Hop over to LinkedIn to read a lot more things people have said about me. It’s embarrassing.

“Maria makes any agency better. As a creative, she’s ambitious, smart, trailblazing. As a leader, she’s nurturing, collaborative, committed. And as a person, every interaction with her is genuinely joyful. I’ve been fortunate enough to see Maria do great work and draw great work out of creatives at every level. And while we’re no longer part of the same team, I know that I’ll be able to keep up with her in pages of award annuals or by way of stories on Adage about exciting things happening in our industry. As the marketing and advertising landscape continues to evolve, Maria is the type of person who won’t be just keeping up, she’ll be ahead of the curve.”

— Rob Doerzbacher, Associate Creative Director at Tonic

“I worked with Maria for multiple years at Brunner in my role as the Chief Client Officer. During that time, Maria was a growing and evolving creative talent who not only did great work but also presented it beautifully and in a compelling way to the clients at all levels. Maria not only earned the respect of myself and the entire Account Management team at Brunner but also our clients loved her. She possesses a strong desire to do the best work possible and to push herself to the highest possible standard of excellence relative to her work and the craft. She worked with and learned from some amazing and talented mentors and she took constructive feedback, reflected on it then acted upon it without being intimidated one bit by it. She has worked on both the agency and client side of the business in her career which has only enhanced her perspective and level of professionalism. Finally, and most importantly, Maria is a great mom, a caring friend and teammate and she is also very funny at times.”

— Jeff Maggs, Managing Partner at Brunner; Agency Owner

“I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Maria for well over 2 decades. Maria is a great leader, communicator and forward-thinking creative. Her enthusiasm is unmatched, viewing each project as a creative opportunity. Maria has walked both sides of the fence, being the creative and also the client, developing her ability to consider – and balance – strategic issues, creative concepts and practical considerations. Her hands on approach is evident throughout - start to finish, putting clients at ease. Regardless of the circumstances, her infectious positivity leads everyone to work together to get the job done. I always look forward to working with Maria.”

— Tom Cwenar, Photographer/Director and owner Cwenar Studios

“Maria is an excellent strategic thinker who engages deeply in business issues and knows how to use consumer research to inform creative ideas. She pushes hard to make creative work ever more interesting and beautiful, while never losing sight of a client's practical objectives. She's a strong collaborator who gives and receives feedback in a respectful way, and maintains a sense of proportion and a sense of humor even in difficult situations. I loved being on a client team with her - she was a true partner who made me better at what I do, and she made doing it fun.”

— Stephanie Bane, SVP Research at CivicScience

“Getting to work for, and with, Maria was an invaluable experience. There were many things that she did as my manager that helped further develop my skills as a creative. Her drive for incredible and unique, yet thoughtful and purposeful, design was always top of mind. I always felt supported by Maria and she made sure to push me as far as I could go. She taught me to trust my instincts, believe in my ideas, and always be asking questions. Her enthusiasm for great work comes through in everything she does, and her positivity and overall energy makes her all that more wonderful to work for. Having her as my mentor for the last several years was an incredible opportunity and would highly recommend Maria to be the same mentor for others.”

— Nicole Sedlock, Lead Designer at Highmark Health

“I had the pleasure of working with Maria for many years at Brunner. She is a naturally creative person in all things and always willing to take on a new challenge. Maria also embraced the customer and immersed herself in their experience with a brand to understand the audience's perspective, which made her better understand insights and made her work stronger.

Maria is very gifted in her craft as an art director, and she is a pro at balancing her craft and client expectations. Maria often used the customer insights that she experienced to support her recommendation, along with additional research and her signature professional approach. When all was said and done, her recommendation often went forward. Maria is also very strong in production, with the ability to select and manage production partners so that they brought creative ideas to life in the best possible way.

As a colleague, Maria was one of the best. She is the consummate professional and collaborator, who always keeps her eye on the target. I can rely on her when situations are challenging, and I need another level-headed yet creative thinker to help solve a problem. Her positive yet realistic attitude coupled with her unique sense of humor helps to keep everyone moving ahead and focused on delivering the best work.”

— Kristen Cook, VP Marketing at Tobii Dynavox

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