Strategists

Brand planners, insight makers, brief writers, and cultural observers:

Ethan Aliste (Strategist & Social Media Strategist)

I believe that my skills are that I am strong leader and enjoy leading by example. I take every opportunity with the angle that I could always be learning and growing with every experience that I take on. I constantly strive to ask why in everything that I do, and give back to others in any way that I can. I am a chameleon of sorts and can easily adapt to any given situation and communicate with any and everyone. I believe that you’re only as strong as your support system.

Emily Barna (Strategist)

Hi, I’m Emily! I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in Advertising & Brand Responsibility at The University of Oregon. From being in the Texas Creative Sequence and practicing art direction, I learned that I love discovering insights for brands that can help them solve problems creatively. I hope to make an impact by assisting brands in recognizing their responsibilities to society beyond economics. I also am passionate about helping them address consumers’ concerns about societal issues to create a stronger connection between the consumer and the brand.

Jared Briere (Strategist)

I care about what people are saying, and where their input can be applied. I’m always listening, especially now that I’ve been removed from my element. I’ve been transplanted back into the place where I grew up. I’m using this time to listen, to grow, to see what really matters when a lot of what makes up my world is stripped away. In terms of skills I’m trying to grow them now. Trying to get a better grasp of some programs on Creative Suite and thinking about a potential passion project based off my time at home.

Rachel Chambers (Strategist, Videographer, Photographer & Producer)

Hello, my name is Rachel Chambers. I specialize in video production, photography, editing and strategy. I love to work with my hands painting with watercolor, or sketching with pen. I believe in the power of being nice, and the medicine of laughing every day. I am a rookie backpacker. I am an aspiring home cook. I am an Andy Warhol look-a-like.

Jesse Edmundson-Delva (Strategist & Media Planner)

I am Jesse. I don’t think of myself as interesting but I think I’ve been able to do some interesting things. By 26 I’ve been able to get married, pay off all my school debt, learn to speak Haitian Creole, live in other cultures, help to start a small recycling business, and currently, live through a pandemic. I’m really proud of myself and what I’ve done. But I want more. There’s bigger things out there that I want to be a part of, that I want to create, inspire. There’s nothing I love more then being a part of a longing, see it turn into an idea, and then built into something great.

Gianna George (Strategist)

I’m an extremely passionate, inspired, goofy, empathetic, cultured and bold person that has insight and understanding of many cultures and has no hesitation in sharing perspectives around the table. As an advertising major and sociology minor, my dream is to one day be able to work on advertising campaigns that have to do with social issues or movements. I am very proud of the fact that I always have a strong voice when I witness prejudice, discrimination, or just poor treatment of anyone in general. It is important for people to not only recognize but to actually do something about the disparities of treatment of marginalized groups even among the small encounters that we come across every day. As a woman and a person of color, our voices need to be shared now more than ever. Advertising is such a powerful medium that has the ability to touch on important ideas in creative ways and I’m excited to be a part of that creativity.

Lauren Hobbs (Strategist)

I have fantastic communication skills because I believe that is the foundation for great work. I have experience leading a team and I believe every voice and opinion matters in teamwork. I like to think differently and I like to push myself out of my comfort zone because one should never get too comfortable. I believe that that in order to produce great work, I must be inspired and I look for that inspiration by reading, watching and listening to everything and everyone around me. I consider myself a “glass half-full” type of girl because the positives should always outweigh the negatives.

Difan Huang (Strategist)

I am photographer and I like to present visual art.

Ada Jackson (Strategist & Media Planner)

If you would’ve asked me to tell myself two years ago I would’ve been so intimidated and so confused on what to say because I didn’t believe in myself. However, through this journey I have come into myself and learned what I am good at, who I’m meant to be and what I’m meant to do. So let me to you about me. I am obsessed with learning new things and I am morphing into a better person every day. My interests develop every day, but what I am most interested in are people. How do they think? How do they function? Who are they? Everything I do and believe are focused around people and understanding all people. I think that without appreciating the life experiences of others, you can’t really appreciate the life you’re given. I truly believe that we are nothing without each other. This isn’t a one person world at all. We all contribute to the good and to the bad that this world has to offer. Over the years that I have been in this program I have been able to really develop some of my skills like communication and deck building etc. but what I this this program has really set me up for and enhanced the skill that I already had walking in, is my understanding of people. I know I’ve already mentioned it but it is what I am most proud of. I don’t mean that I know everything about people but my willingness to learn and appreciation for the fact that everyone is different and EVERYONE has something to offer, is what I think makes me proud to be me. 2 years ago I would’ve wished to be as great as someone else like Haley Justus or Elliot Hodgins, but today I wish to be the greatest I can be, because I KNOW I can be better than great.

Jenaro Ramirez (Strategist, Photographer & Videographer)

I’m a cool dude that has interests in the intersectionality between gender and artistic portrayal. I do some photography/videography when I can find friends that are willing to hang out in front of a lens. I also love 1s and 0s and coding websites as well as writing web applications.

