The Captiva Marketing team combines the talents of a unique group of professionals that work together to support the marketing and advertising needs of our clients. Specialists, generalists and managers with experience in a wide variety of industries combine their talents to create and manage programs that truly generate results.
Bill Brasser
Partner
Bill brings over 17 years of sales and marketing management and 13 years of strategic SEO experience to the Captiva team. Throughout his career, he has specialized in building and implementing strategic online marketing initiatives that blend with the overall marketing objectives of his clients. Bill's strengths in strategic search, design integration and website usability led to the creation of our Empoweren website content management system, as well as to the creation of hundreds of websites across many industries.
Bill holds a BS in Marketing from Saint Louis University and an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University.
Mark Forst
Partner
As co-founder of Captiva Marketing, Mark brings over 25 years of strategic marketing and 18 years of SEO and online marketing experience to the Captiva team. Mark immersed himself in search engine optimization starting in 1999 and was one of first people in the country to engage in keyword advertising when Yahoo contracted with Goto.com to provide this new service. Over time, he led the transformation of Captiva Marketing into a full-service web design and digital marketing firm. Now, Mark focuses primarily on developing and managing comprehensive strategic marketing and branding programs for Captiva's clients.
Mark earned a BS in Marketing at Miami University and an MBA at the Olin School of Business at Washington University.
Megan McClellan
Web Developer Manager
Megan came to Saint Louis in 2008 with a degree in Professional Writing from the University of North Alabama, but soon found her calling in web development. Building on a college course in the HTML of yesteryear, she is self-taught in the application of modern CSS3, HTML5, Javascript and jQuery in database driven websites and applications. Megan focuses her development skills on creating user experiences that are expressive, meaningful and intuitive. When she isn't obsessing over site usability and content presentation, she's probably bowling, reading books about dragons, or trying mightily to make the fantasy football playoffs.
Julie Gettemeyer
Key Account Manager
Julie joined Captiva Marketing in January 2016. She began her marketing career as a copywriter and has since grown her skill set to include SEO strategy, paid search advertising, and social media marketing. Julie graduated from Truman State University with a BA in Marketing & English. In her free time she enjoys reading, trying to duplicate recipes from Pinterest, and spoiling her dog.
Jon Jensen
Vice President of Technology
Jon Jensen joined Captiva Marketing in 2008. As a veteran programmer with experience creating websites since 1997, Jon also serves as lead web developer for Empoweren. He leads a talented team, creating complex web-based applications using Linux, Apache, MySQL & PHP. Jon has a creative blend of Education with a B.S. in Computer Science and B.A. in Photography from Webster University.
Dan Pyatt
Paid Search Manager
Dan joined the Captiva team in March 2013, bringing with him nearly two years of experience in paid search advertising management, ecommerce and organic search engine optimization. In addition, he has extensive experience collecting and analyzing data to provide insight and recommendations. In his position at Captiva, he works with clients to strategically design and implement online marketing campaigns to drive traffic to their website. Dan holds a BS in Marketing from University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL) and graduated from Francis Howell North High School. He has a passion for sports and is involved with Epilepsy Foundation of St. Louis.
Dani Gregory
Digital Marketing Specialist
Dani joined Captiva in September 2024. She earned a bachelor's degree in Marketing and a Master's Degree in Business and Marketing Education from Auburn University. She worked for Auburn Athletics while pursuing her master's gaining email marketing, data analytics and other digital marketing skills. She received several HubSpot certifications including Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Content Marketing. In her free time she enjoys reading, being outside, watching sports and spending time with her family, friends and pets.
Katelin Hull
Designer
Katelin joined the Captiva Marketing team in June 2024, bringing over a decade of design experience from multiple agencies in the St. Louis area. She graduated from Webster University in 2013 with a BFA in Graphic Design, as well as minors in Web Design and Development. Though she specializes in web design, she is always ready to learn a new technique or medium. Outside of work, Katelin enjoys movie nights and book clubs with friends, playing guitar, and seeing live music. Most evenings, she can be found at her South City home with her husband and two dogs.
Elle Jacobs
Web Developer
Elle Jacobs joined the Captiva team in August 2022 as a front end web developer with a background in health sciences and data analytics. She loves to apply creative and artistic passion to building website and software platforms. In her free time, she likes to play sports, make music, and explore new places and cultures. She also loves being outdoors, camping, and hiking.
