The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Public Relations Department is operating under new leadership with the recent hiring of IMS Communications Director Jeremy Riffle.

A longtime communications specialist with extensive experience implementing public relations and marketing strategies, Riffle most recently worked in that capacity locally with Carrier Corporation as manager of public relations, and with the Bohlsen Group as director of public relations, event services.

Riffle was formerly a public relations consultant for Team Penske where he implemented media relations campaigns for Philip Morris USA’s IndyCar Series partnership with Penske Racing.

Joining Riffle as a new face on the IMS Public Relations team will be Senior Manager of Communications John Schwarb, who will begin his duties on July 21, 2014.

Schwarb covered the Verizon IndyCar Series, NASCAR, NHRA and other racing from 2005-09 for ESPN.com, the world’s largest sports website. During that time he also wrote for the Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis Monthly and NCAA.org.

A former sportswriter for the St. Petersburg Times, Schwarb most recently was a writer and website producer for the PGA Tour, where he covered the Web.com Tour and coordinated coverage for the 50-and-over Champions Tour, and the “golf insider” for Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing arm, where he wrote about golf travel destinations in Florida.

Suzi Elliott joined the company in 2005 in Retail Merchandising and moved to the IMS Public Relations Department in April 2007 as the public/media relations liaison. Elliott has been promoted to the title of IMS media relations manager after proven success in working with journalists on the local, regional and national levels.

Tom Surber began his duties at IMS in March 2011 as public relations media manager, and recently his title has been changed to manager of editorial content public relations. Surber is responsible for writing press releases, providing content for the IMS website and working with the media to promote IMS events. Prior to his arrival at IMS, Surber worked in public and media relations for more than two decades at USA Track & Field.