicklin \| Senior Vice President of Marketing and Analytics \| Steve provides OAAA members, ad agencies and advertisers with marketing insights and trends, oversees the OAAA marketing research function and monitors ad spend performance of the OOH industry. His career has encompassed marketing leadership in the cable TV, radio and retail sectors. Steve holds an MBA in marketing and he earned his NAB Executive Development Program certificate at Georgetown University. He has received national award recognition from the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau, the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing, the National Association of Broadcasters, and the International Council of Shopping Centers for marketing and community service programs.
	Kerry Yoakum \| Senior Vice President of Government Affairs \| Kerry Yoakum joined OAAA in 2008, bringing extensive experience in the law, advocacy, public affairs, and state regulatory activities. Prior to joining OAAA, Yoakum practiced law for six years as an attorney for the Ohio Department of Transportation. As administrator for the office of contracts, he was responsible for managing five major work areas of the Office of Contracts: Construction Contracts, Contractor Pre-qualification, External Civil Rights, ODOT’s Purchasing program, and the Advertising Device Control program (which regulates the outdoor advertising industry in Ohio.)