Ryan Olsen
Filmmaker
Ryan brings over a decade of experience in directing, cinematography, and film production to the Captiva Marketing and Captiva Studios teams. He aims to continue to create truly memorable, and engaging work with incredible value for both his clients and the company. He is inspired by anything that catches his eye — watching classic movies to finding antique typefaces, visiting museum exhibits to studying event posters, binging television shows to admiring vinyl covers. He loves to read the classics, as well as anything suggested to him, listen to new music, snap photos of good design in the wild, rock climb and cook with his wife, and play with his two golden retrievers. Ultimately, he believes that life doesn't come at you, but from you and he aims to share this in his work.
Katherine Hill
Designer
Katherine joined the Captiva team in August 2024. She brings over a decade of experience in digital and print design and marketing. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design at Lindenwood University, as well as minors in Interactive Media & Web Design and Mass Communications. She believes visually giving life to an idea is the most rewarding experience. She's a proud St. Louis native living with her husband and two cats. She loves serving in her church, discovering new restaurants, and sampling unique coffee blends.
Melissa Berner
Director of Human Resources
Melissa brings over 20 years of marketing and business experience to the Captiva team. Through her career, she gained valuable business knowledge while working at companies including Invacare and Sanofi-Aventis, along with a plastic manufacturing company where she successfully managed both consumer and industrial divisions. At Captiva, she manages accounts, assists with new client development, and is responsible for employee onboarding. Melissa holds a BS in Marketing, as well as an MBA from Fontbonne University. Melissa is involved with school committees in the St. Louis area, enjoys volunteer work, and spending time with her family and friends.
Sarah Hansen
Digital Marketing Specialist (Life Sciences/Healthcare)
Sarah joined the Captiva team as a Digital Marketing Specialist on our Healthcare and Life Sciences team in September 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Digital Marketing and a minor in Anthropology from Lindenwood University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Early in her career, Sarah gained experience developing and implementing paid and organic social and email strategy for a local small business. She holds an SEO Certification with HubSpot Academy and is excited to continue to develop her skillset with Captiva. In her free time, Sarah enjoys listening to country music, playing sports, and gardening.
Erin O'Flaherty
Director of Operations
Erin began her career with Captiva in 2012 and re-joined the firm in her current role in January 2022. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies from the University of Central Florida, she became an Account Manager at Captiva with a primary focus on clients within the law sector. Over the past 10 years, her professional development has grown to include experience in the real estate industry, having managed the complete lifecycle for over $50M in transaction volume and launching the St. Louis market for a Fortune 500 real estate brokerage. As Director of Operations, she enjoys thinking creatively to implement processes and provide efficiencies across multi-departmental efforts. Outside of work, Erin's proudest achievements are being named a Congressional Honoree of the National LGBTQ Task Force and acting as Keynote Speaker for the Human Rights Campaign.
Chelsea Suhre
Senior Account Manager
As a 2012 graduate of Saint Louis University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and concentration in International Business, Chelsea joins Captiva with 10 years of experience in digital marketing, analytics, and project management. On a day-to-day basis, she uses leadership and communication skills to merge her expertise in marketing application with the goals of her clients. Having worked with several Fortune ranked companies, she excels in the strategic planning and execution of complex multimedia marketing campaigns to optimize brand visibility for large corporations. Outside of the office, Chelsea enjoys spending time outdoors, completing home renovation projects, and traveling.
Elizabeth Echols
Senior Web Developer
Elizabeth joined the Captiva Team in May of 2015 and brings with her more than 10 years of experience in web development. In 2001, she pursued a degree in Network Administration where she stumbled into web design, fell head over heels with art in the form of HTML and Adobe Photoshop and never looked back. Liz loves to be creative and she loves to be challenged. In her free time, Liz enjoys backpacking and camping in the hills of Missouri, photography, reading cheesy romance novels, and cheering on the St. Louis Blues.
Patrick Dwyer
Video Production Specialist
Patrick joined Captiva in May of 2024 after graduating from Bradley University with a bachelor's degree in Marketing and Television Arts. When not pursuing his double major, he spent time working for his school's entrepreneurship center, filming a documentary about a local high school, and editing monthly videos recapping the memories he made with friends. For half of his senior year, Patrick studied in Los Angeles while working in independent film distribution. Now, he enjoys watching movies and writing screenplays on the weekends.
