I’ve known Bill as a friend, adversary, colleague, and all-around stand-up individual for almost ten years. That’s why I know he’s the perfect fit as ELEVATE’s new Director of Business. Sure, he has the sort of professional experience any agency would want – roles in all areas of advertising, marketing and operations management; clients spanning finance, retail, hospitality and more; and critical account management and leadership skills. But more than that, he understands our culture, our passion, our values and the way we and I work (not an easy task).

Here’s the technical mumbo jumbo for what he’ll be doing at ELEVATE: Bill will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and helping manage day-to-day operations for the group. Along with developing new business relationships, he will also provide tactical direction across all client accounts.

What that means is Bill will be digging into projects and delivering results. I’ve seen him engage clients, involve them in the creative process and earn their trust. And I’m excited to watch him build on our recent growth and help take ELEVATE to the next level.

Welcome, Bill – we’re glad you’re here.

Learn more about Bill, his family and his incredible community involvement on twitter @jasperblack.

To read the “official” release –> click here

Native to the wilds of Detroit, but well-acclimated to Columbus, Mike brings fierce brand, retail, promo and b2b chops to the crew along with vast experience with clients the likes of Coke, Blockbuster, UPS Store, Canadian Tire, Chase Bank, Eli Lilly and your Columbus Crew (to name a scant few).

Add to that a background in design and mix in hours (and hours) of stories from his former lives as a touring musician and owner of a coffeehouse, and it’s clear: Mike’s one of the most dangerous writers in Columbus and we’re damn proud to have him.

Give the man-monkey a follow on twitter @mike_rehfus – if you dare.

Now enjoy a little taste of the gun show!

I could talk all day about her talent and experience. Blah blah blah. But what’s really important is how rare it is to find people who “get it.” Heidi is one of those people. She’s in perfect alignment with ELEVATE’s philosophy, has an unbelievable work ethic and is dependable to a fault.

I worked with Heidi for several years prior to forming ELEVATE and I consider her a good friend that I hold in high regard. I know her ability to plan, organize and flat out get things done is going to be a benefit to our crew and clients. Add that to her personality, and she fits right in with the way we work.

Heidi will be challenged with keeping me on task (good luck), enabling Kim and her account team to focus on client relations, helping Darren prioritize and chasing Jared among many other things. It’s more than a full-time job, but she just has this way of making it look easy.

Get to know Heidi, learn about her upcoming wedding to the “stud” known as Ed and what’s happening with her house hunting explorations by giving her a follow on twitter @HK02.

Welcome Heidi.

ELEVATE would like to welcome Korey Ferguson into the mix. Sure, he’s got design skills. Yes, we believe he can think on his feet. But it’s his dislike of large cats and natural ability to be a smartass that made him a fit.

Korey, a CCAD grad, previously worked for Graphica, a design and communications firm in Dayton. While there, he worked with clients such as Proctor & Gamble, JC Penney, and IBM. Korey is also involved with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club and the Columbus Big Brother/Big Sister program—Nice guy, huh?

Before joining ELEVATE, Amanda was a web designer at Abercrombie. Along with her e-commerce projects there, she kept busy as a freelance designer. Her portfolio includes work for academic, fashion, fitness, music, theater, architecture and community service clients. After developing complete marketing systems for many of her clients, she’s comfortable designing and producing a variety of elements – from internal communications to print and outdoor advertising. This versatility comes in handy at ELEVATE, where she’s already shown her ability to jump into a variety of projects and help produce great work.

We’re focused on finding the right people to add to the dynamic here at ELEVATE. Amanda has the energy, attitude and hard-working ethic that matches our personality. Plus she brings a fully loaded music collection to add to the studio’s soundtrack.

Learn more about Amanda, her passion for design and what’s currently on her playlist by following her on twitter @aparkerdesign

Bringing Darren on board really highlights the ELEVATE philosophy of who we want to work with. It’s all about relationships. Sure, Darren is skilled at writing all sorts of communications from brochures and direct mail to print and broadcast. But he’s also someone I’ve now worked with at three organizations. His resume shows the talent, but my experience with him shows that he has a personality that fits our style.

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of working with and being entertained by Darren, you should know that his background includes concepting and writing for clients in healthcare, automotive, retail and public service to name a few. His big ideas and well-crafted words will be put to good use, helping our clients deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time. In the studio he will be a source of entertainment and a catalyst for lively discussions that will most likely stay within these walls.

Learn more about Darren and discover why he’s “that guy,” give him a follow on twitter @dubledex