The Agency

Don’t be fooled by her size. Thao is actually Bigfish’s resident bouncer, ensuring that the riff raff stays out and the good vibes stay in. And while her boxing skills are an invaluable asset to the company, she actually prefers helping over hurting, which is why you can find her working as a medical scribe in the emergency department when she’s not here. Thao makes supply runs for the office, A.K.A., No Thao = No Bigfish productivity.

Jenna’s background as a writer, editor and project coordinator play in to the excellent communication and organizational skills she uses on a day-to-day basis at Bigfish, composing statements of work, maintaining production timelines and ensuring deadlines are met in a timely manner with the utmost degree of quality.

Gary Tarr joins the Bigfish team as Vice President, industry veteran, and headline junkie. Gary co-founded the award-winning boutique design firm Stevens Tarr in 1995 and took the next step in launching virtual agency, Free Range Productions in 2001. Gary has landed, managed and lead creative on a diverse range of notable clients in the Phoenix area including Oregano’s Pizza Bistro, Penn Tennis/Head Racquet Sports, OnTrac, and Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center and has gained experience in almost every agency role. For Gary, the key to success is a high level of service, innovative creative, strong design and being able to meet tough deadlines.

Continually keyed in to the comings and goings of the Bigfish office. Empathically attuned to the waxing and waning of the Bigfish team’s astrological calendar. Kiahna helps ensure that the office is running smoothly while making sure our inner zodiac signs are being satisfied. Socially speaking, she’d prefer quiet time alone with cinematic horror, a visit to an art gallery or museum, or perhaps an outdoor setting featuring flora and fauna.

Although born in the United Kingdom, Sean moved to Arizona when he was ten-years-old and eventually attended Arizona State University to study English, history, and creative writing. Previously an instructional designer, Sean’s sharp, creative eye and love of fiction has produced three feature-length scripts as well as many happy Bigfish clients. While reading and writing may be his first loves, Sean enjoys going to the movies and watching sports on the weekend.

Always a big picture thinker, Dennis is well versed in the high-level phases of project lifecycles and handily executes deliverables while delegating tasks on a day to day basis. With 9+ years of website development under his belt, Dennis brings experience, a keen eye and a competitive passion for problem solving to the table. Dennis has a strong knowledge of HTML/CSS/jQuery, custom WordPress development, Angular4+ web applications, and conversational interfaces such as chatbots.

Melissa combines her expert design skills, leadership and boundless creativity to craft campaigns that stand out among the pack. Print, web, video and beyond—this Bigfish veteran’s resume features over twelve years of experience crafting inspiring, purposeful visual solutions for all kinds of brands.

Alyssa received her Bachelor’s degree in Design | Media Arts from UCLA. She originally came to Bigfish as a developer, but has now happily settled down as part of the design team, where she uses her coding background to specialize in digital and web design. She is also passionate about creating strong visual identities for brands. When she’s not in front of the computer screen, she loves photography, hiking, and traveling.

With his unparalleled inventiveness, Kevin is the creative heart of Bigfish, guiding our campaigns with a skillful hand and expert vision. His experience in directing creative and design encompasses almost two decades, and while he would knock it out of the park in a big city agency—don’t get any ideas, New York, Chicago, or L.A.—he’s not going anywhere.

Hailing from the windy city of Chicago, Illinois, John studied communication at the University of Illinois and shortly after got his Web Development certification from DevMountain. While web development and coding is his professional specialty, it’s not the only thing John brings to the Bigfish team. An avid musician, John spends his free time singing in his band, A.P.S and is a self-proclaimed James Bond expert. (Really, you can ask him anything!)

Ryan’s experience crafting exceptionally communicative and thoughtful designs for clients comprises two decades. At Bigfish, he plays a leading role in collaborating with the design team to create concepts, layouts and final proofs for clients. Ryan brings an incredibly fine-tuned instinct for design and marketing to each and every piece of work he presents.

Kathryn’s expertise in account management and brand strategy is rooted in her work for Bigfish overseeing multiple integrated marketing campaigns, hands-on resource management, fueling new business growth and developing tactical branding strategies for clients. A true collaborator, Kathryn brings an infectious positivity and enthusiasm to every project she oversees.

