Ward has always had an aptitude for business; he had an ice cream parlor as a kid, a sailboat company in Midland and enjoys the idea of helping companies reach their greatest potential. Ward received his B.A., cum laude, in psychology from Harvard where he focused on the psychology of persuasion. It was there he was introduced to graphic design and his passion for persuasion, brilliance in business and aptitude for artistry came together and he led him to marketing. Prior to starting the agency in 1984, he worked at advertising agencies and at Exxon. When Ward met Jeffrey, who’s designing was in a league of its own, he was able to focus more on his favorite part of the job —the research. He created Strategic Guardrails, a proprietary messaging and positioning process that he has conducted for companies around the world.

Ward finds asking the questions to find out what makes a business who they are fascinating – enjoying seeing how they make their money, recognizing patterns and unearthing inconsistencies between internal and external perception. He is a charismatic and humorous leader, teacher and storyteller. He also has a passion for music from Blues and Rock’n Roll to Opera. He has proudly served on the Houston Grand Opera Board of Director for over 20 years and has been spinning Pink Floyd albums for far longer. He loves traveling and spending time with his grandchildren – his other true passion. After over 35 years at Pennebaker, he still finds himself doing what he loves and has fun each and every day.

Jeffrey’s path to Pennebaker began when his Sunday School teacher took him to the tiny town of Claude, Texas to see an exhibit on Goya. Though he had always been artistic, this was the first time he was really taken by imagery and saw the true potential and affect it could have on a person – to persuade, to evoke emotion and to communicate. Jeffrey attended West Texas University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts before moving to Houston and starting at a design agency. He eventually met Ward, a Harvard Grad with a Psychology Degree, a lot of vision, strategy, bright ideas (and an agency), who needed a stronger design team to back it up and continue to grow. They ended up being a great team and 30 years later and still working together!

In the rare times when Jeffrey is not working, he still uses his time to create – turning any cheap un-intimidating material he can find into something fresh and new. True to his Goya-fueled origin story, Jeffrey still finds his inspiration through museums and exhibits which he describes as a sacred place, hallowed grounds and a fountain of creative youth. Jeffrey’s work has received national and international recognition and has appeared in competitions sponsored by Communication Arts Magazine, Print Magazine, Studio Magazine, Graphis, the Houston Advertising Federation, and the Art Directors Club competitions in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas.

Matt’s passion for bridging the gap between business strategy and marketing impact led him to return to Houston and help keep pushing the family business towards greater success in late 2018. Matt graduated from Tulane University, Cum Laude, with a BS in Marketing and received an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Prior to joining Pennebaker, Matt led the global business development strategy for an international IOT company. As Executive Vice President, Matt uses his global strategy, sales and consulting background to help lead the team and clients towards implementing stronger marketing strategies that focus on solving business challenges to achieve impactful, measurable results.

Outside of Pennebaker, Matt is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Bauer School of Business. Matt is outgoing, mild-mannered and calm under pressure, which comes in handy when you have three kids under the age of five! When not at the office, Matt enjoys time at home with his kids and his lovely wife, Lyndsay, and enjoys time out and about in Houston.

Alyssa joined the Pennebaker team in February of 2019, not long after graduating from Sam Houston State with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts. It was there she first met our creative director, Jeffrey, who had offered to review portfolios while serving as judge at their senior exhibition. She now spends her days working on anything from designing logos and drawing icons to animating characters and typography for web and social media usage. “Wearing many hats” is a bit of the norm at Pennebaker, and Alyssa takes it in stride, loving the versatility that makes the job super fun. Outside of professional design, she also enjoys creating graphic art and illustrating in her personal time.

Alyssa has been won over by Pennebaker’s patience, kindness and genuine desire to help one another grow as well as the openness and a promotion of positivity, optimism, and individuality that lets everyone express themselves and add diverse perspectives to each project. These traits that Alyssa loves in Pennebaker, are perfectly mirrored in her open-minded, passionate and collaborative self. Alyssa’s passion can also be seen through her hobbies, especially music. Alyssa has been singing (in choirs and in the car) and playing piano most of her life, and more recently picked up guitar, electric bass, mandolin and a kalimba with which she has been learning and experimenting. If not found making or appreciating art and music, Alyssa can be found playing video or tabletop games with her friends.

