Who We Are
We are Davis Ad Agency
With offices in Virginia Beach and Washington D.C., Davis is a high-energy advertising, marketing, public relations and digital media agency passionate about making things happen. For your products, your services and your ideas. We’re a team of more than 30 creative writers and designers, digital strategists and developers, media experts, strategic thinkers, social media specialists and client ambassadors. And we want to be your marketing partner. With media placed across 50 states and nearly every marketing platform, our goal is to create results-driven campaigns that bring our clients success. Just as we’ve done for more than 40 years.
CERTIFICATIONS
Sarah Nicosia
President
Sarah’s calm Minnesota demeanor serves her well in the fast-paced world of advertising. She somehow manages to keep our staff, key accounts and her own family on track with equal amounts of cool and humor. Guiding the agency’s client service, strategy and work flow, Sarah has the unique ability to drive success in a modern media landscape that seems to change by the day. Whether she’s bringing new clients aboard and getting to know their business, refining an existing client’s strategy, or tracking a new campaign’s results, Sarah’s passion is providing great customer service – and all the personalized attention it demands. Mom to three great kids, Sarah graduated from St. Olaf College with a degree in English. She loves all things family, fashion and travel. And all things Minnesota, of course.
Amy Bowden
Chief Financial Officer
Before joining Davis as our Chief Financial Officer, Amy Bowden spent time as a Senior VP for a large commercial lender. She was also CFO/COO for a mechanical contractor, CFO for a family office and property management company, and CPA for a boutique public accounting firm serving high net-worth individuals, executives and business owners. Whoa. Lucky for us, Amy’s the CFO at Davis now. She manages all of the agency’s financial functions, from billing and accounting to payroll and human resources. More amazingly, she manages to keep it all on track. In her spare time, Amy loves ballroom dancing, spending time with her kids and sneaking away with her husband to their Charlottesville-area cabin. She’s also an avid foodie who loves to cook for people. Which is a huge coincidence because we love to eat! So what does Amy love most about working at an ad agency? Is it our astounding creativity? Our grace under pressure? Our profound wit and wisdom? Actually, no. “You’re not CPAs!” No lie, some of us can barely manage our lunch money. She’s helping with that, too.
Will Hart
Digital Director
Sometimes careers take some odd twists and turns. After graduating from James Madison University, Will became a banker. While he was lending people money he became fascinated with the digital world and built his first website 15 years ago. Soon he began investing in websites and domains and flipping them for a profit. He built his own interactive business after teaching himself the intricacies of programming. Will is not just a computer nerd. He is a big picture guy, digital designer, full-stack developer, analytic and manager. He is Google certified in search and analytics. He’s a golfer, snowboarder and Baltimore Orioles fanatic.
Carrie Woolridge
Media Director
Some of us have trouble asking for exactly what we want. Carrie Woolridge never does. With a big laugh, long list of media contacts and deep industry insight, our Media Director is a skilled negotiator who treats every station, vendor and publication as her partner. And while she never demands a thing, she has no problem asking for it. No matter how low of a rate she gets. That’s part of what makes Carrie one of the region’s most widely known and respected media professionals. Planning, negotiating and buying media in more than 50 U.S. markets every year, she offers our clients more than 22 years of experience in broadcast, print, outdoor and digital media, serving a huge array of clients from Priority Automotive and CHKD to Troy University. We love every hilariously brilliant minute with Carrie. Even when she asks us for things. Chances are you will, too.
Todd Aftel
Creative Director
A 20-year creative advertising veteran, Todd Aftel brought his award-winning chops to Davis in 2020 and hasn’t stopped creating since. Todd leads our team of writers, graphic designers, digital experts and videographers to create unique advertising solutions that connect clients with consumers in genuine and impactful ways. Beginning his career at the [Box] Studio in Richmond, Todd’s career path has included the Virginian-Pilot, BCF in Virginia Beach, NYCA in San Diego, Norfolk’s Sway Creative Labs and his own agency, Vigilant Creative. Todd’s work has appeared on behalf of numerous national, regional and local accounts, including Adidas, Sony, Virginia is for Lovers, Tidewater Community College and the College of William & Mary.
Richard Warchol
Senior Copywriter
If there’s a word for that, we usually just ask Richard. Our resident wordsmith always knows. You may not know Richard, but you’ve likely seen his work. A nearly 20-year veteran of the Hampton Roads advertising market, Richard has helped dozens of brands make the most of their creative messaging. Digital, print, broadcast, public relations – you name, he’s probably written it. From Tidewater Community College, TakeORF.com and Outer Banks travel to the full client roster at Davis, Richard remains as passionate as ever about finding creative solutions that inspire consumers to action. A graduate of California State University, Richard began his career as a journalist before moving east and re-inventing himself as an ad copywriter. Today he’s a proud dad and husband, Little League coach, and the guy we look to find just the right words.
