Team
By far the best team to improve your business performance!
Grace Dearing
Director of Events & Production
Skilled at producing impactful events that help inspire all who are involved, Grace manages her teams in a way that empowers them to make bold moves. She implements her detail-oriented skills and positive attitude in her day-to-day tasks. When time allows, she enjoys going on leisurely hikes, re-watching Friends, and eating good food with good people.
Susi Blandón
PR Manager
Susi comes to us from Guatemala City with a background in journalism. She thrives most while planning campaigns and events, producing shows, and training her team members. When she has free time, she likes to stay active by running, biking, hiking and driving her Jeep.
Abby Schlenk
Experience Manager
With a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Abby’s focus on precision serves her well in her role as an administrator and writer. She enjoys putting her organizational skills to work in creating, developing, and maintaining internal processes for her team. In her free time, you’ll probably find her surfing somewhere along the San Diego coastline.
Jermaine Smith Sr.
Web Director
Jay loves to bring his problem-solving and analytical skills to anything he works on, and is always looking for ways to make processes more efficient. He excels at keeping things organized and, even as a natural introvert, works hard to maintain good communication and interpersonal skills. When he’s not saving the world from an invisible Zombie apocalypse with his very imaginative 4-year-old son, you’ll likely find him working out or munching on colby jack cheese cubes.
Naomi Lee
Assistant PR Representative
Naomi is a writer who likes working in social media. She graduated from Whitman College with a major in English and minor in Sociology. She is passionate about storytelling as a means to build empathy. In her free time she enjoys reading, researching skincare and learning about social justice.
Emily Mercer
Assistant PR Representative
Emily enjoys writing short, witty, social media copy that engages viewers and amplifies client outreach. She has a passion for working with journalists and journalism organizations, and thrills in seeing event planning projects come to fruition. Her hobbies include leisure reading and walking her dog, Pepper, whom she’s obsessed with. Her favorite snack is french fries, or anything of the potato nature.
Daisy Gamboa
Assistant PR Representative
Daisy is a bilingual marketing professional. She graduated from Sacramento State University in 2017 with a degree in Marketing and Public Relations. Since then she has worked for a variety of tech companies and is experienced in writing copy for events, case studies, social media, and audio advertisements. She is most passionate about planning events and bringing communities together. In her free time she enjoys going out for trail rides with her horse Bullseye, practicing yoga, traveling alone to cities she has never visited or discovering new artists at music festivals.
Sarah Joy Wartinger
Assistant PR Representative
Sarah Joy is a compassionate, authentic, and service-oriented team player dedicated to ethical and impactful work. Her values of equity and sustainability have fueled her interest in fostering meaningful relationships in both professional and personal settings. With a Bachelor‘s degree in International Studies, Sarah Joy has spent time pursuing her professional and educational aspirations in both Latin America and West Africa. She’s passionate about low waste consumption and hasn’t used a single-use plastic bag in almost two years. In her free time, Sarah Joy enjoys biking, rock climbing, and chatting with friends.
Ian Lobaugh
Assistant PR Representative
With a talent for writing and a penchant for relationship-building, Ian constantly seeks to hone his communications skills in pursuit of a fulfilling career in public relations. Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, he graduated with a B.A. in Media and Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Still based in The Research Triangle, Ian loves to hike around Durham, spend time with friends or family, and play with his dog, Tiberius.
Mariama Dumbuya
Assistant PR Representative
Mariama has a degree in Sociology and naturally likes to ponder the question, "Why?" She enjoys exploring her curiosity through reading, writing, and the natural world. Her ultimate goal is to become a published author and full-time world traveler where she can continue to learn about the world and all that exists around her.
Antonio Herrera-Vaillant
Production Manager
Antonio lives by Hervé Schneid‘s words, "I didn’t choose editing, editing chose me." Antonio’s journey began after graduating from engineering school when he was forced to discover the "invisible art" of editing while making video essays. As his passion for film intensified, he decided to pursue an education in his new interests. Antonio now has a Masters of Fine Arts from the New York Film Academy. Over time, he has developed a greater perspective on the editing process, helping him realize that the keys to a successful project are collaboration and a truly diverse and overarching understanding of the project background.
Mel Hope
Production Manager
While Mel graduated with a degree in Applied Mathematics, he excels in designing and producing short, engaging promotional videos and other creative digital media assets for clients. In his free time, he likes to exercise, do yoga and spend time with friends. He enjoys gaming from time to time and is a self-proclaimed foodie.
Sebastien Prudent
Production Manager
Sebastien is a skilled video editor who enjoys giving a fresh take on projects from a visual perspective. He values creativity and efficiency in his work. Prior to Veritas Group, Sebastien was freelancing as an independent filmmaker while running his video production company. He is now a studio owner and spends his off time training in MMA, playing video games and watching movies while enjoying a fresh glass of coconut water.