Business Insider named me one of the 25 most creative people in advertising. Ridiculous, but I tell everyone I meet anyway...

 I'm a craft-obsessed conceptual thinker, always striving to generate work that moves mountains. I’ve worked on some of the country’s biggest brands and spent years managing and nurturing creatives. All while doing my best to be a remarkably nice guy.

I grew up in the Washington DC area, where I return every year to visit with family and feast on Chesapeake Bay crabs. After climbing the local ladder of agencies there, I made my way to Detroit in 2003.

When I’m not slaving away at advertising, I’m being a dad, trying to write the next great American novel (I’m currently procrastinating on unpublished manuscript #3), or continuing the obsessive, never-ending search for the next great indie band (suggestions welcome). I stay pretty busy.


AWARDS

 Cannes
2 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze

D&AD
1 Pencil Slice

Andys
1 Gold

One Show
2 Silver, 1 Merit

London International
1 Gold, 2 Silver

Clios
Gold Special Honor, 1 Gold, 4 Silver

New York Festivals
1 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze

Shorty Awards
Best Twitter Campaign of the Year

Effies
3 Gold

ADDYs
Numerous, including Best in Show

Obie Awards
Finalist

Adweek
Media Plan of the Year

Father of the Year
Numerous times





EXPERIENCE

 2021 – present
Executive Creative Director - King, East Lansing, MI

• Responsible for creative direction and agency creative product
• Partnering on strategic direction of all agency brands
• Running a creative department serving dozens of clients, meeting both short- and long-term project needs
• Oversee creative department and production of all creative
• Helped the agency win five new business pitches in first 6 months


2011 – 2021
SVP Integrated Group Creative Director - Leo Burnett, Troy, MI

• Providing direction, mentorship and inspiration to 20 creatives
• Partnering with the agency’s top account and planning leads to provide strategic leadership for multiple key accounts
• Managing the departmental and creative integration of traditional, digital and social media
• Creative Director on GMC during multiple successful vehicle launches including their flagship vehicle, the GMC Sierra
• Clients included NCAA, General Motors, Envo Water, Alchemy Goods
• Notable mentions
 - Won the pitch for NCAA
 - Named a Leo Burnett Worldwide network All-Star
 - Named one of the 25 Most Creative People in Advertising: 2012 by Business Insider
 - Profiled alongside some guys named Droga and Bogusky by Adweek
 - Responsible for the successful rebranding and relaunching of Certified Service, GM’s largest and most profitable division
 - Won multiple awards including Cannes, D&AD and The One Show


 1994 – 2011
VP, Group Creative Director - Doner, Southfield, MI

• Managed a group of up to eight teams on some of the agency’s biggest accounts
• Provided creative and strategic leadership on Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Expedia, Harman Kardon, Simply Orange, Great Wolf Lodge, Wilson Tennis
• Other client experience included Minute Maid, Blockbuster, Arby’s, Progressive, Public Storage, The Food Network, Memorex, Sylvan Learning Center, Bally Total Fitness, Del Taco
• Notable mentions:
- Won six pitches: Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Del Taco, Choice Hotels, Great Wolf Lodge social media, Wilson Tennis
 - Rebranded and relaunched Expedia, reestablishing category dominance
 - Won multiple awards


 FURTHER READING