Zeinoun Kawwass
Client Services Director
Zeinoun is a seasoned leader in advertising, marketing operations, and program and product management, with a passion for strategy, collaboration and driving results. With 18 years of experience in advertising, marketing and technology, Zeinoun has a flair for understanding clients’ needs having worked both sides of the aisle, at agencies and in-house. Zeinoun started her career as a creative at multinational ad agencies in Dubai. She worked with renowned clients and artists, producing award-winning campaigns in industries ranging from automotive to consumer packaged goods to retail and entertainment. After relocating to Virginia Beach, Zeinoun helped grow a local small business specializing in branding and design, and contributed to the national expansion of a home services company through her work in mergers and acquisitions, marketing, technology, and operations. Zeinoun has a passion for fitness and works to improve her surfing skills with yearly trips to Nosara, Costa Rica. She loves traveling and spending time with family and friends and performing improv at the Push Comedy Theater.
Albert Barber
Account Manager
Many moons ago, Albert started here as an intern and we liked his work ethic so much we didn’t let him leave. Now a seasoned pro with over 7 years of advertising experience, Albert helps lead the Account Service department and manages some of our largest accounts. He helps keep our projects on track, and our clients up to date, making sure nothing slips between the cracks. A graduate of Flagler College with a degree in Strategic Communication, Albert spends his off time surfing or hanging out with his wife and their dog Jax. However, he takes pride in being available around the clock for whatever our clients may need. He also has a strange obsession with his favorite NBA team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. None of us are sure why, but he has the memorabilia hanging in his office to prove it.
Andy Kostecka
Account Manager
If he wanted to, Andy could run a restaurant. Fortunately he prefers the ad business. Andy has been with the agency 15 years after time on the client side. He is the agency’s franchise guru with senior marketing roles at Southland Corporation, Arby’s Inc., and the AFA Service Corporation. Andy has directed Arby’s advertising co-ops throughout the East Coast, from Virginia to upstate New York. He knows the quick service restaurant industry inside and out, and has skills and knowledge that can be applied to virtually any business. Andy is a basketball fanatic and is about the only golfer on the Davis team.
Erin Shindle
Senior Social Media & Influencer Manager
The key to connection is communication. So when it comes to our clients’ social media marketing, Erin Shindle is our secret weapon. Erin graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a major in Public Relations and joined Davis as an advertising assistant where she managed clients, answered phones and fielded visitors, all while mastering the art of social-speak. With her positive attitude and finger on the pulse of social media, Erin is a finely tuned digital marketing machine. When the workday ends, she’s either home playing with her Siberian huskie, hitting the beach, riding bikes, watching baseball, rock climbing and/or inhaling delicious sushi. Her motto? #WorkHardPlayHard
Wendy Maness
Accounting Specialist
If there’s one thing you gotta know about accountant Wendy, it’s that she’s so much more than meets the eye. Sure, she’s got over 25 years of experience in Office & Operations Management and she’s been in the marketing and web design industry since 2013, but she’s also a talented visual artist as well. From macrame to graphic design to photography, Wendy is always creating something gorgeous and fun. Speaking of photography, she’s a pro. Her portfolio is over 100,000 photos strong, thanks to her work over the last 15 years as a freelance theatre and dance photographer. Maybe that’s why she loves working here at Davis! You know what they say about creatives… it takes one to know one. (Or is it “creatives of a feather flock together”?) Either way, we’re delighted to have Wendy on our team.
Brian Stauss
Media Buyer
Brian Stauss joins the Davis team after 8 years of advertising in the for-profit education industry. Born in South Carolina before moving to Chesapeake in the 80’s, Brian quickly discovered that Hampton Roads does not have our own major league sports teams. ZERO. So like most of us, he became a fan of the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Redskins. (Okay, so the Redskins training camp is in nearby Richmond and our Norfolk Tides baseball team is Baltimore’s Triple-A Affiliate, so we figure that’s about as local as it gets!) When he’s not helping our clients reach thousands of potential customers—and saving buckets of money at the same time!—you can find him alongside his lovely wife KC in the stands at athletic fields around town, cheering on their two superstars Grace and Dean, relaxing down at the VB oceanfront, or hanging out with the rest of his family (including his fur babies Wendy, Max, and Gunner).