Amy Hoffman
Art Director
Amy joined the Captiva team in April 2016. She has experience in web and print design, along with a background in web development. Amy graduated with a BFA in Design Communications and Web Development from Belmont University in Nashville TN. When she is not in the office, you can find her studying user experience design trends or at the local boxing gym.
Meg Carosello
Vice President of Promotional Strategies
With a background in traditional public relations since 2006, Meg joined the Captiva Marketing team in 2009. Meg spearheads social media and public relations strategy and training for Captiva's clients with a focus on social outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and blogs. This includes navigating the ongoing changes to the social ad buying platforms as paid social media continues to grow as effective promotional tool. Meg also manages all aspects of digital and traditional marketing including coordinating website design projects, online marketing campaigns and traditional marketing activities. Meg has a B.A. in Communication with a minor in music from Truman State University.
Kelly Grant
Designer
Kelly joined the Captiva Marketing team in March 2020. She graduated from Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and a minor in Advertising and Promotions. She worked as an in-house designer for a few years but has always been interested in the diversity of industries and projects that agency life brings. In her free time, you can find her practicing her photography and illustration skills, traveling to new places, learning about new design trends, and spending time with her family and friends.
Brett Crow
Multimedia Director
Brett is an award-winning filmmaker, bringing over seven years of commercial, documentary, and narrative experience to Captiva. He draws inspiration through authentic human narratives, the way light shafts form in a dusty room, and remains relentless in pursuit of the next creative challenge.
When not behind the camera or in the edit bay, he enjoys cooking, growing disappointingly patchy playoff beards, and catching up on classic film and television.
Lindsay Brand
Senior Social Media Manager
Lindsay has been with Captiva Marketing since 2018, and her passion is sharing her knowledge of paid and organic social media with her clients. Lindsay graduated with a BS in Marketing from Columbia College and began her career driving marketing efforts in the automotive industry. With over 15 years of experience, Lindsay leads the social media team in development of organic and paid social media campaigns, branding, and consulting. Outside of the office, Lindsay enjoys spending time with her son, going fishing, and is an avid St. Louis Blues and Cardinals fan.
Joseph Leaderbrand
Motion Graphics Designer/Animator
Joseph joined the Captiva Marketing team in March 2021. He has worked in graphic design and animation for over 10 years. Joseph discovered stop-motion animation in 5th grade with his parent's video camera and some sculpting clay. After receiving his BA in Film from Columbia College, he got his start at Midway games as a character animator. Over the years he has deepened his passion for visual storying telling while working with local St. Louis companies. Outside the office, you can find Joseph playing various musical instruments, hiking, skiing, gardening, and practicing yoga.
Bhairavi Kinder
Business Manager
Bhairavi joined the Captiva Marketing team in September 2009. She has an IT background, and was a Systems Analyst for over 10 years with Union Pacific Railroad. Bhairavi's role at Captiva is to facilitate the overall business flow of the company. Her responsibilities include financial management, human resources, hiring, and assisting the development department with equipment setup and maintenance. Bhairavi obtained a BS in Computer Information System from Missouri State University in 1991. In 1996 she earned her MBA from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Bhairavi is married, and has two daughters. She enjoys exercising, traveling, reading and watching her daughters play tennis.
Chris Weis
Vice President of Search & Analytics
Christopher is the Vice President of Search & Analytics at Captiva Marketing. An industry veteran, he has over 17 years of digital marketing experience in both corporate and agency environments. Christopher oversees Captiva's Search Marketing group, the company's SEO/SEM hub which formulates and manages integrated marketing programs for ecommerce and large scale enterprises. His goal is to infuse his clients' business goals into all facets of their online marketing efforts -- from site development and database architecture to usability and engagement to SEO/SEM and beyond.
Shawn Meers
Vice President of Creative
Shawn offers over 15 years of graphic design experience with an emphasis on web site design, interactive design, print design, site flow/usability and illustration. As the director of our design team, Shawn not only manages multiple team members in meeting our quality requirements for design, but also works closely with our clients to deliver marketing pieces that fulfills and exceeds their expectations. Shawn received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with an Emphasis in Graphic Design from Missouri State University.