Amol, our Master Designer, was working in Chicago for an advertising and design agency representing multiple Fortune 500 clients when an ad in a communications magazine caught his eye. The text described a Texas-based design firm with people from all around the world — after flying down to hear more about Pennebaker, he joined the team in 2001 and has been working here since. Amol enjoys designing – as both a hobby and a profession. Design is both a creative outlet and a way to problem solve while sharing his talents.

Amol loves to experience new places and things through his love of reading. He also enjoys finding inspiration through the halls and walls of art galleries. Amol enjoys traveling and spending time with his family, whether that be time at home with his wife and kids in Houston or traveling to Mumbai to visit his extended family.

As Pennebaker's newest Designer, Bryant came searching for a place to hone his creative and technical skills. Bryant graduated from University of Texas at Austin's Studio Art program. At UT, Bryant learned that he had an affinity for branding and creating clarity, which led him into the world of design. After working within journalism, manufacturing, freelance, and studio life, he decided to join Pennebaker's team to maximize his learning opportunity and devote himself to be of service in design. You can always find him ready with a notebook and pencil in hand, ready to jot down ideas or sketch out a new composition.

Outside of the office, Bryant enjoys spending quality time with family, friends, and his partner. He likes keeping up with the latest fashion trends, finding new TV shows to watch (as of now, he loves Rebelde and Brooklyn Nine Nine), and discovering new artists to vibe to. He is the biggest Pokemon and One Piece fan, and devotes too much time to reading Marvel movie theories on Reddit. Bryant enjoys discussing anything design-related and always tries to learn how to live a more present and fulfilled life.

A beam of sunshine, Carrie joined the Pennebaker team 10 years ago as Production Designer and her love of the Pennebaker people keeps her sticking around year after year. She is a design graduate of the art institute with a background in Oil and Gas and television. Known for a real team mentality, she is swift to offer help and never scared of a tight deadline. She is adaptable, quick on her feet and describes herself as a “duck” – because stress and pressure roll right off her back. She loves painting and taking photos and her love for design spreads from work, to hobbies to household renovations.

Carrie has a warm, bright and positive personality – quick for a smile, laugh, greeting or friendly check-in. It may not come as a shock that the theme of sunniness extends also to Carrie’s favorite past times. She grew up outdoors – creating, playing and immersing in nature, which hasn’t changed in the slightest. She loves running, hiking, biking, photographing nature and having a glass of wine at a winery. With her Carrie Bradshaw-esque hair and constant grin, Carrie is a friendly, long-time pillar of the Pennebaker community.

In a way, you can attribute Chadsten joining the Pennebaker team to three things: the Texas heat, air conditioning and of course, computers. Growing up, Chadsten’s parents had a landscape construction company but Texas’ brutal heat led him looking for an inside gig. He started a PC repair company at 19 where eventually a client asked him for assistance with a website. Chadsten has been developing in some form or fashion since – building websites, doing corporate IT/technical management and eventually leading our web team. Chadsten is a problem solver with a fanatical attention to quality and a bizarre sense of humor – making him a perfect fit to Pennebaker.

If you ever ask Chadsten a question, you can bet the answer is sure to include some example or metaphor using automobiles. Which makes sense considering, when not at the office, Chadsten’s favorite things include driving, working on and obsessing over cars. True to his love for computers and technology, in his free time he can also be found doing server management or gaming. Chadsten also holds multiple top 5% world rankings in Forza Motorsport 7. And, when air conditioning briefly loses its allure, Chadsten can be found outside with his dogs, at a driving range or at a gun range enjoying some fresh air.

Chase Burklund is more than your typical Junior Developer. With a fervor for tech and problem-solving, he's a dynamic asset in any development team. Chase's interest in technology started at a young age and blossomed into a passion that led him straight into the realm of coding. He relishes his role's fast-paced, evolving nature, which provides him with endless opportunities to learn and innovate.

Away from the screen, Chase is a dedicated gaming aficionado. His gaming endeavors mirror his work ethic: imaginative, committed, and always on the hunt for the best strategies. Also a DIY enthusiast, he spends his free time exploring mechanical devices and creating innovative solutions with his hands.

Although his title is 'Junior,' Chase's appetite for knowledge and innovation surpasses expectations and keeps him at the forefront of his field. He's continually extending his capabilities while exploring new technologies and methodologies. He's always engaged in challenging and rewarding projects. Just like in his work, Chase finds joy in solving complex problems and transforming ideas into reality.

