 Stacy McCullough, Chief BrandologistWhen Stacy is not serving up her wicked two-handed backhand on the tennis court, she serves as Tonic’s lead planning strategist for all agency clients, overseeing account service, creative development, media planning and public relations. In both venues, she is remarkably agile, fast, smart and successful. But that’s not surprising with the wealth of expertise and credibility she brings from being on the teams at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, NBC Sports and 17 years as the owner of this agency (recently named one of Kansas City’s top agencies in an independent survey). Stacy’s multiple talents and her will to win give her clients the competitive edge they need. Her many leadership positions within the American Advertising Federation’s national organization continue to give her a frontline view of the latest national trends, topics and technologies. A word of warning: Stacy doesn’t hang with people who can’t play as hard as they work.
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 Kirk Kirkpatrick, Chief IdeologistA dynamic part of Tonic’s creative leadership, Kirk has been an award-winning copywriter and creative director everywhere he has been. And that’s saying something considering he has worked in Australia, Hong Kong, San Francisco and Kansas City. Kirk brings experience from many major brands: Hong Kong Tourist Association, Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Clorox, Rice-A-Roni (yes, he has done a “ding, ding” cable car commercial), Hidden Valley Ranch, K.C. Masterpiece and Bell Telephone. He also holds an MBA and taught graduate marketing for three years at UMKC’s prestigious Bloch School. When he isn’t having fun at the office, he has fun playing Australian Football.
For more about Kirk visit kirkkirkpatrick.net |
 Lori Akers, Master DesignologistGrowing up on a farm outside Osage City, Kansas, Lori decided early on she’d rather be slinging b.s. than shoveling it. That early insight later led her up the road to Lawrence, where she received a degree in graphic design. Even today, Lori is still known to go into the “rock, chalk, Jayhawk” chant late in televised KU basketball games. No surprise then that running is one of her hobbies, it comes in handy when you are regularly chased out of bars full of angry Missouri fans. Lori spent several years as an art director and designer for such well known firms as Hallmark, Buckle and Gear for Sports, before deciding to open her own successful design shop, Brickhouse Studio. After four years, she decided she preferred designing over pounding the pavement and left Brickhouse for Tonic, where she is the senior art director and designer on staff. She partners with Kirk Kirkpatrick and Stacy McCullough on most assignments and has become an avid viewer of The Bachelor, an important team building activity at Tonic.
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 Michelle Cheesman, Media MixologistWith nearly 20 years as a media planner and negotiator, and many additional years of planning and negotiation with her two daughters, Michelle manages all of Tonic’s client media strategies and makes it look easy. She ensures the agency maximizes our clients’ budgets while negotiating the appropriate placement to achieve the given objectives. Michelle is a fanatic about current media trends which allows her to successfully integrate traditional media with new media and other unique opportunities to increase reach and frequency. She’s also seen the business from the client side through her previous positions in sales and marketing with UMB and Nextel Communications. Somehow, she still finds time to hang out at the lake and turn heads. Well, who isn’t going to turn and look in wonder when Michelle cruises by in one of her father’s extensive collection of amphibious cars?
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