Smart ideas come from anywhere, and so do our people.

Angela has spent 20 years in the marcomm agency business, the last 15 with akhia. Angela has seen and done it all from Account Service to Operations, making the difficult task of running an agency of various departments, home offices and personalities look easy. She’s a fan of travel, Doritos, prosecco, and watching her kids’ extracurricular activities.

Before a career in PR, strategy and planning, April was a local news anchor, reporter and producer. Now she anchors our full team and brings stories to life for companies and brands of all sizes. April gets to the heart of what makes each client different, delivering that message to the audiences that matter most through integrated communications campaigns.

Ben wanted to be a detective. His neighborhood didn’t have the volume of mysteries Encyclopedia Brown had, so he turned to writing and PR. Ben leads, solves, puts in the work and generates ideas, keeping us and our clients ahead by focusing on the now and looking to what’s next. Ben enjoys fantasy football and watching the shows his wife and daughters like.

Jan founded Akhia with a simple idea. Take care of the client, and the rest takes care of itself. The fingerprints of her leadership, enthusiasm and inspired ideas can be found in our culture of mutual respect, teamwork and support. In her free time, she’s flipping houses, doting on her grandkids, traveling the world and making people around her happy.

Patsie created content and conducted discovery sessions before those things even technically existed. As a kid she’d interview her older siblings––the first SMEs she ever knew––and then write stories. She still does that for Akhia while also leading our Channel Experience teams, guiding, aligning and elevating the Digital, Content and Creative departments.

Bill started reading Stephen King way too early. 6th grade. But it got him writing early too. Ten years later he got a pressure-packed job in local news. That foundation of deadlines, accuracy and sparking interest set Bill up for his content development work here. No matter the subject or channel, Bill gets it right, writes it well and delivers on time.

Akhia’s first hire, Camille has been with us since Day 1. Back then, she did a little bit of everything as Jan got the company up and running. Today, she’s a proofreading superhero, keeping our written output typo-free, accurate and perfect. When she’s not proofing, she’s spending time with her nine grandchildren, gardening, walking and doing yoga.

Courtney has years of experience working in marketing, communications and PR agencies primarily for clients in the manufacturing and healthcare sectors, with a knack for finding the best ways to solve the toughest communication challenges. She deftly manages accounts and projects, exploring the creative side of campaign and strategic planning and execution.

You can’t spell "Digital Analyst" without "D-i-l-l-a-n." Creating actionable marketing through digital mediums reinforced by the numbers behind them, Dillan can tell you if your digital efforts bridge the gap between creativity and how well they resonate. Whether building a foundation that works or analyzing to see if it worked, Dillan has your b-a-c-k.

A Renaissance child, Ellen learned the power of words when she wrote her first novel as a kid (her parents still have the only copy) and learned the power of preparation when she played the part of “Plate” in a “Beauty and the Beast” high school musical production as a teenager. Today, she sets the table for clients as a PR pro focused on executive thought leadership, crisis communications, media relations and influencer partnerships, living by a “work hard and be nice” philosophy. “Work hard” to anticipate client needs and exceed expectations. “Be nice” to build strong, trustworthy and transparent relationships.

Active on the outside––Eric plays softball, bikes and is an avid hiker––he channels that energy into his writing, delivering bursts of creativity blended with information that shines new perspectives on products, services, solutions and brands. Through his relentless research, Eric simplifies complicated subject matter to make it resonate and accessible.

A writer since age 11, Frank earned a Modern German History master’s degree in 1993, which today would just be called German History. He spent 30 years in trade publishing and has been part of the Akhia family since 2019. He brings any topic to life to educate and entertain readers. He likes hanging out with his wife and watching Cleveland sports teams.

Pivot. Pivot! PIVOT! After seven years in client service, Ingrid made the switch––quite the pivot––to Operations in early 2022. But for Ingrid, a logical thinker, gifted communicator and overly enthusiastic supporter of Excel, Operations is a natural fit. A friend to everyone, she’s the one with answers to keep Akhia operating like a well-oiled machine.

See Jane run… a lot. With 10-plus years in the public and private sectors focused on a spectrum of storytelling and brand creation, Jane brings an art to strategic development that requires big-picture thinking and analytical attention to detail. She runs a home farm growing vegetables, raising cattle and chickens, and is on the boards of many non-profits.

Early on, Jason’s career goals were in the air. He wanted to be a pilot or astronaut. Lucky for us, he kept his feet on the ground, bringing his leadership, wide-ranging design background and uncanny ability to concept on the fly to our creative team. He keeps his feet on the ground outside work by taking extended hikes along famous trails and out-of-the-way paths.

Jordan Rogers brings an eclectic background to helping clients achieve their marketing and public relations goals. He’s a writer: PR during the day and writing an epic fantasy novel at night. He’s an entrepreneur: Jordan helped create an esports organization. He’s a Wildcat: He graduated from Kansas State University where he was Vice President of PRSSA.

Katherine wanted to be a crime scene investigator. Today, her scene of the time is media relations and PR. From her home base in Columbus, Ohio, she uses her detective skills to solve communication mysteries, turning insights (evidence) into actionable strategies that engage the audience brands already have (the usual suspects) and the ones they want to reach. When she’s not on the case, she watches Pittsburgh sports and takes hikes with her trusty sidekicks––her dog Max and husband Drew.

Devastatingly handsome, incredibly brilliant, and the writer of all the akhia employee bios, Mike has 20+ years of advertising, marketing and communications experience. A writer since childhood, Mike loves creating original stories that stand out for brands. A fan of books, movies and early morning jogs, Mike plans to live forever. And so far, so good.

Mitchell is under the influence. His experience in influencer marketing, managing brand ambassadors and PR gives clients added sway as they build their brands. He loves helping tell client stories because they have a unique and valuable perspective to share. Mitchell enjoys a good book, hits the gym and experiments with new recipes in the kitchen.

Morgan proves the Akhia intern program and middle school aptitude tests get it right. Eight years before she was our intern, Morgan took an aptitude test that said she’s a fit for PR. She hasn’t looked back. She finds the synergy among marketing tactics to create compelling narratives that resonate, drive results and deliver an impactful brand experience.

Nancy brings 20 years of experience in corporate communications and marcomm of all types, working for nationally known B2B manufacturers. She loves all aspects of problem-solving and is very passionate about writing, content development and project management. And she loves her eight dogs at home––she can’t resist a good rescue––and dotes on her son Ben.

A former high school valedictorian, Sarah approaches design like solving a puzzle, taking into consideration the requirements and parameters and still come up with something no one has ever done before. A gifted illustrator, big picture thinker, fun collaborator and detail-oriented designer, she’s been delivering original ideas for Akhia clients since 2012.

Based out of Brooklyn… Ohio, Toni is a proofreader and self-proclaimed keeper of arcane and superfluous information. A dream of veterinary school took a detour into theater arts, which then took a detour to an agency where she found she had an unmatched skill for finding typos, inconsistencies, grammar and punctuation errors. In other words, nitpicking.

A home run in HR. Vicky started in accounting but moved to human resources because she has a passion for helping others. And for Excel sheets. A firm believer that a positive environment will create a joyful work experience, she delivers all that for herself and for her coworkers. Her approach enables all at Akhia to be themselves and be our best selves too!