The Crew
A ship can’t sail without its crew. And our crew is a bunch of knowledgeable, experienced marketers, designers, and developers. We’re all in this together. If you’re not on board, feel free to get off at the next port. (We’ll miss you at Happy Hour.)
Leadership
A good ship needs a good captain. And VSSL has two. With a combined 40 years of experience in digital marketing (mostly because Dave is so old), our leadership team knows a thing or two about steering a ship in the right direction. (No, seriously. Check out Dave’s boat.)
Tim Peacock
Principal
As one half of VSSL’s dual-captain leadership, Tim is a veteran marketing leader with strong design sensibilities and a proven track record. His background in multiple venture-backed tech startups translates seamlessly into navigating current clients on voyages of tech success. He can also create a soundtrack for damn near anything. Seriously, he spent part of last summer touring the UK with his cover band.
Drink of choice and where you like to get it from?
Mai Tai – They’re best at The Shirley Temple of Doom (my backyard tiki bar) 😉
Album that changed your life?
Ride: Nowhere – This was my introduction to shoegaze and I feel in love with the swooshiness of all the guitars and the manic drumming. Genius.
Dave Tillson
Principal
As one half of the dual-captain command, David is a marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience in competitive roles — both in-house and within agency settings. David is passionate about helping clients grow their brand and engage their customers while also developing and empowering every member of the kick-ass VSSL roster.
Drink of choice and where you like to get it from?
Would have to go with an IPA and the bar at Mission Bay Yacht Club can’t be beat!
Album that changed your life?
I picked up Bob Marley’s Kaya in High School, you can’t go wrong with Bob.
Marketing Account Management
At VSSL, we know that our clients are what make this entire operation work. Our marketing account managers are what holds the fleet together. They’re strategists, task masters, planners, and just awesome people to work with. They also add a lot to our office dog quota.
Rachel Dickinson
Marketing Account Manager
Originally from Seattle, Rachel has recently made the voyage down to San Diego, trading stormy seas for endless sunshine. With a background in real estate marketing, she’s diving right into the agency world at VSSL. Outside the office, she can be found leading Lagree classes as a certified instructor, going for a run or walk outside, and indulging her passion for baking—especially cookies.
Favorite hobby?
Baking, running and tanning!
Drink of choice and where do you get it from?
Matcha from Pique Tea.
Emma Eret
Senior Marketing Account Manager
Emma is a major sunshine lover! Lucky then, that she was born and raised in San Diego, where she can soak it in during the day, then watch it set over the Pacific like nowhere else. Emma finds adventure everywhere. When she’s not navigating the digital marketing seas, she’s camping in her favorite national parks, reading the latest thriller, tasting wine, or just cuddling with her dog Cowboy.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Portugal – hands down! Portugal is the most beautiful country with the sweetest people, great food, amazing landscape, and is home to my favorite bookstore (Livraria Lello).
What’s your pet’s name and why?
Cowboy – because he looks like a cow (and grazes like one lol) and is a perfect southern gentleman.
Zoe Horner
Director of Marketing Account Management
This isn’t Zoe’s first time navigating the seas of agency life and she’s thrilled to bring her innovation and strategy to the crew. She’s returning to San Diego after spending some time with the Atlantic Ocean on her horizon, happily trading out the cold winters of New York for the SoCal sunshine. In her free time, you can find her outside on the trails or the beach, usually with a good book in tow.
Favorite food?
Taco Bell – it’s so bad it’s good. Crunchwrap supreme all the way, and it’s also super vegetarian friendly since you can replace the meat with beans for anything.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Galapagos islands – I went with my family when I was in high school. It was cool to see all the different wildlife, from penguins to iguanas, and go hiking and snorkeling.
