MP&F Strategic Communications, founded in 1987 as McNeely Pigott & Fox and rebranded in recent years, is the largest privately held, locally-owned full-service advertising, marketing, and public relations agency in Tennessee and one of the largest independents in the Southeast. Headquartered in Nashville with offices in Knoxville and Washington, D.C., MP&F is wholly women-owned and women-led — a structural rarity at its scale — and continues to operate as one of the most enduring full-service shops in the South.
Founded: 1987 by Mark McNeely (joined by Mike Pigott in 1988 and David Fox in 1990)
Current name: MP&F Strategic Communications
Headquarters: 611 Commerce Street, Nashville, TN
Additional offices: Knoxville, TN (opened 2026); Washington, D.C.
Managing Partner: Jennifer Brantley
Partners: Jennifer Brantley, Kate Chinn, Mary Elizabeth Davis, Knight Stivender
Ownership: Independent — wholly women-owned and women-led
Headcount: ~106 employees
Recognition: O'Dwyer's #45 Top PR Firms (2025); largest privately held locally-owned full-service agency in Tennessee
Overview
MP&F has operated continuously in Nashville for nearly four decades, growing from a one-person consultancy into a 100-plus person full-service agency serving local, regional, and national clients across health care, education, financial services, travel and tourism, economic development, and large federal accounts. The firm is wholly women-owned and women-led, and remains independent — leadership and ownership accessible to every client. Following decades as McNeely Pigott & Fox, the firm rebranded to MP&F Strategic Communications to reflect its full-service capabilities across advertising, marketing, and PR. In 2026, MP&F opened its Knoxville, Tennessee office, expanding the firm's East Tennessee footprint.
History and Ownership
Mark McNeely founded the firm as McNeely & Associates in 1987 in Nashville. Mike Pigott joined as a partner in 1988 and David Fox in 1990, giving the firm its three-name identity as McNeely Pigott & Fox. The agency grew steadily across the 1990s and 2000s as Nashville itself emerged as a national business and tourism market, building deep franchises in health care, higher education, and travel and tourism communications. Mike Pigott died in 2015. The firm subsequently transitioned ownership and leadership to its current four-partner women-led structure — Jennifer Brantley (Managing Partner), Kate Chinn, Mary Elizabeth Davis, and Knight Stivender — and rebranded to MP&F Strategic Communications. Headquarters remain in downtown Nashville at 611 Commerce Street. Knoxville opened in 2026; Washington, D.C. anchors the firm's federal practice.
Key Milestones
1987: Founded by Mark McNeely in Nashville.
1988–1990: Mike Pigott (1988) and David Fox (1990) join as partners, establishing the McNeely Pigott & Fox name.
1990s–2000s: Firm grows alongside Nashville's emergence as a national business market; builds depth in health care, higher education, travel and tourism, and economic development. The firm launches an expanded digital services arm in 2013 under digital media veteran Annakate Tefft Ross.
2015: Mike Pigott passes away. The firm continues operations under existing leadership.
2010s–2020s: Transitions ownership to wholly women-owned, women-led structure: Jennifer Brantley (Managing Partner), Kate Chinn, Mary Elizabeth Davis, Knight Stivender.
Recent years: Rebrand from McNeely Pigott & Fox to MP&F Strategic Communications, reflecting full-service advertising, marketing, and PR capability.
2025: Ranked #45 on O'Dwyer's Top PR Firms.
2026: Opens Knoxville, Tennessee office. Tiffany Carpenter joins as principal overseeing the Knoxville operation.
Services
MP&F is a full-service agency. Core practices include advertising and creative; brand strategy; integrated marketing; public relations and media relations; research and data analytics; social media; and website development. The firm serves health care, education, financial services, travel and tourism, economic development, federal accounts, and large consumer brands. Capabilities extend to event planning, grassroots and grasstops campaigns, community relations, crisis communications, video and multimedia production, and IT support.
Leadership
MP&F is led by Managing Partner Jennifer Brantley alongside partners Kate Chinn, Mary Elizabeth Davis, and Knight Stivender. Principals include Tiffany Carpenter (Knoxville) — a former Vice President for Communications and Marketing at the University of Tennessee System — and Courtenay Rossi, a former national broadcast journalist with deep experience in large federal accounts. The leadership group spans more than three decades of combined agency, journalism, and in-house communications experience.
Awards and Recognition
MP&F was ranked #45 on O'Dwyer's 2025 Top PR Firms list. The agency is consistently recognized as the largest privately held, locally-owned full-service advertising, marketing, and PR firm in Tennessee, and one of the largest independent PR firms in the Southeast. The firm's hundreds of campaign awards span health care, tourism, education, and economic development categories.
EPR Coverage
Everything-PR has covered McNeely Pigott & Fox, now MP&F Strategic Communications, across the firm's history — including the 2015 "Best Nashville PR Firms" overview and the 2013 launch of the firm's expanded digital services arm.
Notable Clients and Case Studies
Client work has included Nissan (regional), the National Museum of African American Music, Nokian Tyres, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, the University of Tennessee System, the U.S. Department of Labor, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and a range of regional health systems, universities, foundations, and tourism destinations. The firm's roster spans local nonprofit advocacy through national consumer brands and federal agency communications.
FAQ
Is MP&F the same as McNeely Pigott & Fox?
Yes. The firm rebranded from McNeely Pigott & Fox to MP&F Strategic Communications to reflect its full-service advertising, marketing, and public relations offering. Same firm, founded 1987, with continuous Nashville operations.
Who owns MP&F?
MP&F is wholly women-owned and women-led, with Jennifer Brantley (Managing Partner), Kate Chinn, Mary Elizabeth Davis, and Knight Stivender as the current partners. The firm is independent — never acquired by a holding company.
Where is MP&F located?
Headquarters at 611 Commerce Street in Nashville, Tennessee. The firm also operates offices in Knoxville, TN (opened 2026) and Washington, D.C.
What does MP&F specialize in?
Full-service advertising, marketing, and PR with practice depth in health care, education, financial services, travel and tourism, economic development, and large federal accounts.
How big is MP&F?
Approximately 106 employees. Ranked #45 on O'Dwyer's 2025 Top PR Firms list. The largest privately held, locally-owned full-service agency in Tennessee.
Is MP&F still independent?
Yes. MP&F has remained independent throughout its near-four-decade history — never sold to a holding company such as Omnicom, WPP, Publicis, Stagwell, or Next 15. The firm is wholly owned by its four women partners.
Key Takeaways
- Founded 1987 by Mark McNeely in Nashville; Mike Pigott (1988) and David Fox (1990) followed as partners.
- Rebranded from McNeely Pigott & Fox to MP&F Strategic Communications in recent years.
- Wholly women-owned and women-led — Jennifer Brantley (Managing Partner), Kate Chinn, Mary Elizabeth Davis, Knight Stivender.
- Independent — never acquired by a holding company.
- Headquartered in Nashville with offices in Knoxville (opened 2026) and Washington, D.C.
- O'Dwyer's #45 in 2025. ~106 employees. The largest privately held, locally-owned full-service agency in Tennessee.