Chelsey is new to the Pennebaker team and came with several years of client management experience in the specialty pharmacy industry. She thrives in fast-paced environments, enjoys finding unique solutions to solve difficult problems, and is always eager to tackle new challenges no matter the task at hand.

Chelsey graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. Outside of work, Chelsey likes to have a balance of traveling and lazy weekends watching tv (or college football in the fall - wreck ‘em!) with her husband, Michael, and their rowdy husky/shepherd mix, Ace. She is originally from New Mexico where Hatch green chile is a staple ingredient, which is why she is addicted to spicy food and does her best to sneak Hatch green chile into every meal she cooks. She also loves iced coffee, DIY projects, and true crime.

Claire, was drawn in by Pennebaker’s strong sense of creativity rooted in strategy – something she relates to closely. Though creative at heart, Claire is passionate about timelines, task lists and strategic planning.

Claire loves learning about the unique needs of each client and puts her love for organization to work to ensure every project runs smoothly. Claire is always up for a challenge, quick to offer help and eager to find creative solutions.

Outside of work you’ll find Claire reading mystery novels, playing (read: winning) board games with friends and family, and rewatching The Office for the hundredth time.

Believer in all things creative. David has worn many hats through his career. Growing up, David’s parents were both university music professors where he learned the value of passing on your knowledge and collaborating and working in harmony to make something special. He brings 30 years of experience to Pennebaker having been a creative director, leading design teams and designing communication programs. He eventually found himself doing more managing than designing in that role and decided to get back to what he loves most which is being creative.

When not designing, David loves spending time in the outdoors with his family going to national parks or traveling abroad. He is also an avid cyclist and can be found on the bayou trails on weekends. David’s work has received national and international recognition having appeared in design competitions such as Communication Arts, Graphis, The Type Director’s Club of New York and Art Director’s Club competitions in New York, Houston and Dallas.

Greg joined the Pennebaker team in 2018 as a proven project manager and utility player. He takes pride, and is versatile, in managing projects at any stage of the game from budgeting and timelines to piloting internal/external expectations and execution. Greg is the ultimate teammate and the first person to step in and offer to help. He is incredibly responsive and a quick middle point between information and getting it where it needs to go – catching anything that might be thrown his way without hesitation. Before returning to his home state of Texas, Greg worked in California for a post-production agency specializing in broadcast and theatrical marketing. TV work involved a lot of fast-paced, pressing deadlines with a lot of moving parts and a real importance for attention to detail – his love for this kind of creative environment, unique people and organization skills under pressure led him to Pennebaker.

Greg, an eternal optimist, is happiest when he is outdoors. He enjoys travel, paddle boarding, yoga, fishing and can strike up a conversation with anyone he meets. Greg is a pop-culture buff and, true to his post-production roots, a television junkie. His time at Texas State majoring in Mass Communications also helped continue to fuel his love of music while working for the radio station and his ability to understand different dynamic work cultures while interning abroad in Barcelona. Need a recommendation for somewhere new to explore or something interesting to binge-watch? Give Greg a shout and he will be quick to reply.

Always between biking sessions, you can catch Hayden looking to the future for inspiration. During his time at VCU, Hayden found a way to bring his love of writing and creativity to the marketing world while learning that teamwork really does make the dream work. He’s always looking for new ways to write for brands and break the 4th wall. I’m trapped in this square, help me! Hayden is driven by those close to him and loves to spend time with family.

It’s harder to find a sense of balance when you're tall, but that doesn’t stop him from being a zen master chanting “One, two, buckle my shoe!” to reach his nirvana. Since joining Pennebaker in early 2023, he’s been ready to write, ideate, and rap (only on special occasions).

Born, raised, and thriving in Richmond, VA, Hayden constantly finds new activities in his city and occasionally extends his adventures outside his comfort zone. You can also catch him mentoring students at his alma mater for the ad club. Besides copywriting, Hayden’s skills extend to exercise, gaming, and an encyclopedic knowledge of movies and TV.