Kendyl Holmes
Marketing Coordinator
Kendyl joins the VSSL crew with experience managing and launching campaigns for many Fortune 100 companies. She is still exploring all that San Diego has to offer after just anchoring here. Being a foodie makes the first few stops a no-brainer. If she’s not trying new brunch or dinner spots, she’s outside in the sun hiking, swimming in the ocean, or simply taking a nap on the beach.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
South Africa with my family! We had to wake up super early and late at night as well to go on the Safaris to see animals in the reserve. Dusk and dawn were the best times to see these animals hunting or walking around in the open fields. I will never forget it and hope to go back someday!
Favorite food?
Italian food or Sushi! I could eat either every day and never get tired of it!
Grace Eckmann
Senior Marketing Account Manager
A West-Coaster for life, Grace sailed south from Seattle and feels right at home in San Diego as a sunshine-lover and wanna-be surfer. Grace comes to VSSL with an agency and startup background, utilizing her strong organizational and interpersonal skills to set the course for projects and keep clients happy. In her free time, you can find her at the dog beach, running at the Bay, or on a quest to find the best tacos and margaritas in the city!
Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Mallorca, Spain has some of the coolest beaches I’ve ever seen in my life. Swimming in the Mediterranean in the summer is a dream.
Favorite hiking spot?
Washington has the best hiking – no competition. Blanca Lake hike is a favorite of mine – the final destination is this incredible alpine lake at the top of a mountain with bright blue water.
Demand Generation
Our Demand Generation crew helps our clients take command of their digital marketing plans. They create tactics and implementation strategies to raise the flags, pull in leads, and get brands noticed.
Kyle Venczel
Paid Media Manager
Meet Kyle Venczel, the Paid Media Manager at VSSL, renowned for their expertise in steering SaaS and service campaigns. Though relatively new to San Diego, Kyle has quickly embraced the city’s beaches and hiking trails, finding a perfect blend of professional challenge and coastal tranquility. His skill in optimizing online visibility and engagement reflects a deep understanding of navigating the dynamic currents of digital marketing.
Favorite hiking spot?
The Mirror Lake trail in Yosemite turns into the Valley loop trail. I have been on it when you can walk through an open field and I have hiked through it when streams are running everywhere I think it's great never knowing what to expect next time I visit.
Favorite place you've traveled to?
I enjoyed my time in Nicaragua, we stayed in a beach house where the forest met the sand. I got to meet family members I didn't know I had and got to experience a different side of the country as a result. Off the beaten path I got to spend time in the local markets and spent some time walking through the jungle to visit different towns.
Kate Bosco
Paid Media Strategist
Kate Bosco boards the VSSL ship as a graduate from USD with a Bachelors from the School of Business in Marketing and Business Administration. As our Paid Media Manager, Kate leverages her analytical and innovative mind, using data and creativity to sink the competition. She’s scrappy—and uses her entrepreneurial spirit to conquer any challenge. She also has a great sense of humor (especially at happy hour) and loves new experiences with authentic people.
Favorite hobby?
Wake surfing in the summer. Snow skiing in the winter. Puzzles, card games, and bingeing tv series in spring and fall.
Drink of choice and where do you get it from?
An Old Fashioned from anywhere with an ocean view.
Dwayne Jones
Director of Demand Generation
With a steady eye trained on the horizon, Dwayne’s ability to spot trends enables him to create top-performing demand gen strategies as part of the VSSL crew. Though originally from Los Angeles, Dwayne set sail for the South coast to San Diego, where he picked up a BA in Sociology from UCSD and an MBA from SDSU. After dropping anchor in America’s first city, Dwayne has racked up over 12 years of experience in the digital marketing industry, where he’s led demand gen campaigns for some of the biggest brands in Southern California. When he’s not tracking down the next best online strategy to sink the competition, you can find him sinking shots on the basketball court or cooling down at the Bay with a refreshing Hazy IPA.
What’s your pet’s name and why?
My cat’s name was “Koa”. We named him this because it means “warrior” in Hawaiian and he was anything but a warrior. He was afraid of everything and everyone.
Favorite hobby?
I think my favorite hobby has to be basketball. Me and my buddies used to be gym rats goin from gym to gym all day playing whoever would challenge us. However now that I am older and can only play 1 or 2 games before my body breaks down, I’ve transitioned into hanging out at the bay drinking a cold one, and playing corn hole. It’s much easier on the body.
