Anita A. Brightman, APR, Fellow PRSA, is a nationally acclaimed communications executive and the founder and CEO of A. Bright Idea Advertising & Public Relations, a full-service, award-winning agency with offices in Maryland and California. With over three decades of experience in strategic communications, Anita is widely regarded as a leader in integrated communications, public affairs, and creative campaign development across government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. Anita delivers the strategic vision for client and business operations for offices on the East and West Coast and efficiently manages multimillion dollar communication programs.

As one of the few agency leaders in the United States to hold both the APR (Accredited in Public Relations) credential and induction into the PRSA College of Fellows, Anita represents elite-level expertise in her field, distinguished not only by mastery of strategic communication but also by a career of ethical leadership, innovation, and impact. She earned her APR designation in 2003 and was inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows in 2014, joining fewer than 1,000 communications professionals nationwide who received this honor.

Ms. Brightman not only offers sound public relations and public affairs guidance to colleagues and clients, but also approaches her own business strategically. Growth and expansion over the years was measured, intentional and reflective of the agency’s strategic business plan. In 2011, Ms. Brightman opened a second location in Northern California and a third in Southern California in 2018. Concurrently, she expanded the agency’s office space at its Maryland headquarters to create a creative campus for advertising, public relations, video, and graphic design teams.

Anita holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from Towson University and a Masters in Publication Design from the University of Baltimore. Since founding A. Bright Idea in 1996, Anita built the agency into a trusted partner for high-profile clients including Leidos, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Amtrak, and the Baltimore Orioles, delivering integrated services that span public relations, branding, advertising, design and video production. Her leadership guided the agency to earn dozens of industry awards, including PRSA Best in Maryland, Best in Show, Telly Awards, and AVA Digital Awards. In 2021, the PRSA Maryland Chapter recognized Anita with their PRSA Maryland Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring her decades-long contributions to the public relations profession, mentorship of emerging practitioners, and commitment to community impact.

Driven by creative vision and quiet dignity, Anita Brightman continues to lead A. Bright Idea as one of the premier woman-owned boutique communications firms in the country.