Katie’s widely varied design career has spanned a variety of industries and cities. From Chicago to New Orleans to Houston, Katie’s design influences have been broad in style and personality. Working in different industries, such as Retail, Oil and Gas, Health Care, Real Estate, Architecture, and Recruitment, working in the advertising industry has added to her skill set and ever-expanding knowledge base. Combining a creative approach with solid business reasoning, Katie acts as the creative director in the studio. Katie’s work has been consistently recognized by the American Institute of Graphic Arts and American Marketing Association. She was featured in PRINT magazine’s Regional Design Annual as one of a few designers in the Houston area.

Monica is a first-generation Mexican American graduate from The University of Texas at Dallas. She started in the music department but quickly realized she wanted to major in sound design and eventually fell in love with motion design. She’s worked with podcasts previously in Dallas and other odd jobs (teacher’s assistant, barista, etc.) before making the move to Houston and found Pennebaker. Now she works with the Pennebaker team making thoughtful storytelling motion and sound design for brands to build strong connections with their audience.

Outside of work, you can find Monica spending her time with her partner and bouldering at the gym. She is also a musician and illustrator and enjoys simple hobbies such as gardening (a love and skill she learned from her mother growing up) and caring for her Manx gremlin.

One of the youngest members of the Pennebaker team, Nate first landed on Pennebaker and our creative director’s radar in search of an internship. After graduation from Texas A&M, a couple years older, wiser and more improved, he began to freelance for Pennebaker before eventually swooping in for a full-time gig as a designer. Nate is an endless learner – always quick to self-educate and share with others the latest trends in web design, reading up on marketing trends and user experience and taking each piece of feedback to heart, moving optimistically in pursuit of perfection. Nate is quick to offer a fresh perspective and fresh ideas – challenging stale ideas and offering new angles.

When not at the office, Nate takes care of not one, not two but THREE cats who keep him on his toes. Taking a page from their books, he enjoys his days off relaxing on the couch at home with his fiancé, Amanda, and when time allows, indulging in some video games. He loves drinking really good, really black coffee – the more pretentious and millennial-y the better! But, despite his endless caffeination, true to his California roots, he remains a chill, laid back personality. Nate’s mandatory fashion accessory? Hairspray! Say “Hi” to Nate next time you’re at Pennebaker, look for the guy with the good hair, likely designing away or in the kitchen, scowling at our coffee machine.

As the Director of Trial Services for Pennebaker Legal, Rob manages all aspects of trial presentation, courtroom, and litigation graphics support for the firm. He has managed and provided courtroom support for hundreds of trials, arbitrations, hearings, and mediations. Rob has supported a range of complex civil matters such as construction, energy litigation, contract disputes, insurance matters, and toxic tort cases. He has also worked in-house at a major law firm providing courtroom and graphics support for over 300 attorneys across six offices. Rob's experience and technical expertise in the courtroom has assisted trial teams in high-stakes, "bet the company" litigation, obtaining defense verdicts and multi-million dollar judgments in venues across the country.

Rob often spends his time in the courtroom, but when he is in the Pennebaker office he is always quick with a friendly conversation by the literal or figurative water cooler. When not hard at work, Rob enjoys the simple things. He loves to cook, work in his garden and spend time with his wife and friends. He also enjoys playing games and taking his two dogs for long walks.

The newest addition to the Account Management team, Shelby, found Pennebaker on a path to personal and professional growth. While looking for opportunities to expand her horizons, she was drawn in by the Pennemakers’ openness and creative expression. Shelby is all about details and keeps her colorful and consistently manicured hands in a lot of pots while making sure things run smoothly for all her clients. Shelby’s outgoing and confident personality made her an easy fit for the Pennebaker team and helped her to dive in quickly with her clients and projects.

Shelby never misses a beat—from her ability to balance a fast-pace work environment to her love of music and concerts. Shelby is very family-oriented and incredibly close with her three sisters and her friends — and, of course, her Corgi–Cairn Terrier rescue, Sullivan! In her time away from the office, Shelby finds a healthy balance between her daily gym-time and keeping up with the latest binge-worthy shows.

Sophia’s keen attention to detail and her creative and organizational skills in and out of the office was quickly recognized during her time as a Pennebaker intern and—post-graduating from the University of North Texas—landed her a spot originally on the Account Management team before transitioning over to the Creative team. Sophia spends her days creating and editing videos, collaborating with the team to brainstorm creative solutions, and working to meet client goals and exceed expectations. Sophia is soft-spoken but always absorbs information and uses her thoughtful nature to ask questions.

