It's hard to believe that we celebrated 20 years in business this past June.

Since MEE's founding in 1990, we've seen tremendous changes in our nation, from the way business is done to the way we share ideas and exchange information. Similarly, over the 20 years, MEE has grown from a spark of an idea that I had while attending University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business to a bustling full-service agency with an award-winning team of researchers, writers, designers and media producers serving dozens of agencies and organizations nationwide and abroad.

Even against the backdrop of the economic turbulence of the last 18 months, we have made significant accomplishments in all areas of the business: audience research, workshops and technical assistance; cutting-edge multimedia design; and social marketing campaigns. We've succeeded in staying afloat and are squarely focused on charting the course for our future success.

Bottom line, we focused on what we could control: cutting costs, thinking smarter and sharpening our expertise in understanding the lifestyle, habits and behaviors of hard-to-reach populations and communicating with them with integrity and ingenuity.

In 2010, MEE achieved a significant milestone in our strategic marketing efforts. We are now listed on the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) schedule, the contracting vehicle of choice for federal procurement officers. This simplified way to market our services to the federal government promises to catalyze changes in our reach and momentum.

As we extend our national footprint in the federal arena, MEE also continues its work on communications and public health projects in key urban markets. Because of our outstanding work in this arena, MEE will be working with the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority (IVPA) to replicate two of our most successful community engagement models in 2011, as part of the Governor's Neighborhood Recovery Initiative, a comprehensive effort to reduce youth violence and increase adult engagement and leadership in the Chicago area.

MEE has leveraged its two decades of knowledge to produce great campaigns for a variety of clients. At the same time, in an effort to stay relevant to the audiences we study and serve, we are expanding our use of Web-based applications and leveraging the power and exponential reach of social media networks.

This annual report highlights some of our research-based, market-driven solutions to the issues facing today's urban and low-income populations living in at-risk environments. I invite you to read and see for yourself the many ways MEE is reaching and influencing hard-to-reach urban and ethnic audiences.