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We work in teams. And because everyone on your team participates in program and concept development—and can work in pixels, paper, or plexi—you can be assured that whatever we create will both fulfill its tactical goals and work hard to build your brand and reinforce key messages. That the team is your team, and stays together from strategy through implementation, also makes your life easier: one learning curve, one group that knows (and can anticipate) your needs; one hand that knows what the other is doing.

Roger Sametz, President and Chief Executive Officer

Roger Sametz, President and Chief Executive Officer, works with clients to define and articulate branding and communication strategies that help them better connect with their constituencies and advance organizational goals. He received his BA and MFA from Yale University.

Representative academic and research clients include Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, MIT, MIT Sloan School of Management, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Dana Hall School, Colgate University, Suffolk University, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, and Brigham & Women's Hospital. Representative corporate and financial clients include Haemonetics, Skinner, Inc., PAREXEL, and a leading global institutional asset manager. Representative cultural clients include Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Ballet, Celebrity Series of Boston, San Francisco Symphony, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston Public Library, and WGBH.

Read more: Roger Sametz, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Alex Budnitz, Senior Designer

Alex Budnitz, Senior Designer, works with clients to translate strategy into communication programs that achieve results. He graduated summa cum laude from Emory University with a degree in philosophy before earning an MFA in graphic design from the Yale University School of Art. He teaches graphic design at Northeastern University. Alex's clients at Sametz Blackstone include Haemonetics, Mount Sinai Medical Center, various MIT departments and initiatives, PAREXEL, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Brandeis University, Vermont College of Fine Arts, Skinner, Inc., Suffolk University, Harvard College, and a leading global institutional asset manager.

 

Joerg Dressler, Principal, Director of Design

Joerg Dressler, Principal, Director of Design, works with clients to articulate their brands through exceptional and engaging design, and also leads the design department. He graduated from Hochschule für Gestaltung in Offenbach, Germany as a Dipl Graphic Designer; he also attended the Ecole National Superieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. Joerg joined Sametz Blackstone in 1996.

His clients at Sametz Blackstone include Harvard University Library, Harvard Medical School, Celebrity Series of Boston, Suffolk University, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Purdue Pharma, Mundipharma GmbH, San Francisco Symphony, MIT Technology Review, WGBH, Boston Ballet, Haemonetics, National Fire Protection Association, and a leading global management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing company.

 

Michael Eads, Principal, Director of Production

Michael Eads, Principal, Director of Production, oversees all print engagements at Sametz Blackstone, working collaboratively with designers and strategists to ensure brand compliance and quality control. After receiving a BA from Rhodes College and spending ten years in the advertising and publishing fields in Memphis and Boston, Michael joined Sametz Blackstone in 1993. A member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Michael has produced projects that have been published in Communication Arts, Print, and Graphic Design: USA, and has received awards from Printing Industries of America, Engraved Stationery Manufacturers Association, and Boston Lithographers and Craftsmen Club. His clients at Sametz Blackstone include Harvard Medical School, Celebrity Series of Boston, McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Harvard University, Haemonetics, and a leading global management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing company.

 

Luke Ehler, Digital Media Developer

Luke Ehler, Digital Media Developer, builds websites. More specifically, he creates customized, sustainable installations of free, widely supported, and open source content management systems. Luke helps identify and configure the most appropriate platform and then delivers pixel-perfect, well-supported HTML and CSS on the front end. His more than a decade of experience in PHP, MySQL, and Javascript helps to create customized behaviors, features, and functions to fit each project's needs. Before joining Sametz Blackstone, Luke developed variable data transactional documents for the retirement, brokerage, and insurance industries—for clients including Ameriprise Financial, Fidelity Investments, T. Rowe Price, and Wells Fargo, among many others. His clients at Sametz Blackstone include the League of American Orchestras, Essex Partners, MIT Energy Initiative, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Chorus America, and McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT.

 

Ryan Fleming, Designer

Ryan Fleming, Designer, collaborates with our clients to articulate their mission and vision through design. He graduated with a dual major in graphic design and multimedia studies from Northeastern University. Ryan’s clients at Sametz Blackstone include Skinner, Inc., Cabot Research, Direxion, Brandeis University, Emmanuel Music, World Wide Web Foundation, Harvard Medical School, and a leading global management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing company.

 

Jeff Hudecek, Digital Media Developer

Jeff Hudecek, Digital Media Developer, creates digital design and visual effects that add unique energy to client communications. He received a BFA in Visual Media Arts with a concentration in New Media from Emerson College and is a member of the Gold Key Honor Society. He is responsible for XHTML/CSS development, implementation, cross browser compatibility, and Flash development on projects for Sametz Blackstone clients including Direxion, Harvard Committee on General Scholarships, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Brandeis University, and the League of American Orchestras.

