Account Manager

Abigail Klapatauskas is a specialist of specialties. As Account Manager, Abigail marries her distinct and detailed perspectives across varying elements of campaign work to steer her team’s direction. Abigail first honed her penchant for leadership through sports media, breaking through the male-dominated field to become a trailblazer in both strategic communication and sports journalism. She currently serves as one of the first female co-directors of KCOU Sports, a facet of the University of Missouri’s student-led radio station. Abigail also previously served as the president of the Association for Women in Sports Media.

Across her career, Abigail’s portfolio represents her commitment to her professional and personal communities. In collaboration with Mizzou Athletics, Abigail stood at the forefront of developing Name Image & Likeness (NIL) standards by helping to grow a student-athlete’s following by 68% and cultivating a brand partnership. She also worked within the educational field as an account planning intern for McGraw-Hill. In this role, she researched and updated client accounts and pitched a service project with a local after-school program. During the academic year, Abigail spends time at her university’s Writing Center tutoring over 100 students a semester. Seeing a student find their voice through an “aha” moment brings Abigail sincere fulfillment.

Relationships drive Abigail’s passions — her grit and commitment are born from her innate desire to fuel and uplift others. One of Abigail’s most treasured relationships is that with her younger sister, Madilyn, who has Down syndrome. Abigail has educated herself in American Sign Language to connect with Madilyn beyond verbal communication. Abigail loves signing jokes, stories and more with Madilyn. Their love inspired Abigail to build the first ever sensory-friendly viewing area for the Mizzou Homecoming Parade during her time on Homecoming’s Steering Committee. Abigail also volunteers at the Miracle League of Dubuque, an adaptive T-ball league for kids. She even had the honor of playing “Homer,” the league’s anthropomorphic baseball mascot. But don’t ask for photos.

Quantitative Strategist

Cinthia Martinez-Cerna knows the strongest strategies come from the strongest data. Highly inquisitive, dedicated and dynamic, the Quantitative Strategist from Independence, Missouri, has her finger on the pulse of what’s shaping youth culture.

This summer, Cinthia worked as a consulting and market research intern for HappySneeze, an integrated women’s healthcare company, where she presented partnership and outreach strategies to help the company increase investor partnerships and brand visibility. Her time with the company developed the curious mind she’s lending to the team through this semester’s investigations of the youth and young adult market.

On campus, Cinthia is involved in the university’s National Association of Hispanic Journalists chapter, which was notably awarded the organization’s 2024 Student Chapter of the Year. She served as their communications chair for two years, leading their social media efforts and helping the chapter grow exponentially in its membership. She also served two years as communications chair for the university’s Association of Latin American Students, spreading Latinx culture throughout campus through social media and event direction.

As reflected in her work, campus involvement and coursework, Cinthia is passionate about exploring different cultures and dynamic intersections of identities. She is interested in applying principles of sociology to her research findings to uncover deeper meanings and motivations for the diverse audience she studies.

CopyWriter

Copywriter Phoebe Hendon loves three things: her blue headphones, Mediterranean food and writing everything down. Phoebe’s word-vomit litters itself across her Notes app, the sticky-note reminders on her kitchen fridge and the poor, unfortunate souls who see her Instagram stories. But when the life-long drafter refines her ramblings, what’s left is sharp and witty script.

Phoebe’s voice reflects her innate adoration for thoughtful analysis. After writing her first short story at the age of 6, Phoebe has since fashioned poetry, songwriting, essays, advertising copy and scriptwriting. Following her time as head copy editor of her nationally recognized high school newspaper The Harbinger, Phoebe’s fascination with culture and psychology informed her study of advertising. She believes in the symbiotic relationship between art and insight, never singularly referring to herself as a creative or a strategist, rather a purposeful union of the two.

