LINCOLN, Neb. (November 27, 2021) – Swanson Russell welcomes Bob Gropp, Jess Schmitz, Casey Hodgin, Ryan Connolly, Matia Ward, Nicole Vitera, Adam Furley and Haley Fischman.
Gropp joins the agency as director of finance in the Lincoln office. Before joining Swanson Russell, he was director of sales analytics for Husqvarna Construction Products North America. Prior to that, he served in various finance and analysis roles at companies like Cummins Filtration, Yankee Hill Brick and Tile, and Schneider Electric. Gropp is a Lincoln, Nebraska, native and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Schmitz joins Swanson Russell as a digital production coordinator in the Omaha office. Before joining the agency, Schmitz served as a digital media strategist and account coordinator at Clark Creative Group. From 2020 to 2021, she was the communications co-chair for the American Advertising Federation of Omaha. She originally hails from Missouri Valley, Iowa, and earned a bachelor’s degree in media and journalism from the University of South Dakota.
Hodgin joins the agency as an associate digital producer in the Lincoln office. Before joining Swanson Russell, Hodgin served as a product content specialist at Spreetail and, most recently, as a marketing analyst at Agency 877. He’s a Lincoln, Nebraska, native and earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Connolly joins Swanson Russell as a designer in the Lincoln office. Before the agency, Connolly worked in a variety of design roles at Google, Teradata, the Lincoln Journal Star, Play Creative and Hurrdat. Most recently he served as web manager at Agency 877. Connolly is originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, and earned both a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Hastings College and a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from The Art Institute of California in San Francisco, California.
Ward joins the agency as an associate developer in the Lincoln office. Prior to joining Swanson Russell, Ward served as a web developer at Firespring. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Ward earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Vitera joins Swanson Russell as a project manager in the Omaha office. Prior to joining the agency, she served as an account manager at Firespring. Hailing from Elkhorn, Nebraska, Vitera earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing from Midland University.
Furley joins the agency as a project manager in the Omaha office. Before joining Swanson Russell, Furley served as a reporter at the Bellevue Leader and then as a marketing specialist at Hillcrest Health Services. Most recently, he was a local search strategist at Hurrdat. Furley is an Omaha, Nebraska, native and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Fischman joins Swanson Russell as a talent acquisition specialist in the Lincoln office. Prior to joining the agency, she served as an education abroad coordinator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and most recently as the assistant director of career development at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Fischman is a Lincoln, Nebraska, native and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Swanson Russell is a nationally recognized full-service branding, advertising and public relations agency in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. The agency partners with clients across many industries while specializing in agriculture, construction, landscape/turf, outdoor recreation and healthcare. To learn how Swanson Russell builds a Real Connection™ between brands and audiences, visit swansonrussell.com.