Miles Wilhelm
Web Developer
When Richmond native Miles Wilhelm accepted the position of front-end web developer, we knew he’d fit right in. From his serious digital chops to his advertising background, he’s got what it takes to ensure our clients get the best web services around. But here at Davis, we don’t just work hard, we play hard, too. That’s where Miles runs circles around us! He’s into playing basketball and board games — Codenames, Settlers of Catan, Pandemic, all the classics — and cheering on his favorite sports teams: Green Bay Packers football, Milwaukee Bucks basketball, and Everton FC English Premier League soccer. If you can catch him, you’ll find him spending quality time with his wife and the newest member of their family, a 5-pound Shih Tzu Yorkie named Davie. (All together now… “Awww!”)
Meredith Romano
Account Manager
Those grace-under-pressure people? The ones who know how to anticipate, schedule and see everything coming before you get there? That’s our amazing Account Manager Meredith Romano, and we couldn’t live without her. A Virginia Beach native and a Virginia Tech Hokie for life, Meredith works hard to develop a deep understanding of our clients’ brands, maximize their opportunities and keep their creative projects running like clockwork. In her spare time, Meredith loves watching movies and traveling (her dad’s an airline pilot!) almost as much as she loves her new kitty, Ellie. Maybe that’s who keeps her so calm.
Bobby Rangel
Director of Video Production
A born Texan, Bobby’s family relocated to Virginia Beach in 1988 and he’s called it home ever since. His 19 years in visual journalism at 13News Now built a solid foundation in graphic design, production, and brand management—making him a force to be reckoned with. We’re delighted to have Bobby and his mad skills at Davis as our Video Editor / Photographer. As part of our Creative Video Team, he is responsible for shooting photography and editing commercial video content for broadcast, social, and digital platforms. When he’s not delivering creative visuals to our clients, you can find Bobby riding his BMX bike, playing the drums (he’s self-taught), or behind the camera, shooting his own photography and video projects.
Megan Grayson
Senior Social Media Manager
In her position as a Social Media Specialist, Megan brings to Davis an array of interests and experiences as colorful as her hair – which is a lovely fuschia! She graduated from JMU with majors in Advertising & Public Relations and a minor in Theater (she’s full of surprises). Her favorite part of the job? The way social media is accessible, entertaining, and often the first touchpoint between a brand and a customer, opening an ongoing channel of communication not found in other mediums. When she’s not managing client posts and building campaigns, Megan is playing video games, fulfilling her lifelong mission to try every mac & cheese, or browsing social media (Ok, we saw that one coming).
Candace Burns
Art Director
Candace arrives at Davis with a background as vibrant as the mermaid tail she wears for her side-hustle. That’s right, our Art Director is a Professional Mermaid (with a real eye for design). After graduating from JMU with a BFA in Graphic Design, she worked as a Graphic Designer, dabbling in branding, web, print, social, photography, and production. At Davis, she provides creative solutions to a variety of clients in a range of mediums including print, social media, and digital. Her favorite part of advertising is (in her own words) making the world more aesthetically pleasing one good design at a time, through creativity and caffeination. When she’s not designing for Davis or flashing her fins at special events, Candace can be found running, skateboarding, biking, or surfing (we’d expect nothing less from a Pro Mermaid).
Kurt Hawickhorst
Copywriter
You may not know Kurt Hawickhorst, but you’ve probably seen his work. Kurt has been dishing out bright, creative, results-driven ad copy in these parts for well over a decade, both as a freelancer and while manning the hot seat at agencies like HCD, DIA, Group III and Colonial Williamsburg’s in-house agency. A Missouri native, Kurt is a talented wordsmith, an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan and a quiet assassin on the beach volleyball court. He tells us that in a previous life, he worked as a cruise ship deckhand and a wrangler/roustabout on a Colorado dude ranch. You think you know some people.
Alex Holdeman
Video Editor
Alex’s contributions to the creative product at Davis are multifaceted. Whether shooting photography or video for social media, editing a TV or radio spot, or providing creative input for a multimedia campaign, his abilities and attitude help us say “yes” when clients ask for the improbable. A self-proclaimed military brat, Alex moved around a lot growing up, but he calls Northern Virginia his hometown. That’s where he earned an Associate’s Degree in Cinematography from Northern Virginia Community College, which included studying abroad at the Film Academy of Miroslav Ondricek in the Czech Republic. His favorite part of working at Davis? Collaborating with the entire team and seeing great ideas come to life to help our clients achieve their goals. Alex’s hobbies include hiking, traveling and, of course, watching and hyper analyzing old movies.
