Mower, one of the largest independent marketing, advertising and public relations agencies in the U.S., recently announced a series of promotions.
Bruce Wodka Promoted to Director of IT—Wodka, who has been with Mower for more than 16 years, continues to serve as an invaluable member and leader of the IT team. Wodka has been instrumental in his role, whether it’s moving data and phone lines to the cloud, disaster recovery planning, office moves or reviewing client contact data sections. He is also responsible for ensuring that all nine of Mower’s offices remain functional in the event of lost power or connectivity.
Matthew Parry Promoted to Management Supervisor, Public Relations—Parry joined the agency in 2003, serving as a public relations account executive, and has led a variety of business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients over his 16 years with Mower. Parry, who earned his master’s degree in public relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Brigham Young University, has a client list that includes Siemens, Mackenzie Hughes, National Grid and Sun Chemical. He serves as an integrated account leader for the latter.
Steven Wheeler Promoted to Creative Supervisor—Since joining Mower in 2014, Wheeler has become known across the agency for his excellent design skills, digital acumen, ability to concept and execute compelling creative, and for his positive attitude and ability to collaborate. Wheeler, a graduate of SUNY Oswego, has served as an invaluable player on several accounts such as Helio Health, ConnextCare, Welloh, National Grid and FirstEnergy.
Kelly Glath Promoted to Project Manager—A Le Moyne College alumna, Glath joined Mower in 2018 after serving as a marketing specialist with Meridian IT Inc. During her time with the agency, Glath has become a highly valued member of the project management team, consistently demonstrating skills in managing both digital and traditional projects across a variety of accounts including FirstEnergy, Carestream Dental and ICU Medical.
Jeff Peters Promoted to Director, Strategic Planning—Since joining Mower in 2016, Peters’ has played an integral role at Mower. Drawing on his passion, talent and a robust background while working on several new business opportunities, as well as leading brand and go to market and strategy work for clients such as CRRA, Greenworks, Buckman, DS Services, Westchester County and more. The University of Tennessee alumni is also heavily engaged in internal efforts including supporting Mower’s Travel & Tourism specialty.
Mark O’Toole Promoted to Vice President, Managing Director—O’Toole moved into the leadership role for Mower’s Boston office, which provides branding, digital, design, marketing and public relations services to clients in B2B, technology, robotics, clean energy, professional services, hospitality and more, in October of 2018. Since stepping into the leadership role, O’Toole continues to work with clients on marketing and PR strategy, is engaged in agency new business activity, fosters Mower’s positive culture among his team, and leads the agency’s content strategy. A graduate of Emerson College, O’Toole served as senior vice president with The Castle Group, leading its PR team for 13 years, and was the sales marketing manager for New England Cable News (NECN) prior to joining Mower. In addition to his work with the agency, O’Toole is the chairman of the board for the Freedom Trail Foundation.
Heather Lumpp Promoted to Account Supervisor, PR—Lumpp joined Mower in 2017 after several years of working with various NASCAR racing teams including Richard Petty Motorsports; Breaking Limits, LLC; and Tommy Baldwin Racing. At Mower, the Illinois State University alumna works on a wide variety of accounts across the agency’s nine offices including Prysmian Group North America, Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems.
Mikayla Sandner Promoted to Senior Project Coordinator—Originally hired as a temporary employee, Sandner quickly earned a reputation for being a hard-working and dedicated project coordinator, which led to Mower offering her a full-time role in 2018. A graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Sandner has worked closely with clients such as Nucor, Buckman and National Grid.
Lucy O’Donnell Promoted to Senior Content Director—Playing a central role in the creative content for Mower’s New York City office–based clients for nearly three decades, O’Donnell has covered subject matter from resort amenities to high finance to technology software. O’Donnell serves as the leading content producer for the agency’s Travel & Tourism specialty, and her skill, creativity and impressive output have consistently elevated Mower and its clients.
Spenser Thompson Promoted to Assistant Account Executive, PR—Since joining Mower in 2018, Thompson’s eye for design and social media savvy as well as her ability to forge media relationships and develop strong pitches have allowed her to blossom. In her new position, Thompson will continue to play a vital role in Mower’s Travel and Tourism specialty supporting accounts such as CIE Tours, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain and Sofitel New York.
Allie Friedman Promoted to Senior Account Supervisor, PR—Over her nearly nine years at Mower, Friedman has served in various public relations roles, including content manager, strategist, and most recently as an account supervisor. A St. Lawrence alumna, Friedman is known for bringing her collaborative spirit and deep skillset to every project she touches as a valued member of the Buffalo public relations team.
Jashonda Williams Promoted to Business Development & Analytics Specialist—Since joining Mower as a Business Development Coordinator in 2017, Williams has worked diligently to add efficiencies and improvements to the agency’s New Business and RFP response process. She has also increased the level of reporting and assessment involved with New Business opportunities, including the addition of analytic and metric reporting. Before joining Mower, Williams, who is a graduate of the University at Buffalo, served as a digital experience intern with BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and as a communications assistant with the University at Buffalo.
Jill Maiola Promoted to Associate Media Director—Maiola, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, joined Mower more than two years ago, bringing a wealth of media planning and buying experience. Over that time, she has proven to be an effective steward for her media accounts, contributed to several new business wins and solidified herself as a trusted department resource. Prior to joining Mower, Maiola served as an account planner supervisor with Spectrum Reach and a media buyer with SKM Group.
Kara Sanchez Promoted to Program Manager—Sanchez is responsible for leading the project management discipline and team in the Agency’s Buffalo office. In her more than 12 years at Mower, Sanchez has worked on numerous accounts, including HealthNow, National Fuel, Explore & More Children’s Museum and more.
Kelsey Regan Promoted to Senior Project Manager—Since joining Mower in 2015 as a project coordinator, Regan’s willingness to take on new projects and ability to solve problems in the face of challenges has allowed her to quickly progress from project support to project lead. A graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Management, Regan currently serves as lead project manager on the National Fuel and Westchester County Tourism and Film accounts.
Kevin Rush Promoted to Senior Project Supervisor—A leader on the Buffalo project management team, Rush serves as lead project manager on several of the agency’s larger accounts, including KeyBank. Known for his calm and positive “can-do” attitude, Rush, a graduate of the University at Buffalo, also serves as the project management liaison for Mower’s Boston office.
Maggie Hooper Promoted to Management Supervisor—Hooper joined Mower in 2015 after serving in various roles at M&T Bank, BlueCross BlueShield, Buffalo Niagara Partnership and in the British Government’s House of Commons. In her more than four years at Mower, Hooper has managed accounts such as HealthNow, Hospice, Erie Canal Harbor Development, Watkins Glen, Evergreen Health and, most recently, EyeMed. She also serves as Mower’s Healthcare Specialty leader, sharing her infectious passion and enthusiasm for the industry with the team.
Tess Flynn Promoted to Management Supervisor, Public Relations—Flynn joined Mower three years ago when she returned to Buffalo after several years in New York City and Washington, D.C. A graduate of both American University and Georgetown University, Flynn is always looking to up-level the team’s work product by offering a fresh perspective on execution and bringing her smarts and presentation skills, as she consistently finds ways to support clients and drive business forward. She also serves a cross-office role within the agency’s Travel & Tourism specialty practice, supporting both Buffalo and New York with seamless connectivity and collaboration.