Lindsey Sloan
Senior Social Media Manager
Born and raised in California, Lindsey set sail for San Diego 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back. With more than seven years of social media experience, she uses her creative yet analytical mind to put wind into our clients’ social media sails. When she’s not taking the con on content creation, Lindsey spends her time camping, cracking open White Claws, and keeping her puppy from eating just about anything it sees.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Thailand. The views, culture, food, temples, and friendly locals make this place one of a kind!
What’s your pet’s name and why?
Grizzly — But don’t let his name fool you, he is the sweetest Cavadoodle. His name came to us during a camping trip while we were hiking through the Sequoia’s.
Jordan Opel
Senior SEO Manager
Jordan has 10+ years of experience sailing the seas of Search Engine Optimization and is an expert at helping brands generate leads. He’s passionate about crafting impactful inbound marketing experiences that benefit both consumers and sellers. When he’s not growing organic traffic, he likes to play board games, take trips to the mountains, or ride his bike for exercise.
Favorite hobby?
I always aim to hit the mountains and go snowboarding in the winter. It’s a fantastic way to spend a weekend with friends, get some exercise, and soak in those stunning mountain views.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
I really enjoyed spending a couple of weeks in South Korea due to the lack of international tourism. It felt like a very authentic cultural experience opposed to more popular destinations that I’ve been to.
Marketing Operations
Our Marketing Operations masters implement systems to increase our clients’ sails. They use mind-blowing tactics to optimize our clients’ MarTech stack, creating strategies and metrics to boost marketing efforts and increase efficiency.
Lisa Sydes
Marketing Operations Strategist
Lisa Sydes
Marketing Operations Strategist
Lisa is a California native and has dropped anchor up and down CA’s pacific coast as well as in Montana and Paris, France. She loves traveling and exploring new places, and is always up for an adventure. Her marketing experience lies in both in-house and agency life, making her a strong asset to the VSSL crew. When not sailing the digital high-seas, she can be found being bossed around by her two dogs, Basil Dog (a red Siberian Husky with floppy ears) and Annabelle aka “The Snog” (a rescued hunting dog from Kauai).
Drink of choice and where do you get it from?
I love a good Moscow Mule, and my favorite is when it is mixed with Huckleberry. I haven’t been able to find one since moving back to California, so if you happen to cross paths with one you’ll need to let me know!
What’s your pet’s name and why?
My Husky’s name is Basil (bay-zle), who is named fondly after Basil (baa-zle) Fawlty and Basil of Baker Street. But, I jokingly changed the pronunciation because Basil (the dog) is a girl, and Basil (Fawlty) is a boy. In reality, I suppose it is my small contribution to the British vs American English pronunciation feud.
Technology
A ship can look great on the surface, but if there are holes below deck, it’s a shipwreck. Our crew uses the latest development technologies to bolster our clients’ digital experiences, keeping their brand leading the fleet.
Keri Gerheart
Director Of Technology
Keri comes to the VSSL crew with over 10 years in the tech industry under her belt. She sticks to our motto of All Hands on Deck with a background that ranges from development to SEO & internet marketing and has the skills to code just about anything. When not chipping away at a new dev project, Keri can be found at the helm of a sailboat or the gym training for a powerlifting competition.
Album that changed your life?
“Dig Me Out” by Sleater-Kinney. I first heard this album about a year after it came out, and I think I was in 8th grade. It’s the album that made me love music. While S-K will always be my favorite band, it also put me on the path to discover a lot of other post-punk and punk bands, and really shaped my taste in music. I’m pretty sure I spent all of high school grounded because of ditching school and taking off to see them play any show between Boston and DC.
Favorite hobby?
