People

Jenny started Able&Co. because she’s chosen a life of dedicated service to her family, community, clients, team and friends. At the office, you’ll find that Jenny takes the time to develop an organic and genuine relationship with each one of her employees. She knows every member of the team, what makes them tick, who they are and who they strive to be, just as she does with our clients. Thanks to her approachability, she’s often at the center of heartfelt moments, milestones and conversations filled with laughter, all while being a pivotal piece of the team’s growth and improvement.

Her practical business experience came firsthand as the right hand of many business leaders and company owners across many industries. (It’s actually easier to ask Jenny which industries she has NOT had experience in!) This vantage point allowed Jenny to observe which strategic principles and tools lead and guide a business to greatness, as well as which ones drive a business to failure. Most importantly, Jenny learned that her most satisfying outcomes are when strategic marketing and creative work yield positive brand and culture transformations that fuel remarkable success for her clients.

As our President, Chief Growth Officer, Jenny owns our vision for growth and drives the evolution and activation of that vision by guiding us towards our short and long-term business goals, delivering expanded reach and mission-aligned impact. Jenny brings innovation and creative problem-solving to the table to create the kind of optimized strategic planning that creates meaningful results. She is a positive, creative and inspiring force in our organization.

And what Jenny does for Able&Co., she does for every client.

When you work with Jenny, you can expect MORE. You can expect Jenny to go way, way beyond the marketing or communication plans that you might have experienced from a typical advertising, marketing or communications agency.

On a Lighter Note

• Queen of Charcuterie
• Obsessed with Symmetry
• Iced Tea Enthusiast

Here’s one thing to know about Ann: she will always find a way. 

Growing up, Ann was fascinated by an older cousin with a design career and inspiration quickly took hold. To begin her own career path, she joined an elite art club in high school that allowed her to also take classes at Bellarmine University. From there, she went to college for design and never looked back. 

Ann began her career in an agency environment and later moved into the corporate sector, most recently working for Advance Auto Parts. There, she began as senior graphic designer, and over the course of nearly 18 years, Ann rose through the ranks to become their acting creative director. She brings this remarkable experience and expertise to her role as Creative Director at Able&Co. 

Ann provides guidance, development, and leadership to the team of creative professionals at Able. She defines the creative vision and ensures that the final project has a cohesive look and feel that exceeds client expectations. She steadily moves forward on tasks, regardless of pressure and obstacles. Her work style is efficient, encouraging, and effective. 

Ann genuinely enjoys having a problem to solve. Her father taught her the mantra that “you get out of it what you make out of it”. This is a mindset she maintains every day. Throughout college and into her professional career, she learned from amazing mentors and taught herself how to fill in the gaps. When describing Ann, the word “resourceful” is a massive understatement. 

Ann is passionate about her work and, when it comes to finding a way, she says she’s like a dog with a bone. She has a keen eye for both the fine details and the big picture, allowing nothing to slip through the cracks of a project while guiding it to its fullest potential. Her creative vision also motivates her to ensure that the Able creative team has everything it needs. In a way, it’s the same when she’s at home, where it’s all about her 3 kids and what they need!

On a Lighter Note

• Devoted to anything related to her three children
• Rarely seen without a Diet Coke
• Shares her birthday with her husband and twin brother

Reynee has extensive brand experience with consumer products from her 3M days, where she worked on the Post-it Note, Scotch, Scotchgard, Scotch-Brite and O-Cel-O brands. She also has significant experience in medical devices from working with Respironics Critical Care (now Philips), Heidelberg Engineering (ophthalmic diagnostic solutions) and Teleflex (a medical technologies provider).

After a diverse and successful career directing corporate marketing communications departments that served many industries and markets around the world and stewarding globally known brands, Reynee retired.

But, ever curious and planning, and in possession of a closet full of lightly used business apparel and shoes, she thought there was MORE she could offer to the right organization, so she put out feelers for an encore career on the agency side. Able&Co. loved having Reynee as their client and welcomed her with open arms. Although Reynee would have been perfectly happy being a pretty smart receptionist, she joined Able&Co. as our Director of Engagement.

As part of Able&Co.’s Strategy Team, Reynee is responsible for executing our marketing plan and the strategic design, development and execution of our client and engagement strategy, with the goal of driving sustainable customer growth and loyalty. Inside the office, Reynee is a driving force of both positivity and ambition, helping our team reach new heights of excellence. Always a joy to speak with, whenever you’re working with Reynee, the end result will be better, and the road to getting there will be even more rewarding.

With her background as a MarCom generalist and her eMBA degree in general management, Reynee brings unique strategic insights and fresh creative perspectives that elevate Able&Co.’s work, organizational structure and staff.

On a Lighter Note

• Looking Forward to Travel
• Runs a Book Club
• Has 5 Little Dogs!