Phoebe has lent herself to student media across journalism and strategic communication specialities. During her sophomore year, she served Mizzou Student Media as its assistant general manager, consulting the university’s student-led media outlets from the executive level. After a departure from content-focused roles, Phoebe joined Matchbook Marketing as a copywriter for their Instazine magazine. Phoebe went on to serve as Social Task Force internal liaison and department head of Experiential before assuming her current position as the agency’s internal director.

This winter, Phoebe travelled to New York City with her strategic communication peers to work for VML on a strategic sprint — a two-week creative campaign for New Balance. Alongside the remarkable experience, Phoebe also achieved the rarest accomplishment of all: finally becoming a morning person. Back in the Midwest, when she’s not clacking away on her laptop, you can find Phoebe at Uprise Bakery with her favorite people or screaming at the TV when Liverpool F.C. plays.

Media planner

No one brings clarity to chaos like Haley Gebauer. Through the fragmented culture shaping today’s media landscape, she is a decisive champion of impactful media strategy. Haley’s brilliance as Media Planner is crucial to ensuring the creative spark of her colleagues is seen at the right place, at the right time. Her brilliance was aptly cultivated during her time at Matchbook Marketing, where Haley served clients targeting younger demographics through content creation and distribution. In the summer of 2024, Haley worked as a social media intern with Jasper Paul PR & Marketing, where she transitioned from copywriter to videographer to data analyst. Her work was purposed to ensure her clients’ content excelled on social platforms.

Haley’s strategic strengths are only rivaled by her devotion to all things Panhellenic. In August, Haley undertook the role of PHA Panhellenic Counselor, providing support and guidance to 63 young women during the week-long formal sorority recruitment process. She also served as the philanthropy subchair for her sorority, Chi Omega. As subchair, she helped coordinate and develop fundraising strategies for Wish Week, a week of community-engaging philanthropy for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

When Haley isn’t conquering the media or sorority world, she shines as a supernova on the stage. Haley danced competitively for 12 years during her youth, even appearing in an episode of TLC’s Dance Moms at age 8. While a career as a professional dancer may not be her destiny, she remains loyal to her love of dance as a teaching assistant for ballet classes at the Columbia Performing Arts Centre. In addition to teaching the perfect pirouette technique to young girls across Columbia, she acts as a director of Mizzou’s Production Dance Squad.

Art Director

Fiona Wilton is a visionary. A meticulous and adaptive Art Director from St. Louis, Missouri, Fiona’s passion is transforming clients’ directives into visually compelling work. She’s always up for a challenge and brings innovation to her creative direction.

Fiona’s professional experience is rooted in the union between strategy and visual impact. Her most recent adventure was serving as a PR intern for Grove Communication, a small marketing agency in London. She was a creative lead for Matchbook Marketing, curating Instagram posts for Independence Family Eye Care. She also served as the graphics editor for the Maneater, Mizzou’s student newspaper, and worked as an information graphics designer for the Columbia Missourian. Whether she’s conceptualizing campaign visuals or crocheting gifts for her friends, Fiona loves to dabble in all things creative.

Wherever she is, Fiona restlessly absorbs as much as she can from her experiences. She is a Walter Williams Scholar, a student of the Honors College and member of Mizzou’s chapter of the American Advertising Federation. Living and working abroad for a semester is one of her greatest learning experiences yet, and traveling has become a passion of hers.

Not to brag, but Fiona has a distinct competitive edge in the marketing scene. Her career took an early start when she co-starred with the late President Jimmy Carter in a commercial for the American Optometric Association’s InfantSEE program when she was a baby!

Qualitative strategist

Lola Shipman thrives on finding and perfecting solutions. The Qualitative Strategist from Overland Park, Kansas, offers a tactful blend of creativity and analytical thinking. Adaptable, insightful and resourceful, Lola thrives on uncovering hidden insights to elevate every project she’s a part of.