Sophia’s creativity expands beyond her professional environment. In Sophia’s dream scenario, she would spend her time traveling the world and documenting it with photos and videos and, as a foodie, trying all the authentic international cuisine—especially the desserts! Sophia’s sweetness expands beyond just her sweet tooth; as a great mediator and team player, she is always willing to help, take on new challenges, and go the extra mile for her teammates and clients.

Spenser is a builder and a problem solver, who has been sharing his talent with Pennebaker for over four years and programming for closer to sixteen! He started doing programming because he loved it and he honed his skills while working in other various, unrelated jobs. Eventually, an online friend referred him to Pennebaker, where he has been building websites since. Spenser loves the challenge that programming and his job at Pennebaker bring, with each day presenting new puzzles for him to solve and new solutions for him to build. He is level-headed, cool under pressure and can always be counted on when faced with a complex request.

When not building beautifully branded websites or multifunctional applications inside Pennebaker’s doors, Spenser can be found building at home as well. He enjoys woodworking, programming in his spare time and gaming. Spenser also has been Pennebaker’s introduction to creating 3D models, building and teaching the team to use our 3D printer and creating new, innovative ways for us to utilize it from company trophies to models for clients and even cute, holiday cookie cutters.

Shelby joined the Pennebaker team in November 2022. Previously serving as an executive assistant to an entrepreneur, she is excited to see what the corporate world has to offer. Shelby is an avid to-do list artist and an impressive planner. Her core goals in this position include creating a calendar year filled with fun events to enhance company culture and assist in developing and maintaining Pennebaker’s fundamental processes.

When Shelby is not working, her role as a mom takes the forefront. Her two-year-old daughter, Emerson, whose hobbies include dressing up and shopping, makes sure there is plenty of pink around the house. Shelby and her significant other, Russell, enjoy watching movies and crime television together — after tending to her five horses and four dogs.

Susan received her B.A. and J.D. from LSU. She began her legal career at Exxon and continued to practice law in oil and gas for 12 years prior to joining Pennebaker in 1990. Susan has since focused on developing strategic marketing and employee communications programs for companies and nonprofits, and has used her communication skills, subject matter expertise and business development aptitude to consult with a variety of clients. Her combined skills as a lawyer and marketer have led Susan to consult with law firms not only on marketing, but also on trial presentation and technology, and she has worked on a number of high-profile cases over the years. Susan is full of creative ideas that achieve results. She is empathetic towards people and critters – she is a HUGE animal lover.

Susan is rarely sitting still. Giving back to the community is important to her, and she has served on many boards in leadership positions including The John McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science, The LSU Law School Board of Trustees, United Way’s Women’s Initiative Steering Committee, the Houston Grand Opera Board of Trustees, the Woodland Heights Civic Association and the Kappa Kappa Gamma Charitable Foundation. Susan is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, Class XLI. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, the State Bar of Texas and the Louisiana Bar Association.

T'shai, a graduate of the University of Houston at the Bauer School of Business, is our digital marketing specialist. With a background in the nonprofit sector and a love for data analysis, she found herself wanting to explore using data to tell a story and connect with others. During her journey as an intern with Pennebaker during her college years, T'shai's dedication set her apart, earning her a place on the team. She’s constantly seeking to expand her knowledge and is always up for a challenge.Outside of work, you’ll most likely see T’shai doing the happy dance at a burger restaurant, playing volleyball with friends, or snuggling up with a great book—all with some groovy jazz music playing.

Though Wolf bears the title of Director of Motion Design, he also wears many other hats. He is our resident video expert, a seasoned visual storyteller, creative and designer with experience in designing brands, but also thinking about how they move. He enjoys coming up with fresh out-of-the-box concepts and designs, cheerleading and mentoring other designers and pushing for creative excellence on all projects. His first paying job was drawing a comic strip for a local newspaper at the age of thirteen and he’s been working in the creative field ever since. He has experience with creative agencies, film production companies and clients from consumer goods to lecture halls, pharma to forestry, energy to entertainment, and from startups to fortune 500s.

Wolf grew up in Finland and was educated in London. He is an entrepreneur at heart who will try anything once. Regardless of driving a Wrangler, it’s been a nay for off-roading for him and yay for yoga. The kitchen is his domain and he aspires to feed his family farm to table. Meeting people behind passion-driven businesses, visiting mom-and-pop wineries, and hitting the links or the waves are his source of zen.