Certified in both Google Analytics and Hubspot Inbound Marketing, Alex brings a passion and enthusiasm to internal agency marketing efforts. Highly organized and highly energized, Alex has years of experience managing social media, staying up to date on marketing trends, enhancing business to customer relationships, planning events and managing operations.

Sebastian is tuned into everything digital, from audacious tech start-ups to trending apps and gadgets and the latest in design philosophy. He collaborates with the rest of the creative team to craft visually stunning work that seamlessly augments and integrates with client marketing strategies.

Mike’s strength as a writer and strategist lies in his ability to boil messaging down to easily digestible, yet compelling installments. In more than a decade of creating awareness, and shifting perceptions, Mike has worked with brands in verticals such as healthcare, technology, education, property development and construction, non-profits, and state services amongst others.

Although born and raised in Arizona, Katie moved to Seattle where she studied marketing before moving back home to pursue her career in marketing and branding. Katie brings an innovative spirit and passion for creating imaginative brands to the team, as well as whole lot of customer service experience. When she’s not in the office, she’s traveling, hiking, running, and exploring the Valley’s newest foodie spots.

Joleen locks down the big picture, then sweats the details, including the creative parts. A great listener, tactician, enforcer, and cheerleader, she makes sure that whatever happens, happens for a reason. As Director of Marketing & Operations, Joleen plays a key role working with our clients at the beginning of an engagement to confirm goals and strategies and then oversees execution of that effort across the various agency teams.

Jamie is the true puppet master behind the scenes at Bigfish. She keeps the train on the rails when it comes to budgeting, despite a concerted effort from the rest of Bigfish and clients at continuous derailment. Balance sheets, keeping the office stocked and supplied and handling the integration of new business is her daily grind. Also, she cuts the paychecks.

Amber bundles a decade of industry experience in development, graphic design and SEO into a sizable punch. She develops and maintains both static websites and WordPress themes along with coding and implementing campaign assets such as landing pages and emails.

Jadyn joins the Bigfish team with a cultivated background in both digital and traditional project management. After beginning her career as a strategy intern and quickly moving to Account Coordinator, she now oversees the scope and development of digital marketing projects, website builds, and creative marketing endeavors, working to ensure the client’s goals are met and expectations are exceeded. Although she grew up in Michigan, Jadyn is an Arizona native, and spends her free time taking advantage of the beautiful weather by hiking, fishing, hunting, and camping – whatever keeps her outdoors and under the blue skies!

A native to sunny Phoenix, Megan studied marketing at the University of Arizona. Megan joins Bigfish with experience in media planning and sales, as well as being Analytics, AdWords, Tag Manager and DoubleClick certified. She also has experience buying and planning both traditional and digital media. When she’s not in the office, Megan enjoys spending time with friends and family, enjoying local concerts and the occasional Netflix binge. As a retired swimmer, Megan loves to stay active by running on the canals or attending Pilates classes.

Born and raised in sunny Arizona, Candace Choi is an ASU alumni and Visual Communication graduate. With a specialty in visual design, more specifically digital and web design, she creates an intentional, clear, and seamless user experience for clients through expertise and collaboration. A virtual jack of all trades, Candace brings a product design focus into web projects, elevating the digital experience and focusing on attention to detail through motion design. Indulging in her creative side, she loves reading, photography, and hiking in her free time, and is constantly keeping up to date on the latest design, UX, and UI trends and tools.

A skilled and well-rounded web developer, Ron brings both large and small-scale web application experience to the Bigfish team. With a background in both Computer Science and Programming, Ron has worked in graphic design, UI/UX, JavaScript development, and CMS development, focusing on open source application and front-end JavaScript. When he’s not building high performance websites, he’s spending time with his 4-year-old and finding spare time to enjoy his favorite hobbies like golf, snowboarding, and bowling.

Joe is an expert in aligning world-class creative vision with top-line focused business strategy to deliver results. He rolls with the punches, outthinks and outhustles the whole industry, looks out for the team he’s responsible for, and still loves every minute of it. Joe carries over two decades of executive experience in the advertising and marketing world and is a proud graduate of Arizona State University.