 

Alyssa Jones, Project Coordinator

Alyssa Jones, Project Coordinator, helps manage the inner workings of client projects, keeping everyone on track, on time, and on budget. She received a BA in Sociology from Ohio State University. Prior to joining Sametz Blackstone, Alyssa worked for ten years as Assistant Program Director, Finance for Gateway Arts/Vinfen. She has also held project management, marketing, and client production positions for Optic Nerve Arts Corporation and Kinko's. Alyssa is a member of the Gateway Arts Advisory Committee, serves on the HRC Boston steering committee as marketing co-chair, and is on the Board of the Salem Arts Association. Among her direct client engagements at Sametz Blackstone are several MIT projects, PAREXEL, and a leading global management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing company.

 

Caitlin McLaughlin Lischick, Strategist

Caitlin McLaughlin Lischick, Strategist, works with our clients to strengthen and refine their brands through effective communication strategies. She received a BA in Art History from Georgetown University and an MBA from Columbia University. Prior to her arrival at Sametz Blackstone, Caity worked in corporate fundraising at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City and served as a consultant to the Museum of Arts and Design through the Nonprofit Board Leadership Program at Columbia. Caity also spent time at Philips Consumer Lifestyle in a brand management role with Philips Sonicare, and advised on digital strategy with Group SJR. Her clients at Sametz Blackstone include Boston Symphony Orchestra, Skinner, Inc., Suffolk University, World Wide Web Foundation, and a leading global institutional asset manager.

 

Angela Romanska, Digital Strategist

Angela Romanska, Digital Strategist, works ”under the hood“ on client websites to craft intuitive, thoughtful user experiences. She graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts at Boston with a BS in Criminal Justice and Psychology, and went on to graduate magna cum laude from the New England Institute of Art with a BS in Web Design and Interactive Media, where she was the recipient of the 2012 Interactivity Award. Her clients at Sametz Blackstone include Suffolk University, McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Skinner, Inc, and a leading global management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing company.

 

Meg Fowler Tripp, Social Strategy and Marketing

Meg Fowler Tripp, Social Strategy and Marketing, helps our clients to connect more effectively with their audiences and constituents through interactive- and conversation-based digital and social media channels. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a double major in English and Political Science, and went on to work in marketing and directorial roles with nonprofit organizations before joining the Sametz Blackstone team. Meg’s client work includes social and digital strategy, integrated marketing strategy, and copywriting. Among her many clients at Sametz Blackstone are Brandeis University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Suffolk University, Direxion, and Boston Symphony Orchestra.

 

Brandon C. Walsh, Principal, Director of Digital Strategy

Brandon C. Walsh, Principal, Director of Digital Strategy, leads deeply resonant, brand-focused communication programs—from comprehensive re-brands to complex website redesigns—for a wide range of clients including Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Direxion, Harvard University, WGBH, Mass Audubon Society, San Francisco Symphony, Essex Partners, Chorus America, National Fire Protection Association, American Cancer Society, League of American Orchestras, Joslin Diabetes Center, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Suffolk University, and many more. His articles have appeared in Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, and The Voice, and on MSNBC, FoxBusiness.com, Reuters, Business Insider, TheStreet, CNNMoney.com, and MarketingProfs.

Before joining Sametz Blackstone, Brandon held marketing, communication, and public relations positions for the Boston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Spartacus Media Enterprises (a social mission media company dedicated to effecting positive social change through mass media), Real Art Ways (a seminal contemporary arts center in Hartford, Connecticut), and Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Brandon received a BA in Arts Management from the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music and an MBA from Boston University’s Graduate School of Management, with a concentration in business analysis and strategy.

 

Venus Wan, Designer

Venus Wan, Designer, works with our clients, strategists, and digital media developers to articulate and express key messages through strong visual language. Originally from Hong Kong, she received her MA of Graphic Design from the New England School of Art and Design at Suffolk University, where she graduated with an outstanding academic award. She previously received a BFA of Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. Before joining Sametz Blackstone, Venus held design positions at Design Continuum and NERA Economic Consulting, where she gained extensive experience working with international clients from China, Japan and Europe. Her clients at Sametz Blackstone include Celebrity Series of Boston, Direxion, Dana Hall School, Wentworth Institute of Technology, McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Harvard University, Autism Consortium, and a leading global management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing company.

 

Donna Wardlaw, Principal and Finance Manager

Donna Wardlaw, Principal, Finance Manager, manages the firm's finances. She holds an Associate degree in Business and is certified by the American Accounting Association. Prior to joining Sametz Blackstone, Donna worked in the finance industry with firms including Eckstein CPA. She then moved on to the creative industry, where she served as Finance Manager for ERN Advertising, BMW Advertising, and Paul Baldassini Graphic Design. In addition to nearly twenty years of helping Sametz Blackstone maintain healthy relationships with its clients and partners, Donna also co-manages human resources and facilities.

 

Joel Zayas, Digital Media Developer

Joel Zayas, Digital Media Developer, creates digital media solutions that enable our clients to communicate more effectively with their pixels. He studied Digital Media at Full Sail University and then returned to the Boston area to join the team at Sametz Blackstone. Joel's client engagements at Sametz Blackstone include a wide range of MIT clients (MIT Energy Initiative, MIT 2030, MIT Center for Real Estate) and Direxion.