Thirty five years ago, founding father Jeffrey Barnhart, ignited Creative Marketing Alliance to help other companies grow and achieve their strategic imperatives through innovative marketing and communications.  Jeff has led the agency through years of success by providing expert guidance to organizations of all sizes and industry backgrounds across the globe.  With Jeff at the helm, the agency has grown exponentially over the years, mostly in the past decade, keeping pace with the ever-changing means for providing powerful solutions for building businesses.

Brag time – Being recognized as the Outstanding Small Business of the Year by the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce is an honor that CMA proudly accepted.  Jeff has also been named Small Business Person of the Year by the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, appointed to the Small Business Council of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was a regional finalist for Inc. magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year award and received the American Red Cross Richard B Mack award for communications excellence.  He also served two terms as President of the American Diabetes Association Central Jersey Chapter, leading many of the Chapter’s fundraising activities.

Jeff played a pivotal role in the integration of marketing and sales through three company mergers at Philips Lighting and the launch of one of the first energy-efficient, environmentally beneficial lighting products in the U.S. market.  He has created brands, launched companies, created new programs and introduced new products for a variety of companies from Fortune 100 to startups.  He was instrumental in introducing the EPA Green Lights program, the first voluntary government program that advocated using new lighting technologies to reduce electricity demand – the precursor to the current Energy Star program.

Realizing a void and seizing an opportunity in the transaction card industry, he created, branded and launched the International Card Manufacturers Association, which today boasts 240 member companies in 39 countries around the globe and is known as the Voice of the transaction card industry.

An avid boater and fisherman, don’t look for Jeff on land during the weekends.  If you’re offshore in the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico, you may catch a glimpse of the Captain with the poles in the water searching for the best catch of the day.  Three four-legged, furry friends are Jeff’s kids, who frequently tag along to work to hang out with their friends.  Jeff brings the play hard culture to the office, picnicking throughout the summer with the crew.

Rider University – Bachelor’s degree in Journalism Jeff was also honored with Rider’s Department of Communication and Journalism’s Alumni Achievement Award, serves on the Rider Communications Advisory Board and the Strategic Advisory Committee