CHARLES RYAN ASSOCIATES - Key Persons
Alex is the Spike Jonze of CRA, helping take CRA Film's brilliant footage to create remarkable pieces that showcase our clients. Alex has an extraordinary ability to visualize scenes before they're brought to life. He thrives under pressure and is proud of the CRA Film team's ability to maximize their individual talents and expertise to create quality content that looks like the work of a much larger team with a much larger budget.
Alex graduated from Marshall University, where he studied graphic design. He has a unique creative vision and is not afraid to take direction and initiative to produce out-of-this-world quality projects. Since coming to CRA in 2016, Alex has worked on projects for all sorts of industries and all kinds of clients, but has worked most frequently with Anthem, one of the largest health care insurance companies in the country.
Alex is the Spike Jonze of CRA, helping take CRA Film's brilliant footage to create remarkable pieces that showcase our clients. Alex has a remarkable ability to visualize scenes...
Job Titles:
- Chief Communications Officer
- Owner
With degrees in mass communication and journalism, Alisha brings a passion for writing and journalistic principles to her role at Charles Ryan. She also brings a strong work ethic and drive-at 39, Alisha became the youngest co-owner of the firm in its history. Specializing in public issues and reputation management for CRA's energy and manufacturing, transportation, small business, government and nonprofit clients, she also leads the firm's sales and marketing efforts, and media/spokesperson training services.
Alisha is a West Virginia Living's "Wonder Woman," West Virginia Executive's "Young Gun" and Union Mission of West Virginia's "Woman on a Mission." She brings leadership, passion and experience to the team, infusing CRA with an energy of collaboration and know-how.
BJ has been brightening the days of our staff and clients since 2004. Before retiring in summer 2023, she was the first impression for everyone who walked in the door at the Richmond office (and what an impression she makes). She also organized everything from client meetings and CRA Film shoots to annual agency meetings, travel and much more. BJ was constantly bustling around, problem solving, multitasking and keeping the RVA office stocked and running smoothly - all while enduring good-natured teasing from office leadership.
With a bright personality and positive attitude no matter what, BJ was great at making our employees and guests feel right at home. She brought a wealth of life experience to her role - she says she's lived long enough to get to say, "been there, done that." Constantly inspired by the work and people at CRA, she remains our biggest cheerleader.
"My favorite project is always changing but right now it's a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that we teamed up with the Epilepsy Foundation of America and the Cameron Boyce Foundation to produce. As a mom of three, my heart breaks for the Boyce family - no parent should ever lose a child and I'm thankful we can help in education and awareness surrounding SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy)."
Carli started her career at CRA as an intern, but quickly joined the team as an account coordinator. Her creativity and speed in learning new skills really comes in handy when diving into something new, which she's proven on several accounts, especially in the energy and insurance sectors. Carli is also an expert number cruncher and spreadsheet queen, and one of CRA's go-to people for researching complicated subjects.
In less than five years, Carli garnered a Bachelor of Science degree, graduating summa cum laude, and gained a Master of Science degree from West Virginia University with a 4.0 GPA-and she brings that same dedication and discipline to Charles Ryan Associates.
After working with CRA on contract projects, Carsen Young eventually joined the digital team full time. With two Bachelors of Arts degrees from Lynchburg College in music and art, Carsen brings a unique sensibility to the development world. He first worked in marketing doing graphic design and then web design before moving primarily into development, and that familiarity with design ensures that the back end and front end come together seamlessly in his projects.
Carsen has an innate ability to adapt and thrive when life-or work-throws an unexpected curveball. He prides himself on being open to new experiences and approaching life with curiosity and a love of learning. This love shows up in his varied interests and hobbies-including improv comedy, keeping bees, making pizza from scratch, and working as a volunteer EMT, just to name a few.
After working at CRA from 2013 to 2015, Christine rejoined the agency in 2018 ("I just couldn't stay away," she says). Christine is a graphic designer who supports our creative team with an eye towards UI/UX. She has experience in tech, transportation, insurance, energy and manufacturing, making her a vital asset to both our traditional creative team as well as our digital crew. She enjoys blending traditional graphic and experience design, and working through the strategic challenges that come with each of them.
