ABOUT US

TEAM

We are business, marketing and communications professionals, brand builders, product and supply chain innovators, and technology mavens. We build and grow brands with passion and purpose to thrive in the marketplace.

Founded in 2017 by Brent Robertson, President, a 25+ year brand development and marketing communications professional with vast experience building and growing global and regional brands.

 

Brent Robertson, Founder / President

Brent has provided strategic and creative counsel to clients locally and globally to build and grow brands, promote organizations, regions, and countries. He is a results-driven serial entrepreneur, marketing and creative professional and former principal in various New York City brand strategy and communications agencies serving a breadth of clients.

A South Fork transplant, Brent worked in a variety of family hospitality businesses including The American Hotel in Sag Harbor. Brent resides in Greenport, and is active on the Southold Town Economic Development Committee as well as being a Slow Food East End and Specialty Food Association member. Brent holds a BFA in Communications Design from Pratt Institute, and has won numerous gold awards from the American Marketing Association for effective communications. His work is in the permanent collections of MoMA and The Library of Congress.  

Brent is also principal of Brand Robertson, a brand strategy and marketing communications agency serving local and global clients. BrandRobertson.com


 Barbara J. Cohen, Executive Vice President

Barbara, a resident of Peconic, brings almost 30 years of professional experience in real estate development, Business Improvement Districts (BID), community planning and small business assistance.  

Ms. Cohen received a BA in Architectural History & Historic Preservation and a Master's degree in Urban Planning. Her hands-on approach and long-standing reputation ensures the highest quality of technical expertise and professional judgment.


 Lidija Markes, Interactive Designer

Lidija has over fifteen years of experience working in web development. She has a passion for digital content and her past work experience has been in business, higher education, fundraising and development. For the past 10 years, she has managed digital and research programs. Her skills include web development, database creation and management, social media and email marketing, as well as media buying, monitoring, and reporting.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication and International Politics and has a strong business background stemming from an MBA in Accounting in progress.


Peggy Low, Digital Programs Manager

Peggy provides strategic and hands on marketing and social media services with a keen eye and attention to detail to ‘keep the trains running’ for organizations in addition to North Fork Authentic, including GatewayJFK, SoHo Broadway Initiative and provided programming and design coordination services to Huntington Arts Council, MTA Arts & Design and Rosewood Hotels Hong Kong.


 Joanna Pruess, Food and Travel Writer, and Publisher

Joanna Pruess is an award-winning food and travel writer who has written extensively about food for The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Associated Press, etc. She has lectured about food and cultural anthropology at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., The New School, The Morris-Jumel Mansion, onboard Crystal Cruises ships throughout the U.S., and Istanbul and Izmir, Turkey.

Her 15 cookbooks include Cast-Iron Cooking for Two; Soup for Two: Small-Batch Recipes for One, Two, or a Few; and Seduced by Bacon: Recipes and Lore about America’s Favorite Indulgence. For over 30 years, Pruess developed recipes for gourmet retailers and fine markets across the country.

Joanna was the creator and first director of the CookingStudio, a cooking school within the Kings Super Market chain in New Jersey, where she and her 30 instructors welcomed more than 15,000 students in five years. Among her unique classes were those for visually and hearing-impaired students and the learning disabled, as well as historical dinners. She has also taught in underserved schools and the prison system.

Pruess was honored by NYU’s School of Foodservice as the Woman of the Year in Foodservice, Merchandising and Promotion.


 Creative Community

Thanks to the great local North Fork talent that contributed. 

Randee Daddona Photography

Randee is an Emmy Award-winning North Fork based photographer & videographer who regularly shoots for Newsday, Edible, The Wine Press and many more publications and is available for other commercial assignments. Randee captures experiences that communicate the essence of people, places and things.

www.RandeeDaddona.com 

Jeremy Garretson Photography

Jeremy is primarily a fine art photographer who captures magical moments in life and nature. He works in and around the North Fork, the East End and across America. He is also available for commercial assignments.

www.JeremyGarretson.com


North Fork Authentic Advisory Council

North Fork Authentic seeks to establish a North Fork Authentic Advisory Council to act as the primary forum through which the community can provide guidance and feedback for the initiatives we implement. 

The role and responsibilities of the North Fork Authentic Advisory Council will be integrated into the North Fork Authentic By-Laws and other decision-making functions that ensure diversity, and democratic and transparent practices. 

Once formed, the North Fork Authentic Advisory Council will hold bi-annual meetings with the community to provide a wider forum for community involvement. 

Interested in Joining the North Fork Authentic Advisory Council?

 READY TO THRIVE?

We’re All About Getting Results In The Marketplace.

North Fork Authentic
PO Box 612, Greenport, NY 11944
(631) 319-0104
Hello@NorthForkAuthentic.com

Brent Robertson
Brent@NorthForkAuthentic.com

Barbara J. Cohen
Barbara@NorthForkAuthentic.com