Meet Our Team
We are a group of entrepreneurs, writers, social media gurus, photographers, video editors, app developers, graphic designers, sound engineers, digital ad experts, colorists, web coders, music composers, software engineers, actors, animators, singers, comedians, SEO experts and client relationship managers helping clients solve problems by inventing new ways for them to stand out from all the noise. Since 1986 Marks Media has created thousands of branding, marketing, fund raising, recruitment, training, sales and entertainment projects for some of the most well-known brands.
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Steve Marks
Founder / Creative DirectorSteve MarksFounder / Creative DirectorSteve started the company in 1986 and like most start-ups, it was just Steve working out of a spare room in his house. Today, Marks Media has has grown geographically with offices located in St. Joseph, Kansas City, and St. Louis Missouri. With 21 people working on various projects with Steve, the business continues to thrive thanks to the hard working team. Steve is passionate about leading the team with excellence in all things “Marks Media”. Like most family owned businesses, Steve is glad that the second generation of Marks’ are in the business; Austin, Stephen, Silas and Channing. Outside of the company, Steve and his wife will use any excuse to spend time with their many grandchildren, and on any given day there could be up to 10 or more grandkids at the house!
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Austin Marks
General ManagerAustin MarksGeneral ManagerAustin is the wizard of data & analytics…basically all things numbers. No matter the campaign, Austin takes a data-driven and ROI-focused approach in helping Marks Media clients grow their businesses. When Austin isn’t digging for data he is the production manager for Marks Media – helping to plan and create some mighty fine videos.
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Kinsey Redmond
Account & Project ManagerKinsey RedmondAccount & Project ManagerKinsey manages our Kansas City location. She brings a wealth of product knowledge, problem solving skills and creativity to the team. We love having staff meetings with Kinsey as everything about her is energetic. Kinsey has a BFA in theatre performance from UCM and has appeared in many of Marks Media’s productions and plays the lead role in a feature film coming out December 2019. Her successful background of managing of all things digital/social media and her professionalism with her clients were huge factors in bringing her on at Marks Media.
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Channing Marks
Account & Project ManagerChanning MarksAccount & Project ManagerChanning is Marks Media’s overall account manager. She does everything no one else wants to do and everything no one else can do.
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Tyler Schmidt
Project / IT ManagerTyler SchmidtProject / IT ManagerTyler is Marks Media’s Systems + Network Administrator and maintains/upgrades infrastructure. Taking care of all the day-to-day IT operations… and there are a lot of operations. <3
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Dan Barnes
Video Production ManagerDan BarnesVideo Production ManagerDan manages Marks Media’s video production team!
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Katherine Swing
AccountantKatherine SwingAccountantKatherine Swing is our “all things financial” administrative person. She is super organized, a great problem solver and she has helped Marks Media tremendously over the years. Katherine keeps busy with her 3 great kids and when she has time, plays beautiful piano …usually a little Bach or Chopin. Katherine keeps the Marks Media ship sailing smoothly and we are happy to have her on our team.
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Tim Arnold
SEO ManagerTim ArnoldSEO ManagerTim started doing all things SEO in 1999, so he knows more than a thing or two! Tim is the driving force behind the tremendous success for many of Marks Media web clients. We love hearing Tim talking to a new client about his experience in keyword research, on-page/off page optimization, reputation marketing, social media management, backlinks and link building. As usual we all jump out of our seats giving him a thundering standing ovation. (Tim usually forgets to mention that he has published many articles about SEO). Tim is a great guy who loves to geek out when it comes to serving our clients with his SEO skills, and we love him for it.
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Milan Chobola
Lead Graphic DesignerMilan ChobolaLead Graphic DesignerMy name is Milan, and I’ve been rocking the graphic design world for over a decade. I have been a part of the Marks Media team for going on 4 years. I specialize in web design, UX and online graphics but don’t be shocked if I create a striking billboard or poster that captivates your audience. When I’m not glued to my computer screen, you can find me playing the loving husband and dad role. Our home is ruled by the coolest sidekick, our dog Tequila. And when I am not chasing pixels, my family and our four-legged buddy escape to the mountains, our sacred haven of outdoor adventures.