A proud JMU Duke, Christine holds a degree in Media Arts and Design. She has two very good boy pups who support her while she works on her favorite rebranding projects and other design work, or while she is sharpening her creative skills through DIY projects.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Communications Training
Danny manages the CRA Communications & Media Training team, applying years of experience in journalism, presenting and media strategy.
Before joining CRA in 2013, Danny worked in a variety of writing and communications careers, building the skill set that makes him invaluable to our company and clients. He worked as a writer and copy editor with the State Journal for six years, served as the communications manager for the economic and community development organization within the Charleston Area Alliance, and headed communications for the West Virginia State Tax Department.
Danny's background now serves him well in his role as senior account executive. His career path helped him learn a little about a lot of topics, as well ask how to ask the right questions to get to the heart of a subject.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Office Manager
Every office has that one indispensable person its staff can't live without. For the CRA CRW office, that's Doris! She organizes office operations and procedures, controls correspondences, designs and maintains filing systems, reviews and approves supply requisitions, and oversees all clerical functions. With a track record of strong performance in a high-volume, high-pressure environment, Doris always ensures the smooth operation of the office and its staff. We don't know what we'd do without her.
Doris, affectionately known as "Dorisita", attended the International Fine Arts College in Miami, Florida prior to joining CRA in 2003. Connect with Doris on Facebook!
Job Titles:
- Video Editor / Camera Operator
An avid heavy metal fan and filmmaker who has won music video awards on a statewide, regional, national and international level, Holly brings a unique vision and self-driven work ethic to the CRA Film team. Before coming to CRA early in 2019, she spent six years as a commercial producer at local television stations. Holly also recently completed her first feature-length film, which she wrote, edited, produced and directed.
Holly has a bachelor's degree from West Virginia University, a master's degree in digital film production from West Virginia State University and a master's degree in creative writing and screenwriting from Full Sail University. When not in the office, you can often find her enjoying time with her children, Trinity Nicole and Raven Cirice.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Account Services
A Mississippi native, Jess has a bachelor's degree in marketing communications and a master's degree in public relations. She comes to CRA after nearly a decade in advertising and marketing for retail. Her background also includes experience with healthcare and tourism, as well as a stint in computer tech.
Jess' previous roles have instilled in her a dedication to thoroughness and simplicity-the importance of taking complicated subjects and making them comprehensible by all. She also has indispensable data analysis skills and can distill results to relevant, actionable metrics. Jess says her career has created a solid communication foundation that is extremely customer-focused, and she is excited to offer these skills to clients at CRA.
Job Titles:
- Media
- Vice President, Media and Insights
Media maven Kimm's experience stretches coast to coast. A northern California native, Kimm graduated from Arizona State University and has worked across the country doing everything from market research for national law firms to digital project management for a greeting card producer. Because of her varied background, Kimm is familiar with markets across the nation and has specialized in industries such as automotive, travel, entertainment, gaming, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy and utilities, non-profits and advocacy.
With a flair for analytics and strategy, Kimm focuses on creating omni-channel strategies for our clients and ensures the campaigns are positioned to drive the highest engagement. She loves the thrill of negotiating and is a pro at ensuring budgets are aligned across media channels to provide maximum results. In an ever-changing media landscape Kimm is always researching the latest programs, platforms and tools to take clients to the next level.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Account Services
Kyra's work ethic and initiative have been helping move Charles Ryan Associates forward since 2009. Her attention to detail and 100% commitment to our clients' goals make her a natural leader on our account team. With expertise in insurance, energy, manufacturing and more, Kyra handles the day-to-day needs of her clients and still finds time to support other account leaders with ease. She's managed brand launches for new companies, video production, mergers and much more.
Kyra is organized and obsessed with results, yet constantly positive. She might be "driven to the point where it's a little too much" (her words), but that drive makes the entire team better. She maintains a sense of humor no matter what the job throws at her, which is why she is consistently able to produce the best results.
Lee is CRA's writing aficionado, crafting key messaging and content strategy across a plethora of clients, industries, projects and styles. Lee is a pro when it comes to tone, language and voice, adapting copy to fit the audience. That may not be surprising, considering he's a published poet.