Professionally, Lola illustrates proficiency in technology rooted in strategic expertise. During her past two years as a marketing and graphic design intern at Scout & Nimble, she has designed email and SMS campaigns informed by analytics and her own creative innovations. Last summer, she expanded her skills in Florence, Italy, as a marketing intern for Tuscan Wedding Cakes by Melanie Secciani, where she built global brand recognition through dynamic social content. While abroad, Lola also hosted a private viewing party of the Tour de France Grand Départ as it passed through a new historic city center — for the first time in over a century.

On campus, Lola is a proud member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority and has a strong passion for community involvement. She has volunteered with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build beds for children in need and worked with the Missouri Conservation Corps to help maintain and protect local nature areas. Her love for the outdoors is deeply rooted in her connection to Costa Rica, where she visits family annually to immerse herself in the tranquility of the jungle, ocean and vibrant culture.

Lola’s balance of calm determination and creative problem-solving shines in everything she does, from navigating the complexities of audience behavior to helping the community. Her ability to combine big ideas with practical execution makes her a key asset to the team.

Digital Strategist

Leah Brokaw is a born Digital Strategist. As the middle sister, Leah has played strategist her whole life, navigating her hectic and lively family dynamic with a well-cultivated ease. Rooted in Overland Park, Kansas, Leah’s experiences inform her talent for the art of brand enhancement. Her unique knowledge of digital platforms ensures campaigns will thrive. Leah is defined by her positivity and charisma, rendering her a valued contributor to every collaboration she undertakes.

Professionally, Leah has worked as an account assistant and marketing intern at SuretyBonds.com, where she optimized website content while incorporating strategic SEO tactics. With her focus set toward innovative digital strategy solutions, Leah got hands-on with Google Analytics and Google Search Console, developing and planning social media content for her client. 

Outside of strategy, Leah is involved in her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and volunteers her time at the Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center. At her core, Leah strives for a balanced life, which means spending time online as well as offline. When the screen is shut off, Leah finds joy in spending time with her family and friends or horseback riding.

Among Leah’s quirks is her allergy to an empty stomach — she sneezes when she’s hungry. Note to reader: always keep a snack on hand.

Public Relations account Manager – Strategy

Avery Holton knows how to turn ideas into action. From Billings, Montana, Avery is a passionate, inventive and deliberate PR Account Manager (Strategy). She brings a blend of creativity and strategic precision to the team, utilizing her ambitious ideas to bring campaigns to the next level.

Over the summer, Avery worked as a corporate consultant intern at Atrevia, a global communications and corporate affairs company in Barcelona, Spain. In this role, she worked on a variety of national and international brands, gaining hands-on experience in press releases, blog posts and news tracking. Her efforts served clients across all sectors, including technology, sports and higher education. Prior to her international adventures, Avery interned at Mimi & Pal, an online retailer catering to new moms. She worked directly with the CEO and helped the brand grow its Instagram following by 10,000. From crafting engaging content to analyzing social media insights, Avery proves a well-planned strategy can change the game.

On campus, Avery has been an unstoppable force. With PRSSA Mizzou, the University of Missouri chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, she has served on the executive board for two consecutive years — first as public relations chair and then as president. Through her time with the chapter, she’s managed multiple client projects, led a research team to develop recommendations for an early-stage technology CEO and oversaw a partnership with Mizzou Athletics. She has also served on the PR Committee and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board for her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, where she has created content pertaining to the sorority’s efforts and member information.

When she’s not crafting communication strategies or leading her peers, Avery can be found immersed in her first love: dance. A former science and math whiz turned creative connoisseur, she finds her rhythm in everything from strategic campaigns to teaching young dancers and choreographing her sorority’s homecoming routines. She never expected a lifetime of leaps would land her in a creative field, but Avery’s favorite pivot took her from pirouettes to posting.

Art director

If you know, you know. If you don’t, you better start paying close attention to Art Director Nyah Evans. Hailing from Tampa, Florida, Nyah is a professional vibe curator, setting the mood for all design work. Ever-optimistic and detail-oriented, Nyah knows how to get everyone’s creative juices flowing — sometimes that means blasting the best rap songs to get the team on the right wave. She uses clothes and music to represent her own cool-girl style. However, in true creative fashion, she makes illuminating work that resonates with brands and their target audiences.

