Ellen Toplin founded Toplin & Associates, Inc., a marketing, public relations and advertising firm specializing in building solid marketing strategies for corporate and professional clients, in 1982 and served as president of that firm until merging her organization into The Star Group in 2007. Her firm was consistently ranked among Philadelphia’s top public relations agencies by O’Dwyers, The Council of Public Relations Firms and the Philadelphia Business Journal. Toplin & Associates was also a certified women business enterprise and for two consecutive years was named one of the Best Places to Work by the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Acknowledged as a leader and role model in the business community and specifically for women in business, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development named Ellen Toplin as one of the state’s Best 50 Women in Business in 2005 and served as one of the program’s 2006 judges. Toplin was also the recipient of the 2005 Athena Award, which honors business people who “affirm a values-based philosophy of leadership that celebrates relationships and service to the community” from the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. She was also honored by the Montgomery County Women’s Center in April 2006 as one of the four inspiring leaders of the year. In 2006, Toplin was named one of Philadelphia’s 101 “Top Connectors” by Leadership Philadelphia.
Toplin serves on the board of the prestigious Forum of Executive Women, a group of 300 women leaders in the Philadelphia region and previously chaired the group’s strategic marketing and communications committee. She has been nominated to serve (and expects confirmation in June 2007) as secretary of the Forum and to co-chair its prestigious executive suites committee. She is also the in-coming chair of the board of the American Red Cross Blood Services-Penn Jersey Region, and previously served as the group’s vice chair, second vice chair and secretary. Toplin also sits on both the executive and nominating committees of the board, and has chaired the Red Cross’ donor services committee. Toplin also serves as a trustee of the Abington Hospital Foundation Board. She has also been listed in Who’s Who Registry of Rising Young Americans in Society and Business; Who’s Who Registry of Global Business Leaders; Who’s Who Registry of Executives and Professionals; and Who’s Who Registry of American Women.
Also recognized for her leadership by the public relations profession, Toplin received both the DeAnn White Award for Community Service from the Public Relations Society of America’s Philadelphia Chapter and the Hale’s Legacy award for outstanding achievement in the field of public relations from the Philadelphia Chapter of Women in Communications. Elected by the Philadelphia area public relations community, Toplin previously served as a director-at-large of the Public Relations Society of America’s Philadelphia Chapter. She has served as a member of the image enhancement committee of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Pennsylvania and is currently a member of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s marketing advisory board.
Prior to founding her own agency, Toplin was a national account executive for IntaCorp, a division of CIGNA that provided rehabilitation and healthcare cost-containment programs to insurance companies and major self-insured corporations. While at CIGNA, Toplin served as both a line and staff manager, and was responsible for directing the sales force and marketing activities of six district offices.
Toplin, who began her career as a social worker in the Department of Rehabilitation at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, holds a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) from Temple University, and a master’s degree from Antioch College.