Lee's forte is storytelling. Our clients have tales to tell, and he knows how to pen them as ad campaigns, social media content, news releases, website copy, blog posts, longform articles and more.
He has an English degree from the Virginia Military Institute, and he's built a career in digital account and communications management. That means his writing runs the gamut from traditional editorial to digital writing and website creation. He applies those skills to capture contemporary ideas that consider trends in a way that gives those words, sentences and paragraphs a long shelf life - something readers can take away and remember.
In a world where everything is becoming digital, Marlyne brings a passion for old-school print and hands-on craft that really sets her work apart. She brings a distinct aesthetic to her designs, whether done by hand or using digital tools, and as our print production manager, Marlyne ensures that all printed collateral is executed to the highest standards for our clients.
A VCU grad, Marlyne joined CRA in 2016 and has become instrumental to our insurance, manufacturing and transportation teams. In that time, she has grown in the agency environment, and is a true self-starter, able to breeze through assignments independently and efficiently. She's organized and driven, often staying well ahead of deadlines when executing changes or designing new pieces (and while thinking about the next concert she's planning to attend).
Born and raised in West Virginia, Mary received a bachelor's degree in advertising and a master's degree in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University. A true people person, Mary enjoys working within a team setting and takes pride in contributing positively to projects and campaigns. She maintains lasting relationships both personal and professional and is as dedicated to her clients' wins as they are.
Mary loves to learn a company's culture and figure out the best way to position that organization for success. Her experience in energy, manufacturing and insurance has been a major advantage to our Charleston office since 2017.
Job Titles:
- Chief Creative Officer
- Owner
Matt has made the ultimate journey within CRA, starting as an intern in 1997, becoming a full-time employee the following year, and working his way up to Chief Creative Officer and co-owner in the two decades since. And though he is a (very proud) graduate of West Virginia University, Matt was integral in opening Charles Ryan's Richmond office, helping to expand CRA's Mid-Atlantic presence. It's a credit to Matt and the team that some of those very first Richmond clients still work with CRA today, nearly 20 years later.
Matt's years at CRA have given him the ability to look beyond individual tasks and executions, and instead see the overall direction that a strategy needs to take to reach the right audience and move the needle. He guides consumer perceptions by confidently leading creative executions across industries including health care, energy, insurance, manufacturing, public issues, tourism, financial and many more.
Matt Isner - Chief Strategy Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Strategy Officer
- Owner
Chief Strategy Officer Matt Isner loves to dive under the surface on projects to find a surprising way to make them authentic, interesting and engaging. He looks at industries like energy and transportation and finds important stories to tell. Matt has honed this strategic eye at CRA since joining in 2001 as an assistant account executive.
A co-owner and one of the leaders in the Richmond office, Matt enjoys taking traditional experience into the digital space, testing messaging and creative, and finding the right audiences. He also thrives on bringing team members together with different expertise, strategies and backgrounds so that we can provide the best overall solutions to our clients. "Together we are smarter," he likes to say.
Megan brings a unique perspective to her role as Senior Account Executive because she first worked with Charles Ryan Associates as a client during her decade-plus tenure at a major health care insurance company. Her ability to put herself in the client's shoes-because she has been there-makes her excellent at providing top-notch account service, as well as understanding the challenges that clients and audiences bring to the table.
A graduate of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, Megan redefines "well-rounded." She is a voracious reader, writer, singer, baker, and mother. She even worked as a make-up artist in a past life. She brings creativity and grit to her job, always determined to find a solution.
Meredyth is a testament on how to build a long career at Charles Ryan Associates. She started as an intern in 2006 while still a full-time student at VCU, and since then, her persistent nature has propelled her clients forward and her to a role in leadership. (Fun fact: her first client is still a client of CRA today.) She's also grown her family (adding a husband, two daughters and a son), and helped in the growth of CRA.
She's curious and detail-oriented, which leads to strategic solutions that get to the bottom of any client challenge. It's the relationships she's built, though, that drive her each day. In her current role, Meredyth manages one of CRA's largest clients while also helping to mentor internal account staff and provide insights to executive leadership. She has experience in every industry CRA serves, but insurance is her specialty, where she has helped garner awards-and more importantly, record-breaking results, for her clients.