My two favorite things to do are sail and lift. I started powerlifting a few years ago and got completely hooked. Seeing the hard work in the gym pay off as your totals go up is really satisfying. Plus, who doesn’t love a sport where you have to wear a singlet!? When I’m not lifting, I try to sail as often as I can. I’ve only been sailing for about a year and half, so I still have a lot to learn. I love getting away from everything and being out on the water.
Adam Jones
Senior Full Stack Engineer
Adam is a developer, programmer, Devo mega fan, and the ship’s painted crew mate. Obsessed with code and the tech that goes behind it, when he isn’t moving pixels around you’ll find him circumnavigating San Diego’s radical terrain like Magellan on a skateboard. He’s also our go-to guy to learn about the idiosyncrasies of different IPAs and what economics podcast we should listen to (seriously!).
Album that changed your life?
For sure would be Mercyful Fate’s “Don’t Break the Oath.” Look it up kids. Close behind that would be Devo’s “Freedom of Choice.”
Top three favorite restaurants?
Craft & Commerce, Ironside (basically anything Consortium Holdings does) and Kindred. Craft & Commerce has some insanely good food and cocktails. Ironside is the raddest sea food place in San Diego (and has some really good drinks too). Kindred because its Kindred.
Creative
Our creative crew doesn’t just “make things pretty” (or gritty). They know how to build visual strategies to hoist brands and sink your competition with culturally relevant branding and user-friendly experiences.
Michael Gauthier
Creative Director
As a builder of brands, Michael uses his desire to create strategic and culture-oriented content to support his role as Art Director for VSSL Agency. His experience lies in the treacherous seas of both B2B and consumer brands, making him well-versed in crafting dynamic design systems. When he isn’t designing, you can find him trekking through the wilderness, traveling far and wide or tossing back a hazy IPA. He’s stoked to be back in SoCal and out of Karl the Fog. Google it.
Coffee or tea?
I like both but coffee is definitely my favorite. I just do a simple Chemex pour over with oat milk. I prefer hot but if it’s super hot outside, I’ll go iced. It doesn’t give me the same pick me up but it gets the job done.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
I have to say Croatia. The culture is such a mixture of different historical influences which gives a really eclectic approach to art, food, and architecture. Plus, the people are so sweet and the scenery is incredible.
LeeAnna Diehl
Art Director
LeeAnna brings over 11 years of B2B and B2C experience to the VSSL crew, with roots in Boston at a luxury diamond company as well as in sunny San Diego at a SaaS start-up. Though she is a New Englander at heart (Dunkin Donuts forever), the waves and sun of the Pacific Coast have been calling her name for years and so she’s made Southern California her home. In her free time, you can catch her at a concert, on the beach, or consuming tacos and tequila (an SD staple) somewhere outside. She’s also still holding out for Justin Timberlake’s heart, so if anyone has a connection there…
What’s your pet’s name and why?
I have a cat named Charlie, for no other reason than I think it’s funny when pets have human names. We’ve nicknamed him Chuck, or Charles when we’re feeling fancy.
Drink of choice and where you like to get it from?
My favorite drink hands down is a margarita. The less sour mix the better. My favorite in San Diego is at La Doña in OB – just tequila, agave, and lime juice. But it’s rare I would turn one down anywhere else.
Emily Cook
Designer
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Emily is excited to bring her love for the outdoors to the sunny shores of San Diego. She has a solid background working with agencies and is eager to contribute her creative skills and positive attitude to the VSSL crew. When she’s not designing, she can be found exploring new hiking trails, at a workout class, or soaking up the sun on a nice day.
Favorite hobby?
I’ve recently picked up line dancing, so brace yourself for some fancy footwork when I hit the dance floor. When I’m not perfecting my moves, you might catch me being extremely competition on the pickleball court, or indulging in my guilty pleasure of rewatching “Friends” for the hundredth time.
Favorite hiking spot?
Hands down Yosemite but specifically the Bridalveil Falls trail. My family would go on a camping trip to Yosemite every summer so it’s a pretty sentimental spot. I love a good destination hike and you can’t get anything better than a massive waterfall!
