As a successful media relations expert who has worked with the likes of NBC Universal, Paramount Domestic and Twentieth Television over the past 15 years, Daniella Cracknell did not expect to find herself a new resident of Knoxville, TN.

“I lived the Sex and the City lifestyle in L.A. and N.Y.,” explained Cracknell about moving to the South. “I was terrified and thought my life was over.” Despite Cracknell’s former employer Scripps deciding to move their headquarters in order to be amongst real people, Cracknell continued to travel to both entertainment capitals.  But having now gone off to start her own media relations company, Leonard George, which is named after her late actor-father, she’s decided to stay put in Knoxville. “It’s absolutely beautiful here, Tennessee is really an underappreciated state.”

Ms. Cracknell’s physical location has not precluded her from representing interesting start-ups, up-and-coming television personalities and nonprofits.  She has reconnected with one of her old bosses, a former executive of A Current Affair, on a fundraiser this August in Los Angeles, which will benefit disabled orphans in Vietnam. Another organization that has become near and dear to her heart is Airline Ambassadors, which provides humanitarian aid internationally, often by flying to disaster-struck locations that might otherwise be unreachable by plane.

Her efforts with Airlines Ambassadors, and even having been invited to join the emergency rescue crew to Haiti, one of the first planes to touchdown and bring supplies to the Port au Prince after the 2010 earthquake, has built awareness.  While Cracknell did not end up joining Airline Ambassadors to Haiti, she secured the Oprah Show to be on that flight. This later inspired Cracknell to lead her first humanitarian mission to South Africa, an inspiring and life-changing experience she hopes to mirror in a future visit to the orphanage in Vietnam.

“I just experienced so much love from these kids,” Cracknell said of her South African trip. “They were like ‘I love you just because you’re here with us.’”

While Cracknell has concentrated a fair amount of her time on international philanthropic endeavors, her career as a media relations expert has had its fun perks too. Cracknell reflected fondly on her work with the legendary Dick Clark, one of the hosts of short-lived but groundbreaking male-hosted talk show The Other Half, which she led the national publicity campaign for. After seeing the celebrated TV personality stress over his overflowing workload one day, Cracknell tapped into her role of mentor, encouraging him, “But you’re Dick Clark! You can do anything!” Establishing that trust allowed her to later convince Clark to do a photo shoot for “People Magazine” which he did…dressed in drag.

In her spare time, Cracknell has managed to squeeze in an old hobby of hers—long distance bike riding. Somehow she got coerced into riding in a 65-mile fundraiser sponsored by Fitness Magazine which she agreed to so she could raise money for her new young friends in South Africa.

Cracknell proves to be a perfect example of a professional who can incorporate philanthropy into almost all aspects of her life. Despite working in the fast-paced, money-focused entertainment business, Cracknell spends time and money to help less fortunate internationally-based children.  She is an ideal role model for all.