Creative Marketing Alliance History

Creative Marketing Alliance, Inc. was founded in 1987 by Jeffrey E. Barnhart, a former marketing executive for Philips Lighting Company of Hightstown, N.J. and part of N.V. Philips, the 13th largest corporation in the world.

The CMA Marketing and Communications business embodies and continues to build upon two decades of successful marketing and communications programs for a wide variety of clients.

In its founding year, CMA retained its first trade association client, a development that led to the formation of the present-day CMA Association Management business, which currently serves over one dozen regional, national and global professional and trade associations.

In 2007, CMA’s 20th anniversary year, CMA Healthcare Marketing was established to provide specialized healthcare marketing and communications expertise acquired through our history of achieving marketing goals for clients in the healthcare industry.

Business Leader

As a business leader, CMA participates in many endeavors to strengthen the New Jersey business community. Jeff Barnhart has been named Small Business Person of the Year by the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce. He also has authored numerous business articles and sits on the Communications Advisory Board of Rider University and the Editorial Board of Mercer Business magazine.

Community Leader

CMA has played a distinctive role in the general community, giving financial support and contributing its services to charitable organizations including the Red Cross and the American Cancer Society. CMA President, Jeff Barnhart, is past president of the Central Regional Chapter of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), New Jersey Affiliate, Inc. and a board member of the American Red Cross of Central New Jersey where he recently was presented the Richard Mack Award for communications excellence by the president of the National American Red Cross.

For four years, Jeff co-chaired the ADA's annual black-tie spring fundraising gala, which raised nearly $150,000 for diabetes research and education. In addition, the company provided pro bono public relations services and served as a Corporate Guardian for the Eden Family of Programs Dreams Event, which benefits the lifetime needs of children and adults with autism.

Additionally, CMA has teamed with Law Enforcement for Special Olympics New Jersey to create promotional materials and raise event funding through the Law Enforcement Torch Run and the Annual Central Jersey Law Enforcement Golf Classic. In five years, these pro bono services helped raise over $1.5 million for the Special Olympics.

Overall, CMA has donated more than $500,000 in professional services to assist regional community groups in achieving their worthwhile goals.