Katrin Queck
Designer
Katrin joins the VSSL crew from all the way across the pond! She made the decision early in life to live in California after being born and raised in Berlin, Germany. Her desire for adventure is what fuels her creative directions and new design ideas. As a wanderer at heart (and when she’s not busy creating), Katrin can be found just about anywhere in the world! Her travels have taken her backpacking in Nicaragua, night markets in Asia, biking through Soweto and more. She finds her inspiration through the world around her and aims to inspire others with the work she creates.
Album that changed your life?
Fleetwood Mac rumors. My parents listened to it, I love it and my kids dig it too. Approved by three generations.
If you could spend a day with someone who inspires you, what would you do and who would it be?
My great-great-great-grandparents. It would be interesting to meet them and find out more about their life and what made them tick.
Accounting
Gene keeps our finances on course, helping us optimize performance and stay within target budgets. He’s not just a barnacle counter. He knows how to make a business (and ship) sail smoothly. And yes, his business card does say “Handler of the Booty.”
Gene Ratliffe
Accounting
Gene Ratliffe
Accounting
Gene is VSSL’s Finance and Accounting Navigator, helping the team optimize performance through budgeting, analysis, systems integration and business process improvements. He’s no barnacle counter; his diverse finance skills gained from roles in both large corporate finance departments and a family-owned business earned him the title Handler of the Booty.
Drink of choice and where you like to get it from?
Beer… more specifically IPAs. I prefer the local SD Breweries.
Favorite hobby?
Sailing – A family friend needed crew and was willing to train. I tried it and was hooked. Biking – Like most Gen-X kids my bike was my transportation and escape.
Ghost Crew
Behind the day-to-day crew, we have a ghost crew that reinforces our core services and adds additional capabilities for our clients. And while you may not see them in the office daily, you might spot them at an occasional happy hour.
Larry Greenfield
Senior Writer
Larry entered the world in the nation-state known as Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island. Neither athletic nor musical, he embraced the power of Big Words early, the harder-to-pronounce the better. His literary deities are John Steinbeck and ‘The Two Doctors’: Asimov and Suess, with a little Ogden Nash on the side. He feels blessed that the Universe granted his two life wishes: to live in Manhattan, and in California, where he now resides.
Favorite hobby?
Biking is one hobby. I try to get 100 miles a week in, not that it always happens; but I nearly always take the bike when I travel, especially to San Francisco’s hills! I also spend too much time reading to stay current on current events.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
The back roads of America’s West! When traveling, I try to find alternatives to the interstates, and it’s always rewarding. (I only say the West because I live here; if I lived in the Midwest, South, or back East, I would say those back roads, I’m sure.)
Brad Hensley
Motion Graphics Mercenary
Brad (or B-Rad, as he is known around these seas) is an expert craftsman of all things 2D/3D. But that’s not all! His video animation skills have earned him many raised cutlasses and lined our clients’ coffers with doubloons. In his free time, this sea dog does the same things as when he’s working.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
My favorite travel destination is Indonesia. It’s beautiful place and the culture is amazing. I’ve never met more kind and happy people. Oh and the dozens of world class waves might have something to do with it taking the top spot on my travel list.
Drink of choice and where you like to get it?
I like good bourbon. I like to get it from anywhere that has a view. Nothing like sipping on bourbon while enjoying some nice scenery.
VSSL Agency
2023 By The Numbers
You met the crew. Are you ready to dive deeper? Here are some quick stats from this last year about what keeps VSSL going.
Songs Played
40,160
Slack Messages Sent
122,597
Website Visits
16.2 Million
Demand Gen ROI
600%
(No Biggie)Real Awards Won
6
Let’s Set the Course
VSSL Agency (pronounced “Vessel”) is a full-service creative digital marketing agency in San Diego. VSSL builds brands, invents campaigns, and creates websites for growth-oriented B2B businesses ready to expand their digital future. With our brand-first approach, companies can stand out in their market, attract the right customers, gain maximum value, and deliver bold digital marketing experiences to drive sustained growth for long-term success.