Steffen finds that people gravitate to him because it’s in his DNA to help. Whether it’s a customer or a colleague, he doesn’t see his role as selling, he sees it as helping. When Steffen was just 14, his mom got him the Adobe Creative Suite and he taught himself how to use it. This knowledge allows Steffen to bridge communications between clients and creative because he knows the lingo for all parties and can articulate exactly what everyone needs.

Steffen is a highly creative and result-focused professional who is keen on listening and assessing clients’ needs. Customers know that he’ll do his very best to always offer the right solutions and see projects all the way through, on time and on budget. And our creative team counts on his ability to listen and convey the essence of what’s needed so they can deliver fantastic Work that’s right the first time.

On a Lighter Note

• Tallest Person at Able&Co.
• Collects Cool Kicks
• Embracing ‘life in the burbs’ after living in the Big Apple

Whether it’s the most minute detail of a sprawling masterplan map or ensuring everything is consistent across the board during a multi-channel marketing campaign, Gary’s attention to detail helps Able&Co. deliver the results our clients deserve. He is also one of the most sensible, personable and funny members of the team (we call him Steady Eddie). Thanks to his breadth of experience, Gary also handles vendor communications and is often at the front lines on press checks and production of files. Gary joined the team with over 30 years of experience in the print world, including major publications based in the Raleigh-Durham area. This remarkable career allowed him to develop the creativity, thoughtfulness and adaptability that is needed in today’s landscape. Since then, Gary has also developed a keen understanding of the digital world, allowing his talents and skillset to benefit Able&Co.’s work on multiple levels.

On a Lighter Note

• Lives on Diet Mountain Dew
• Likes Horror Movies
• So Humble it Hurts

Cynthia knows how to solve problems. In fact, she’s pretty much a professional at coming up with creative solutions in her area of expertise. As our incredible Staff Accountant, Cynthia is responsible for timely, accurate and effective financial reporting and analysis. That’s why she’s such a key part of our Operations & Resourcing Team and an integral part of the Able&Co. team. Without question, Cynthia is the biggest cheerleader of the Able&Co. team that we’ve ever had.

Coming from an extensive background in a wide variety of industries, her experience enables her to have in-depth knowledge, attention to detail and a holistic approach to exceptional work, whether she is working on internal projects or delivering solutions to our clients. Cynthia has worked for some of the area’s largest marketing agencies in the Triangle including MicroMass and McKinney, giving her an unrivaled understanding of business needs and how to maximize efficiency. Cynthia is also a top expert in Workamajig, our project management software, making her a priceless key to our success. Our entire team loves working alongside Cynthia because not only does she refuse to accept failure in any venture, but she is a 100% supportive and positive member of our team.

On a Lighter Note

• Earned Nine Degrees
• Accounting Is Her Jam!
• Hates Repeating Herself

Melainey joins Able&Co. from Boone, North Carolina where she did more than simply graduate a year ahead of her class. Prior to joining Able&Co., Melainey was the Copywriting Director for a pro-bono, student-run agency, plus she headed both the Marketing and Programming Coordination for her school’s housing department’s Resident Housing Association. AND she worked as a freelancer, primarily assisting small to medium businesses with their launch, social media, and strategic direction.

Her exhaustive experience in the mountains, in addition to a natural inclination to analytical creativity, has marked Melainey as readily ABLE to take it to the next level. She now acts as the bridge between our strategic and creative departments, with a prime focus on developing clever, on-brand social plans that are part of our client’s overall marketing & communications campaigns. Gifted with tenacity, speed, detail, and curiosity, Melainey is a multi-talent who consistently meets or beats deadlines with incredibly interesting content. 

It is obvious that Melainey’s greatest desires are to exceed expectations and deliver more than you bargained for. She loves the rush of getting enthralled with a project, becoming completely captivated by her work in a heartbeat She is devoted to each client — putting them, and Able, at the top of her priority list — and will do whatever it takes to deliver engaging, interactive, appropriate work on time and on target. 

On a Lighter Note

• Studies Español During Her Lunch Breaks
• Passive Novelist
• Constantly Playing Music Without Headphones

Art has always been Jason’s passion. As a kid, he made ridiculous comic books by hand with titles like “The Explosion of the Universe” and a superhero named Cucumber. 

In spite of his passion, he went to NC State and earned a BA in Biological Business with a minor in Economics. He then joined the Army. On his very first day stationed in Germany, he met his now-wife and mother of their teenage daughter. 

After Germany, Jason spent some time in Israel before living in El Paso for a few years, where he ran trainings for hundreds of new soldiers and got to yell into an enormous megaphone. This experience taught him a lot about responsibility. Next, he became a reporter for the Reserves and traveled the country. 