Taylor Grulke
Art Director
Taylor joined us just last year, but with her deep range and keen eye for design, she’s already become a vital team member. Her account work both here and at other agencies includes national and international clients such as STIHL Inc., Visit Virginia Beach, Fredericksburg Regional Tourism and the City of Norfolk. At Davis, her boundless enthusiasm and exacting standards for clean, contemporary design can be seen across our full range of accounts, from print and social media campaigns to digital ads, branded publications and website UI development. Outside of the office, you’ll often find Taylor enjoying the beach with her husband, Justin, and their two dogs, Daphne and Pilot.
Sarah Borkowski
Account Coordinator
Sarah has hit the ground running as the newest addition to our account services team – but she brings a lot more than just energy and enthusiasm. A Virginia Beach native, Sarah has a bachelor’s degree in Media Arts & Design with a focus on Creative Advertising, along with a minor in Sports Public Relations, from James Madison University. Plus she completed an internship at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando before starting at Davis. She says she loves the diverse clients and friendly yet fast-paced environment at Davis, which we can safely assume replaces Walt Disney World as her new “Happiest Place on Earth.”
Richard Ito
Digital Media Manager
Richard Ito is a skilled and disciplined digital buyer and manager, responsible for executing, optimizing and reporting on Davis digital campaigns large and small. Richard targets our client audiences with expert precision to make sure the messaging reaches the right people in the right space at the right time. He loves optimizing our clients’ digital campaigns, seeing his work inspire online browsers to action and making a measurable difference for our clients. A native of Colorado Springs, Richard is a graduate of Colorado State University. He is a Chicago Bears fan, so we try to be extra nice to him during these difficult times. When he’s not in the office you can find Richard far away from it, hiking, working out and making music.
Derick Yim
Account Coordinator
A native of Los Angeles, Derick Yim joined Davis after three years in the national marketing department of The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. At Davis, Derick takes care of all the fine details on some of our largest accounts, keeping our clients up to date and their projects on track. Derick serves each client with deep insight into their business and an understanding of how traditional and digital media work together to make a difference. He thrives on seeing the impact of the work we do, and being a reliable and responsive source of support for our clients. In a past life, Derick was a professional dancer and choreography instructor in L.A. and Las Vegas, which explains how he keeps everything on time and all of us on our toes. When he’s not at Davis, Derick likes hanging out with friends and exploring his new home on the East Coast.
Matthew Cole
Video Editor
The Energizer Bunny has nothing on our guy Matthew Cole. A talented and conceptual shooter and editor, Matt turns his dial up to 11 and keeps going to bring positive energy and boundless enthusiasm to every project he touches. (Insert fist bump with Matt here). To no one’s surprise, Matt has accomplished a ton with all that motivation. He served eight years in the Marines, owned his own video production company, played drums for a band that once opened for Bon Jovi … in Hawaii. He even spent a handful of years as a preschool teacher. See what we mean? Energy. A longtime freelancer, Matt was on the video teams at the Virginia Aquarium and City of Virginia Beach before joining us. He stays busy at home, too, where he and wife are busy raising two little boys. We sure wish we had Matt’s energy, but the good thing is, we have Matt.
Bruce Butler III
Graphic Designer
Bruce Butler III is a talented young designer and accomplished sports junkie who joined us straight out of Old Dominion University. But Bruce is no rookie. Before coming to Davis, he spent 5 years as a graphic designer with ODU Athletics while earning his degree, and by his senior year, was the creative content director for ODU Baseball. After knocking a few early Davis jobs out of the park, Bruce quickly became a go-to member of our creative team and hasn’t stopped yet. He appreciates the chance to work on a wide range of design projects at Davis, and likes being around lots of creative people. When he’s not designing, chances are you’ll find Bruce on the sideline shooting photos for ODU Athletics. Go Blue. And Go Bruce!
Chipper Neikirk
Account Coordinator
Every agency needs a young pro like Chipper Neikirk, eager and ready to do whatever he can to help our clients succeed. No matter what we ask him to do or where we ask him to go, Chipper always seems to come back with the goods. Before joining us, he worked on special events at Coastal Edge and RevelXP and in sports marketing at his alma mater, Davidson College. As a Davis account coordinator, he keeps his projects on track, his clients up to date, and makes sure nothing gets lost in the shuffle. One of his favorite hobbies is searching for wild animals, which is super helpful because there have been bear reports out in the woods behind our copywriter’s house. We’ll let you know what Chipper finds out.