Our Team
Cecilia Russo Turner, President and CEO
In 2008, Cecilia Russo Turner founded Cecilia Russo Marketing, LLC (CRM) to help businesses and organizations increase their visibility locally, nationally, and globally through reputation management, consultation, and fundraising strategies. Throughout her more than 30 year career, Cecilia has managed and participated in philanthropic activities, raising millions of dollars for nonprofit charities and civic improvements in communities throughout Savannah and the Lowcountry and Southeast region of our state. CRM’s team provided strategic direction, public relations, and major gift solicitation for the most successful campaign ever held by the Veterans Council of Chatham County: the World War II Memorial, ‘A World Apart,’ erected on historic West River Street and dedicated in November 2010. Additionally, Cecilia has enjoyed a successful and strong list of small business and corporate clients while also serving as a fundraising consultant and advisor for organizations such as Tour de Georgia, Susan G. Komen Savannah Race for the Cure®, Leadership Southeast Georgia, SAFE Shelter, Inc., American Red Cross of Southeast and Coastal Georgia, Benedictine Military School, Savannah Technical College, and America’s Second Harvest Food Bank of Coastal Georgia. Cecilia was the co-founder of Savannah’s Fashion Night Out through Vogue’s Conde Nast in 2013. She was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year by Junior Achievement of Savannah in 2013 and named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Savannah Chamber of Commerce in 2018. She is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Southeast Georgia and a proud alumna of St. Vincent’s Academy and the University of Georgia. Cecilia’s most recent civic volunteer efforts include serving as the 2021-2022 Campaign Chair for the United Way of the Coastal Empire, raising a record-breaking $13.1 million last fiscal year, and impacting more than 206,000 people through UWCE’s agencies and programs. She currently holds board positions at the Savannah Technical College Foundation and United Way. Previously, Cecilia actively served on the boards of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire, Horizons Savannah, Senior Citizens, Inc., Rotary Club of Savannah, and Kiwanis Club of Skidaway Island. She is married to Bob Turner, and they have five grandchildren.
Melody Dawkins, Director of Operations
Melody Dawkins is the Director of Operations at Cecilia Russo Marketing, where she keeps the moving pieces of client work organized and on track. Melody has spent her career building and managing across real estate, tech, and business strategy, from leading large-scale development projects to launching a multifamily tech platform. That range gave her a sharp eye for both the client side and the operations side of running a business, and she brings that perspective to CRM, making sure the team has what they need, clients feel taken care of, and nothing sits still for too long. She lived in Savannah for 12 years and loves her dogs and any excuse to travel.
Jessie Jenkins, Strategy Consultant
Jessie Jenkins is a Strategy Consultant serving as Program Administrator for Leadership Southeast Georgia (LSEGA) through Cecilia Russo Marketing. She brings experience across social services, finance, economic development, and federal consulting, with a strong focus on project management and organizational effectiveness. Jessie is known for bringing structure to complex initiatives and helping teams move ideas from planning to execution.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and is an MBA Candidate, Class of 2026. Jessie is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and also holds certifications in Lean Six Sigma, Mental Health First Aid, and Intercultural Protocol. Her work blends strategic thinking with practical implementation, ensuring programs are both mission-aligned and operationally sound. After nearly a decade living and working in Georgia, Jessie remains closely connected to Southeast Georgia’s leadership and economic development community and continues to support regional initiatives through strategic partnerships and collaboration.
Jessie stays energized by coaching fitness classes, experimenting in the kitchen, and spending time with her husband and their puppy.
Emma Tang
“I engaged Cecilia and her team very soon after we launched our business. I needed the word out that I was in a new place and reinforcement/broadcast of my brand. I learned to just be quiet and trust their methods and direction. Four years in, our work is consistently, positively covered in the press, on a monthly basis.”