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Caleb Zahnd
Web Partner / Full Stack DeveloperCaleb ZahndWeb Partner / Full Stack DeveloperCaleb is a full-stack web developer with over 20 years of experience and is responsible for leading the architecture and development of the Marks Media web division. Caleb brings an established knowledge of internet standards, insights, and award-winning work to the Marks Media team. His client experience includes the Wyndham Hotel Group, Washington DC, Team San Jose, and Destination Hotels. He worked as the Technical Solutions Architect for the world’s leading travel ad agency, MMGY Global, managing a team of creatives building beautiful and immersive web experiences and applications. When Caleb’s not pushing code, you can probably find him running, not from the law, but in marathons. Since 2013, he has completed four ultramarathons and nine road marathons. He is married and has four children, who are the only people on earth with more energy than him.
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Nate Arnold
Web Partner / Full Stack DeveloperNate ArnoldWeb Partner / Full Stack DeveloperNate is highly skilled in front-end and JavaScript development, and leading interactive design and digital projects. Nate has launched and managed several small-scale startups and has the experience of building digital platforms. Nate finds pleasure in the thought that we can solve most problems in our world. It is his desire to contribute more than he takes. Nate’s client experience includes Water.org, Chamberlain Group, New Belgium Brewing Company, Nestlé Purina, and Facebook.
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Joe Brinnon
Producer & WriterJoe BrinnonProducer & WriterJoe Brinnon joined Marks Media in 1988 shortly after Steve started his business. He is a writer, producer, on camera and voice over talent for clients in the many industries Marks Media serves. Joe enjoys the challenges of writing for a diverse client base, as it’s an on going learning experience for a writer. From a custom bowstring company to a national health care organization, to movie screenplays to writing a biography for a client; Joe has thoroughly enjoyed the experience of it all. He’s proud of his work and the great team he works with at Marks Media.
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Jason Hudson
Producer / DirectorJason HudsonProducer / DirectorWith over 15 years in the marketing/advertising space and a financial/management background in property ownership and real estate, Jason Hudson is a welcomed and valued member of the Marks Media team.
He has served as a Senior Manager, Senior Director, Technical Advisor, and Creative Visionary. He has also lead teams in most areas of media production and distribution, partnered with prominent local advertisers, and has managed and executed 100s of successful projects.
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Zack Papenberg
D.P. / EditorZack PapenbergD.P. / EditorZack has been creating amazing content for 7 years. After graduating from Missouri Western State University in 2016, he began his career at St. Joseph News-Press and now is a part of the Marks Media team. He has played an important part on our feature films, documentaries and commercial projects. We enjoy having Zack on our team as he provides us with a wealth of knowledge as a cinematographer with creative lighting and exceptionally smooth camera work.
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Bryson Wooden
D.P. / EditorBryson WoodenD.P. / EditorBryson has had an interest in art and video production from as young as 10 years old. Marks Media has had the privilege of working with Bryson for over 6 years with both our feature films and commercial video work. After many years of dabbling with cameras and video production, Bryson graduated with a film degree at MWSU in 2016. Around this time, his interest in aerial photography grew and he became an FAA licensed drone pilot and has since won a handful of awards. He loves being behind the camera, in the editing room, and using the fast advances of technology to bring new stories to life.
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Al Southern
Engineer / ProducerAl SouthernEngineer / ProducerAl Southern has been with Marks Media since 2006 and has been a major contributor to the overall success of the company. We think of Al as being a bit of a renaissance man; well educated and sophisticated, knowledgable in many different areas like engineering, mechanics and all things Harley Davidson. Al has “saved the day” a few times during a shoot with his knack for unconventional problem solving, practical knowledge and some way cool tools. On most weekends, Al and his lovely wife Sharon can be heard thundering on country roads in Missouri on their loved Harley bikes.
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Stephen Marks Jr.
St. Louis Manager / eCommerce LeadStephen Marks Jr.St. Louis Manager / eCommerce LeadStephen Marks has been a successful business owner and an ecommerce and digital/social media expert for years. He knows that outstanding client service is what makes or breaks any company. In both client and team meetings, Stephen brings much to the table; his ability to focus on the important things first, a very creative mind, an understanding of our client’s markets, and he’s always asking the right questions to help identify opportunities for our client’s. We couldn’t be happier to have Stephen Marks managing the St. Louis office.