Katy Watson
Digital Marketing Specialist
Katy joined Captiva in October 2024. After graduating from Missouri State University in 2021, she worked in both agency and in-house settings. Here, she developed a passion for all things SEO and digital marketing. She's excited to use her expertise to help clients drive results. Outside of work, Katy jogs slowly, attempts to sew clothes, sits on patios, plays the Sims, plans trips, and spends time with her friends and family.
Desiree Meyer
Local Market Director
Originally from the Seattle area, Desiree earned her BS in Communications with a focus in Advertising and Public Relations from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Joining the Captiva team in September 2013, Desiree manages comprehensive digital marketing programs for a variety of locally based clients. Her primary focus is developing strategies to build awareness and show return on investment for clients, using a multi-channel marketing approach. Her passions include traveling, hiking, coffee and spending quality time with her 11 nieces and nephews.
Jacob Brcic
Director of Post-Production
As Captiva Studios' Director of Post-Production, Jacob's vision, creativity and technical experience brings one's message to life. His relentless drive and highly trained eye for creating unforgettable photography, videography, and animations that seamlessly integrate with any message is what sets Jacob apart from others in his field. While earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, he fell in love with the art and relationship of photography and design, and has been hooked ever since. In fact, even when he is not working, you'll find him creating inspiring videos from his worldwide travels with his wife, testing the industry's newest gear and constantly refining his unique skillset.
Rachel Sipes
Digital Marketing Strategist
Rachel joined the Captiva team in April 2024. She graduated from Webster University in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in Advertising and Marketing and acquired a unique skill set that merges her creative and analytical sides. She thrives on diving into a brand, performing audits, and developing innovative strategies, blending her creative thinking with data-driven insights. By day, she is deeply immersed in numbers and spreadsheets, crafting strategies that deliver measurable results. But by night, her creative spirit takes over, fueling her passion for painting, drawing, and exploring new ideas. This harmonious balance allows her to excel in both the structured world of data and the free-flowing realm of creativity, ensuring success in every project she undertakes.
Bonnie Kuhn Wenzelburger
Vice President of Client Management
Bonnie began her career in online marketing in 2008 in e-commerce, working for a large, nation-wide sporting goods retailer. With a strong knowledge of SEO, content building, and web analytics, Bonnie started at Captiva in 2011 managing a variety of e-commerce and industry clients. Since then, she has since transitioned into managing a variety of clients within the healthcare industry, utilizing her experience to help formulate strategic marketing plans across digital and traditional channels and implement successful integrated communications campaigns. Bonnie graduated Cum Laude from the University of Missouri with a B.S. in Marketing.
Paige Kuehmeier
Marketing Manager
Paige has worked in marketing and sales for over 25 years across startups, including her own marketing communications firm, corporate America, and the non-profit world. She joins Captiva with experience primarily in the industrial and business to business world of marketing, and loves helping these companies set themselves apart. Paige holds a BA in Speech Communications with a concentration in Public Relations from Miami University and assists Captiva with key accounts working on competitive analysis, market research, and writing. She loves family time, playing tennis or golf, and travel.
Julie Schmelzle
Creative Director
Julie brings over 17 years of experience to Captiva's design team and is responsible for carrying out the creative vision on both print and web based projects. After studying Graphic Design at Southeast Missouri State University, she began her career with a local agency where she specialized in the development of branding, corporate communications and marketing materials that spanned print and digital mediums. Julie also spent several years as an in-house designer with a strong focus in e-commerce and online marketing and most recently freelanced working with clients fulfilling their visual communication needs and streamlining their message. In Julie's free time, she enjoys reading, running and spending time with her husband and 3 children.
Nick Rodriguez
Ecommerce Manager
Nick joined Captiva Marketing in March of 2014 as an SEO Account Manager, bringing over 9 years of search engine optimization, link building and pay per click experience. He began his career working for an industry-leading shopping cart software provider, helping thousands of small businesses develop and market their online stores. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and managing his own e-commerce web site. Nick graduated from St. Louis University with a BS in Management Information Systems.
David Pickett
Digital Marketing Strategist (Life Sciences/Healthcare)
David joined Captiva Marketing in 2021 as a Digital Marketing Strategist. He has spent most of his marketing career in the hospitality industry working for various bar, restaurant, and hotel groups. David graduated from SLU in 2016 with an MBA and plans to continue developing his knowledge of marketing at Captiva. David is an Army Brat and in his free time, enjoys the outdoors and spending quality time with his daughter.