"My favorite CRA project involved a video and media campaign for Mountain Stage, which is a live radio show based in Charleston. I love Mountain Stage and think it's something West Virginians can take pride in. They're great folks. More people should know about Mountain Stage and want to invest in it-and CRA worked to help make that happen."
Nora is a quiet powerhouse in our digital department. As our digital digital, she combines right-brain and left-brain skills to create website designs that not only look beautiful, but also get results. She is detail-oriented, a skill that lends itself especially well to front-end development and design, where a few pixels can throw off an entire layout.
A graduate of JMU with a major in Converged Media and a minor in Art, Nora is a fast learner and self-motivated to learn new skills, which helps her stay at the top of her game in a quickly changing industry (as well as with DIY home improvement work around the "project house" she and her husband own). Since joining CRA in 2018, Nora has worked mainly with our insurance, lottery, tourism and energy clients.
Job Titles:
- Executive Producer
- Vice President
Rick has been providing creative and strategic development at Charles Ryan Associates since 1987. Over all of those years, he has made magic, contributing innumerably to every industry on the roster, from energy and transportation to education and nonprofit. As Executive Producer of CRA Film, Rick ensures a high level of quality despite an often-chaotic film schedule that takes our team around the region and country on a regular basis.
Rick calls himself a "manic perfectionist," but he is able to apply that trait to his work, churning out impeccable work. He combines the creativity of a dreamer, the production sense of a realist and extensive knowledge to produce superior results for our clients-some of which he has worked with for two decades straight!
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Owner
As Chief Executive Officer of Charles Ryan Associates, Susan brings a feisty attitude and sense of fun to her role as well as her work with clients. Susan spearheads our overall strategy with her organizational skills, leadership and sales ability. She joined CRA in 1998, working in the Transportation Practice Group and soon expanded to become a key player in our Energy Practice Group-although her long tenure with the company has allowed her to impact every industry we work with. She has managed multi-million dollar statewide transportation campaigns, utility expansion projects, controversial elections and health care certificates of need.
While at CRA, Susan has racked up too many awards to list. She was named one of West Virginia Executive's "Young Guns," West Virginia State Journal's "40 under 40," and was featured in WV Focus Magazine's "Wonder Women" issue, focusing on WV's most powerful women who are breaking the status quo and proving leadership has no gender. She has been awarded WV PRSA Public Relations Professional of the Year and recognized as a "Who's Who in West Virginia Business." Most recently, Susan was named a top 10 CEO from Industry Era and served as the 2019 commencement speaker at her alma mater, Marshall University.
CEO Susan Lavenski began her career at CRA in 1998. Partners Alisha Maddox, Matt Fidler and Matt Isner have been at CRA for 20 years plus. The executive management team bought the company in 2015 and have expanded CRA's footprint. We have become one of the nation's leading digital communications firms, working for some of the largest, most recognizable brands.
Job Titles:
- CRA in 2023 As a Digital Media Strategist
- Digital Media Strategist
A graduate of Miami University, Sydney joined CRA in 2023 as a Digital Media Strategist. In this role, she works with the team on digital marketing strategy, media placement and social media management for our clients. She uses insight gained through market research and competitor trends to implement online tools that promote our clients, their brands and that align with their company goals. Sydney is hard working and self-motivated! When she's not at the office, you'll find her at the gym, reading or traveling. She's always looking for the next great story or destination.
Tommy speaks his own language around CRA, but thankfully he is able to translate the intricacies of web development into English for our team and our clients. He joined CRA in 2005 after earning a bachelor's degree from WVU and a master's from Marshall University and has since grown our digital department into a powerhouse within Charles Ryan.
Overseeing digital projects through all phases of development, performing triage on a pesky 404, researching new technology solutions-Tommy is constantly juggling tasks to help our clients get ahead. And when Tommy isn't elbow-deep in code, he is working with clients or strategizing user experience (all with his signature dry sense of humor and a comeback always on the tip of his tongue). Tommy always knows the questions to ask that will make or break a project-but thankfully his greatest skill at CRA is fixing things.