WHERE IT STARTED
The Agency came to life in 2004 when founder Kerry Gladden decided to move from the rat-race of LA back to her hometown in the southern Rocky Mountains. After 14 years working in large international firms and big-brand corporate America, she became a sole proprietor and literally "hung out her shingle" on the main street in small town USA. And since technology has made the world "flat" - she can enjoy life in a small town, collaborate with creatives worldwide and deliver first-rate service to clients across the country.
At the helm: Kerry Gladden
Kerry has been accused of being the eternal optimist and is convinced that there is a solution to every problem – which comes in handy in her line of work. She loves to work with clients and strategize about how to bring a new brand to life or breathe new life into an existing brand. Although Kerry can barely draw a stick figure, she has made her mark by having an eye for good design and inherently knowing what works and what doesn’t. After graduating from the University of Southern California and working at Hill & Knowlton, she spent 10 years in the sporting goods industry branding, publicizing and advertising for Easton Sports. She is lucky to be married to a really great guy and is a proud mom to a USC graduate (Fight On!). In her spare time – which she figures to be between 2:00 AM – 5:00 AM – she is an avid reader who dreams of writing a best-selling sappy romance novel.
The Creative Genius: Alden Gilligan
Alden, a native New Mexican with a background in project management and event planning, earned a BA of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design from the University of San Francisco. Her twins keep her beyond busy, but she does find moments of quiet to enjoy a cup of coffee and focus on her design work. Her greatest inspiration is nature, and she loves to incorporate textures and patterns from natural items in her work where they fit. Her portfolio includes everything from small business start-ups to municipalities, tourism-related products and large corporations. Alden and Kerry have a knack for creating distinct visual solutions and marketing strategies that set their clients apart.
Bay Hirschfeld - Director of Client Relations & Research
Bay is an accomplished hospitality professional with 15+ years of experience managing all aspects of daily business operations throughout the hospitality sectors of food and beverage, travel, lodging, tourism, and meetings and events. Her career has spanned from the West Coast to the East Coast and abroad, working with a variety of organizations, from startups to exclusive luxury brands. She is passionate about the hospitality industry and believes strongly in applying an integrated approach to all that she does. She likes a good challenge where she is able to identify needs and/or issues and works diligently to create productive solutions with added value. She loves good mustard, maps, the smell of lumber yards, and meditating.
The website Wizard: Ellen Barone
If you can name it, there’s a good chance that Ellen has either done it, taught it, photographed it, lived there, or written about it! As an independent web designer, developer, and content manager, Ellen brings specific talents to The Agency that tick all the boxes of her diverse background and interests -- the technical ability of a mathematician, the storytelling of a professional writer, and the aesthetics of a photographer’s eye. She has stared down the most complicated and daunting requests only to deliver visually compelling and user-friendly solutions that bring brands to life. Together with her husband, Ellen is currently enjoying extended travel abroad while she writes her first book, "I Could Live Here", a memoir of home and belonging.
the creative traffic cop:
rebecca grasmueck
Rebecca has lived on the East Coast all her life. After earning a Communications degree from Virginia Tech, her advertising career was launched in the Washington, D.C. area at agencies such as RTC and Arnold Worldwide. She spent six years in Account Management, overseeing creative development and production for various clients, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Amtrak, and the United States Mint. She went on to join a digital marketing start-up, learning the ins and outs of pay-per-click and e-commerce. After taking some time to focus on motherhood, she came back to the field she knows and loves. Rebecca’s high energy level and inability to sit still make her well-suited to the fast-paced agency environment. And her two kids help keep her project management skills on point.
event planner extraordinaire: kay rice
No stranger to education, Kay has her BA in Elementary and Special Education from the University of Texas and her MA in Learning Disabilities from UNM. She taught in public school in Corpus Christi, TX before moving to New Mexico where she taught learning disabled students at Brush Ranch where she later served as the admissions director and later as the Head of School. Kay and her husband Scotty then owned and directed the Brush Ranch Camps for almost 40 years – leaving indelible imprints on the lives of many children from around the country. Later, she became the Director of Advancement for Desert Sun Academy in Santa Fe where she led their event planning and fundraising efforts. She spends her free time chasing various grandchildren and dogs in outdoor activities.
Account Executive: Gillian Baudo
This busy mother of two earned a double BA from Brown University before embarking on a cross-country trip that led to a life-long love of the Southwest. After a year-long stint in the archaeological magic of Mesa Verde, Gillian returned to New York City to begin her career in Development at the Whitney Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This segued onto the donor side, where she managed Merrill Lynch’s sponsorship of projects at the Guggenheim, Victoria & Albert Museum, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, SFMOMA, Lincoln Center Theater, among others and also coordinated their Executive Leaderships’ nonprofit commitments. Her husband, a native Ruidosoan, brought her back to NM as a souvenir in 2002. While living in Albuquerque, she continued her career in the nonprofit and marketing sectors. Since 2007, Gillian has been raising two kiddos, leading community volunteer efforts and working as a Consultant in website design, marketing, graphic design and business development. Her most favorite activity is yoga, which she practices and teaches (ERYT-500) as much as possible!