Haley Justus (Strategist, Photographer & Project Manager)

My name is Haley and I am originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. I transferred to the University of Oregon after 2 years at a community college. I sought out the advertising program as a way to grow my creative, organization, and leadership skills to their fullest potential. I excel most at making sense out of chaos. I love a good list and am a notorious sticky note connoisseur. Now more than ever in advertising, I believe brands and agencies have a vital role to play in the issues our society is facing. I am constantly asking the questions of “Why is this important and why should people care?” when approaching any project and find those questions crucial to producing good work. When I am not working on something related to advertising I love processing the world around me through my camera lens or consuming any Netflix documentary series.

Elliot Lofts (Strategist)

I’m a senior studying advertising and business administration at the University of Oregon. I have a strong background in business, having worked as a brand strategist for a UO startup company and as a marketing intern for a University of Cambridge startup. I value my digital prowess, brand creativity, business acumen and I have a huge desire to learn and become a valuable asset in every situation. Currently, I’m a strategist on the Theater and Protection Connection accounts at Allen Hall Advertising.

Shealy Long (Strategist & Project Manager)

Hi, I am Shealy! I am from the south and I say y’all and excuse me way more than I like to admit. With a B.S. in Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) from Winthrop University, I have a strong background in communications, marketing, and media. As an IMC major, I studied the strategy side of marketing and the creative side of mass communication. I am currently in the MABR program at the University of Oregon, where I am learning how to define brand responsibility, design effective brand responsibility strategies, and analyze consumer concerns about societal issues. This program is giving me the skills to not only succeed in the advertising industry but to change it for the better. I believe that brands have powerful voices that can reach volumes of consumers to ignite agents of change for the future. I want to help brands craft messages that will lead them to want to do better and expect better of their legacy they will leave. I want to raise the bar for brand communication.

Peter Lucas (Strategist)

Hi, I’m Peter and I like to get weird. The beautiful thing about getting weird is that you are only weird until you aren’t. Until that moment when someone understands and connects with you on a magical level of absurdity. I believe that this is when some of the most amazing things are created. All it takes is a pack of fun and funky people to make great things.
My skills include creative writing, an eye for visual storytelling, and coming up with crazy ideas “that just might work.” In my free time I love trying my hand at street photography, documenting the mundane in my journals, and exploring the outdoors. Most of all, I try to build my curiosity muscles by working them out as much as possible.

Kylie MacDonald (Strategist)

Right now I am a marketing strategist, working towards creating corporate social responsibility initiatives for major sports teams and companies. I believe in targeting and building non traditional fan bases and audiences to accomplish this, specifically through creative branding.

Kelly McKeen (Strategist & Project Manager)

I am a senior at the UO studying advertising, with a main focus in strategy. I am also very passionate about my sustainable business minor. I hope to influence the advertising industry in a positive way and help drive a narrative of change by making great work that has a purpose. I want to make work that provides real, raw, and important messaging.

Devon Myers (Strategist, Social Media Strategist & Media Planner)

My name is Devon Myers and I grew up in Portland, Oregon. All my life I have loved being outside and capturing moments with sports, hikes, architecture, and in general, fun phenomenons. I believe I have a unique talent of finding the interesting yet different techniques of strategy to help expose and grow campaigns for different brands. I love advertising because each new client requires you to bring an open creative mind because it is the crazy ideas that allow traction throughout society. I feel that I’m an interesting person because I don’t ever want to feel as if I’m on a pedestal. Instead, I want to connect with anyone I can because everyone in this world brings something awesome and different to a conversation, meeting, game, etc.

Michael Robelli (Strategist)

Your classic copywriter turned strategist (maybe?) who retained their infatuation for writing. I love psychology and finding human truths. I bring a deep understanding of entertainment and sports to the industry through lived experience and perpetual curiosity. I’m no designer/art director, but I can decipher any film director’s style from one scene… if it’s a relatively long scene.

Leann Swims (Strategist & Project Manager)

I’ve done a little bit of everything – customer service, event planning, email marketing, webinar hosting, trade show exhibiting, CRM administrating, social media strategizing, butchering, baking, candlestick making…you get the picture.

The thread that runs through everything I’ve done and what truly drives me is the thrill of identifying a problem and solving it creatively. Advertising lets me take the sales, data, and people skills that I’ve developed and combine them with the “fun” stuff like research, insights, creativity, art, humor, and culture.

Reilly Wadsworth (Strategist & Producer)

I create with whatever platform and opportunity I am given. While I specialize in strategy and creative production, I have a hand in every step of the creative process. I firmly believe there is nothing I cannot do. I am constantly eager to create and change lives for the better. With experience in marketing and athletics, I have translated this to pair extremely well with my creative side to create inspirational and influential pieces of work. To sum it up: I make cool shit that matters. I am interested because everything I do is about people. I draw inspiration from them and the world around me and find the world of advertising a fascinating opportunity to share my own perceptions of life.

Fars Woldai (Strategist)

Iv always been interested in culture whether that be fashion and music. But as a strategist I’m most excited learning about people’s cultures. I enjoy getting to know people from opposite backgrounds. I feel like having empathy and understanding other people’s journeys is where I get most of my passion. My biggest goals are solving issues in new creative ways while connecting with people from different backgrounds.