Sonny Saenphimmachak
SEO Specialist
Sonny started his career building websites for small businesses for several years before focusing more on SEO. He's optimized websites for clients local and nationwide in various industries including home improvement, HVAC, disaster restoration, healthcare recruiting, agricultural product wholesaling, and more. Outside of work, Sonny likes to build Legos, watch documentaries, and listen to his specially curated playlists on Spotify. He loves being a great husband to his wife, proud father of a baby boy, and body pillow to his black labrador.
Amber Wiles
Campaign Strategist (Life Sciences/Healthcare)
Amber joined the Captiva Marketing team as a Campaign Specialist in the summer of 2021. With over five years of experience in marketing and communications, Amber brings a successful track record of tactfully executing various marketing tactics and project managing content campaigns to fruition. Amber graduated from Columbia College with a B.S. in Business Administration with majors in Marketing and Management. During her time at C.C., she played for the Women's Softball Team. Outside of the office, Amber enjoys watching sports, running, hunting, and spending quality time with her family. She has a daughter and a German Shepherd who keep her on her toes.
Hannah Moore
Creative Director
After graduating with a degree in Graphic Design, Hannah began her career in 2010 at an agency in downtown St. Louis. There, she specialized in designing digital materials for a multitude of small businesses. Hannah joined Captiva Marketing in the fall of 2013 eager to put her digital expertise to work. With nearly a decade of design experience, Hannah is responsible for working closely with our clients to transform their company’s knowledge into visually appealing, user friendly designs. While her true passion lies in branding and web design, her portfolio covers a broad range of creative work. When she is not at the office you can usually find her enjoying time with her husband and 3 children.
Lea Verslues
Multimedia Intern
Lea joined Captiva's multimedia team in May 2024. She is excited to learn more about filming in a professional environment while working with Captiva's multimedia team. Lea will graduate from Missouri State University in December of 2024 with a bachelor's degree in Film and Media Studies and a minor in History.
Brian Martin
Account Manager
Joining Captiva in 2023, Brian began his marketing journey in 2015 doing SEO and PPC for a small medical supply company. He has since spent over 6 years in agency and provided SEO, SEM, and analytics services to businesses of many industries and sizes. He has a BS in Logistics and Operations Management from UMSL. In his free time he enjoys baseball, classic cinema, and futilely attempting to jog.
Erin Blumer
Senior Account Manager
Erin joined the Captiva team in July 2014. She brings both creative and analytical strengths to the firm with her marketing and graphic design experience, and her interest and understanding of science has allowed her to focus her marketing efforts on medical and similar clients. Her varied skills include technical writing and copywriting, SEO, paid search advertising, data analysis, email marketing, graphic design and illustration, and project management. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Missouri St. Louis with a BSBA in Marketing in 2014, and also earned a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis in Graphic Design and Illustration in 2010.
In her free time, Erin enjoys hiking and camping in the great outdoors, competing in archery tournaments, playing classical piano, photography, drawing and painting, reading sci-fi and fantasy novels, and getting her cat to chase a laser pointer around the house.
Maddie Siebum
Senior Project Manager
Maddie joined the Captiva team in June 2017. She graduated from Saint Louis University, where she received her Bachelor's degree in Marketing with a minor in Communication. In her free time, Maddie enjoys taking salsa classes, playing racquetball, and relaxing with a good book.
Paige Tagliaferre
Art Director
Paige joined the Captiva Marketing team in August 2018 after graduating from Lindenwood University with a BFA in graphic design. Her interests include typography, web design, and printmaking. She keeps on her toes by learning new skills such as hand lettering, motion graphics, and bookbinding. In her free time, you can find her outside on a trail or patio, playing board games, screen printing, or planning her next trip to a National Park.
Melina Lindskog
Key Account Manager
New to the agency world of marketing, Melina joined Captiva Marketing in May 2019. She brings an eclectic background in social media and digital marketing from various industries including publishing, IT, accounting, financial, and nonprofits. She graduated with a BSBA in International Business and Marketing from the University of Missouri- St. Louis. Melina specializes in paid and organic social media strategies, and also has experience with paid search advertising. Outside of work, she makes a point to travel to a new country every year, but also finds time to visit family in Sweden.