Nyah has vast design experience with clients across diverse industries. Previously, she has served Matchbook Marketing through her roles as editor-in-chief for the annual Instazine magazine, as well as creative lead and brand strategy lead for clients. Nyah has also worked as creative strategist at Intero Digital. She currently serves as an art director at global powerhouse VML, designing digital and social content for the Wendy’s account.

Within her on-campus involvement, Nyah is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. Through this organization, she has been able to connect with other Mizzou journalists, network with alumni and visit many public relations, advertising and television agencies. She has also been able to gain valuable design experience as the teaching assistant for the Introduction to Strategic Writing and Design class at the School of Journalism, helping students understand and learn the basics of design.

Nyah chooses to live life on the edge, often jumping at unique opportunities that present themselves to her. This past year, Nyah spent time training for and participating in an amateur boxing match, not just for bragging rights, but to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer research.

public relations account manager – content

PR Account Manager (Content) Julia Frankel is meticulous, efficient and diligent. Day in, day out, she marries her passion for writing and attention to detail to take big picture ideas and expertly relay them to her audiences. Julia’s storytelling abilities and PR experience allow her to construct powerful and impactful narratives. 

Julia has honed her communication and leadership skills through various professional quests. For the past two summers, she worked as an intern for Standing Partnership, a corporate communications firm based in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. In this role, she honed copywriting skills by authoring news releases, thought leadership blog posts and corporate newsletters for clients in the agriculture and energy industries. Julia’s social media experience stems from her work as an account manager with Matchbook Marketing and as the executive PR coordinator for Mizzou’s student government organization, the Missouri Students Association. With her help, the MSA’s Instagram following increased by 17% in three months. No matter the medium, Julia knows how to create genuine results for clients through her thoughtful writing and strategic planning. 

On campus, Julia is also a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, the American Advertising Federation and Fighting Pretty Mizzou, an organization dedicated to supporting women battling cancer. When she is not attending her myriad of meetings, participating in fundraisers or fulfilling various duties as denoted by her Outlook Calendar, Julia also enjoys volunteering her time as a creative. This summer, she dedicated over 20 hours to producing four informational brochures for the Carol House Quick Fix Pet Clinic to support their work and improve at graphic design.

In her free time, Julia loves spending time with family and friends, traveling and watching television shows to unwind. When long days leave her spent, Julia turns to reality TV to press pause on the world. She enjoys watching programs that showcase others’ creativity, including Project Runway, the Great British Bake Off and RuPaul’s Drag Race. Sashay away, Julia.

video producer

Since he can remember, Thomas Hand has always been messing with a camera. Whether the Liberty, Missouri native was creating video blogs in middle school or short documentaries and newsreels in high school, filming and editing has always been a part of this Video Producer’s life. 

Thomas has never shied from the opportunity to expand his skill set during his time at Mizzou. As a member of the PRSSA Mizzou, the University of Missouri chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America, Thomas created a social media playbook and pitch letter for a college athlete to use for Name Image & Likeness (NIL) opportunities. Going into his junior year, Thomas interned with Mizzou Football, assisting with recruitment operations and player personnel.

His love of sport is closely matched by his aptitude for school — Thomas has made the Dean’s List for the School of Journalism four times. Along with his major in strategic communication, Thomas is pursuing a minor in business. But when the books get slammed shut, you’ll find him working at The Heidelberg either as a bartender/server or hooping in a recreation basketball league with his friends. 

Thomas still uses his mother’s 2003 Sony Camcorder to produce videos. He loves the nostalgic feel of VHS, and hopes to bring the retro atmosphere to his team’s work this semester. Sometimes taking a step back in time can create new ideas for the future.