Jessica Taper, APR

With seventeen years of experience in the field of marketing, corporate event planning and public relations, Jessica Taper offers clients a diverse range of experience including developing strategic marketing communication plans and managing a variety of events for technology companies, professional service firms and their clients, not-for-profit organizations, health care organizations, a public service agency, a university, business-to-business clients, and a world-class competition athletic facility. 

She founded Taper Communications in 1994 to provide her clients with public relations, media relations and strategic marketing services. Over the past ten years the company has grown under her leadership and in addition to public relations and marketing communications, the firm provides full-service strategic event planning and management.

In 1992, Jessica co-authored Shaping the Corporate Image: An Analytical Guide for Executive Decision Makers.  Her book was recently selected as one of the top-50 public relations books ever published.  She is a frequent speaker on public relations and marketing issues.  Organizations she has addressed include the Texas Society of CPAs, the Dallas Bar Association, the Dallas Business League, the Professional Services Marketing Association, and the Public Relations Society of America.

She is an active member of Meeting Professionals International and the Public Relations Society of America, Dallas Chapter, where she has served a variety of positions on the Board of Directors, including Vice President. Jessica has served on the Board of Directors of the Helping Hands Auxiliary, which benefits the Family Place. Additionally, she served on the Board of Directors of the Dallas Business League for more than three years. She also chaired the public relations committee for the American Heart Association’s Women and Heart Health luncheon for three years.

Jessica graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Journalism degree and is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America.  She is an active member of the PTA Board and a frequent volunteer in the community.

Howard Taper, CPA

With sixteen years of experience in various areas of accounting, operations, management, business consulting, financial planning and analysis, team building and event management, Howard Taper offers clients a diverse skill set.  His experience includes developing and managing the financial operations for a variety of corporations and overseeing all of the day-to-day financial aspects from the reporting function to contract negotiations to budgeting. Howard offers clients a complete understanding of the bottom-line and tight fiscal management of their budgets.

Howard has managed a variety of events since joining Taper Communications in 1999, including the opening and launch of Compaq Telecom’s Plano headquarters, the opening of Metromedia’s newest concept – the Plano Tavern, the Millennium Jaguar Dealership Grand Opening, the Telvista – formerly CompUSA Call Center Services Advisory Council Annual Meeting, and the Olympic Trials for Track Cycling at the Superdrome in Frisco. His experience in public accounting and a variety of corporate environments is a valuable asset in the planning and evaluation process for events and his attention to detail makes him a key player in the execution of events.

Howard graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting.  He is a CPA, certified by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.  He is involved in coaching youth soccer and softball.