It was only after leaving the Army that Jason finally decided to follow his childhood dream and  earn a degree in Graphic Design. He distinctly remembers sitting in class thinking “this is what I’m born to do.” 

After working at the Washington Daily News, the Greenville Daily Reflector, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Jason joined Able&Co. as our graphic designer, where he employs his broad experiences to implement new ideas and problem-solve. He’s a key team member in interpreting our strategic marketing and communications plans for our diverse clients, creating designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and technically accurate. 

Jason firmly believes that graphic design is the greatest job of all time. He’s genuinely dedicated to his craft. When the workday is done, he goes home only to do more graphic design — for fun.  

On a Lighter Note

• World’s Okayest Air Guitarist
• Moonlights as a woodworker
• Hates most post-1800 artwork

Judy’s always had a way with words, but the journey to a writing career was complicated by her incredibly varied interests and goals. For a while, she was going to be the first woman shortstop for the New York Yankees. Next, she was interning at a theatre company in NYC attempting to land her Broadway break. Then her immense love for animals led to a planned major in Marine Biology and a future in marine mammal conservation.

Sadly, she couldn’t ignore the glaringly obvious fact that she was no good at baseball, belting, or biology, but quite brilliant at filling blank pages. She switched gears and began studying English, Writing, and Editing. Judy achieved a perfect 800 SAT Critical Reading score – without studying. She then graduated college Cum Laude with a Double Major in English and Theatre, won Departmental Honors in Theatre, and earned the Rose Award for Creative Writing from the English department for her original play.

Judy traded Michigan for Manhattan as an Assistant to the Publisher of an arts and culture magazine. A year later, she accepted a job as an Editor at BookTrib.com, the leading source for book news and reviews. Another year later, the word “Writer” finally appeared in her official job title when accepted her new role as Copywriter & Content Creator at Able&Co. She freelanced in the meantimes, so to this day, her editing appears in various undisclosed locations that are now more grammatically correct and much better worded.

As Copywriter, Judy conceptualizes, researches, and creates content that serves the clients’ strategic goals. She edits and proofreads work meticulously to ensure that all style, grammar, and formatting meet and exceed standards and style expectations. She writes memorable and attention-grabbing copy that pushes past the obvious way to talk about something and finds the best way to present it.

To give her brain a break, she seeks solace in different creative outlets like cooking a bucket list recipe, planning a bucket list trip itinerary, or reading a bucket list book. Unfortunately, she knows all too well that these attempts are ultimately doomed because the lists grow exponentially faster than the items can be checked off.

On a Lighter Note

• Favorite animal is a Burrowing Owl 
• Prefers Turner Classic Movies (TCM) to whatever’s trending on Netflix
• Has a Tae Kwon Do black belt and does a wicked Spinning Heel Kick

There are insights, and then there are Hugh insights, which always reveal MORE. Our Director of Brand Insights has been a stellar part of Able&Co. for years and is instrumental in raising the bar of creative excellence and the way we approach branding. He’s responsible for developing strategic direction for companies requiring brand guidance, particularly when the client desires brand improvement or is undergoing a transformative business event such as an acquisition, merger and/or expansion.

Hugh can be counted on to deliver a consultative approach based on a holistic view of his client’s business and target audiences discovered through primary and secondary research, and data analysis. His strategic and creative direction leverages the data to identify relevant market trends and customer insights that inform our strategic brand and account planning and identify the implications and ideas that generate sustainable brand growth and competitive advantage.

If you could boil Hugh’s personality down to one word, it would have to be “unforgettable”. His positivity, guidance, fervor and ambition are unmatched, and it takes no time at all for employees, clients and, well, everyone, to realize Hugh is a total rock star. Our clients have enjoyed remarkable growth and efficiencies following Hugh’s optimized, actionable brand ideas and strategies that form the heart of compelling business storytelling. His work enables streamlined brand architecture, naming strategies and strategic positioning frameworks that best articulate the client’s brand purpose.

Hugh has nearly 20 years of experience as an award-winning designer, copywriter and brand strategist, working for top agencies in Raleigh, Louisville and beyond. Hugh’s role comes with varied responsibilities spanning from strategy, direction, design – even video editing. His work has been featured in GDUSA, Logo Lounge Annual and other publications.

On a Lighter Note

• Former Opera Singer
• Bourbon Aficionado
• Lovers Boxers (Canine Variety)

David brings more than twelve years of experience as a web designer and developer. Starting with freelance web design out of college, David soon moved up to developing and managing an eCommerce business in Australia for five years.

Today, David is based in the U.S. and his focus lies in helping creative agencies like Able&Co. to manage their web development production and workflow by providing full services as a coding partner and reliable end-to-end development resource.

On a Lighter Note

• Slightly Obsessed with Triathlons
• A Bit of a Business Nerd
• Enjoys Californi-aah!