February 20, 2024
MoxCar Marketing + Communications has promoted Maria Cornelius to senior writer and editor to create compelling content, coach new writers and edit all products across the firm’s spectrum of communications services.
“Almost every piece of work produced by our team members passes through Maria’s trusted and skilled review, and she makes us all better writers and editors as a result,” MoxCar CEO Lauren Miller said. “She has a great devotion to her role and is deeply connected to our clients, delivering on the intricacies of each brand’s tone and style. She is most deserving of this promotion.”
Cornelius has been with the firm for more than a decade, and previously worked for 14 years at the News Sentinel, where she rose through the ranks from reporter to assistant managing editor.
She is the author of the award-winning book, “The Final Season: The Perseverance of Pat Summitt,” which was published by The University of Tennessee Press and chronicles the last season of the legendary Lady Vols basketball coach. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Memphis.
“It’s a fast-paced position to be the final stop for all manner of work from websites to billboards to news releases, but I learned on deadline in a newsroom and now get to work with an amazing team at MoxCar that keeps me busy and engaged,” Cornelius said. “It’s an honor to be promoted for doing the work I enjoy, and I remain ever committed to helping all of our clients deliver their stories with accuracy and professionalism.”
Cornelius is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and is president of the East Tennessee chapter. She serves on the volunteer committee for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, received its Ashley Slagle Roback Courage of the Heart Award in 2019 and was instrumental in bringing back the “pink jersey game” at Smokies baseball. Cornelius also has accepted a new volunteer position in 2024 as a mentor for Leadership Knoxville Scholars and will be paired with a University of Tennessee junior who is majoring in public relations with an interest in sports and education.
She is a graduate of Introduction Knoxville’s Class of 2018 and a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association; Association for Women in Sports Media; Tennessee Sports Writers Association; and NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists. She’s a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and 2020 recipient of its Mel Greenberg Media Award. She also serves on the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame board of governors.
With roots in North Carolina, Cornelius has been in East Tennessee since 1988 and resides in Seymour. An avid lover of animals, she has a pack of rescue pets, including dogs Gus and Sansa and cats Patches, Sophia Maria, Peanut, Sweet Puff, Mox, Harper and three new kittens named Moon, Chase and Carter. Five of the cats came from Young-Williams Animal Center, a client of MoxCar. In her free time, she enjoys covering the Lady Vols as a longtime freelance writer and cheering for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Atlanta Braves and Tennessee Smokies baseball.
About MoxCar Marketing + Communications
MoxCar Marketing + Communications delivers comprehensive, strategic and goal-oriented full-service solutions to leading local, regional and national organizations. Whether building and launching a new brand, promoting a company’s products and services or providing tailored solutions for specific initiatives, opportunities and challenges, MoxCar is dedicated to delivering results that impact the bottom line and drive missions forward. Founded in 1992 and formerly known as Moxley Carmichael, the agency was purchased by long-time executives in 2022 and rebranded as MoxCar in 2023 to pay homage to its legacy and represent its modern marketing and communications offerings. From strategy through execution and evaluation, MoxCar provides clients with creative, customized and complete communications services, including public, media, community and government relations; marketing; branding; research; graphic design; advertising; digital and social media; website development; internal communications; special events; and more. Let’s create magic. To learn more and set up a discovery meeting, go to moxcar.com.
