President

"I've always loved that fascinating and maddening group of dreamers, the entrepreneurs of the world."

Tom Y. Sawyer has a proven track record as a principal architect, leader and strategist for successful business and technology ventures. He is a business finance and startup expert, author and entrepreneur. During Tom's extensive entrepreneurial career, he led a variety of successful product development, product positioning and product introduction projects with special emphasis on the total marketing and sales process.

Tom also gained Fortune 100 senior management experience as Director of Information Technology for the Martin Marietta Space Launch Systems Titan IV missile program. Prior to his Fortune 100 career, he served in progressively more responsible financial management and financial planning positions in banking, technology services and computer manufacturing.

Creative Director

“Every creative endeavor, regardless of the medium, must begin with a purposeful reason to exist. Simply being creative isn't reason enough. The client's objectives must not get lost in the exuberance to create something that we can proudly point to as an example of our creativity, without thoroughly understanding the purpose behind it.”

As founder of Ryan & Associates Advertising,  managing partner of Ryan, Whitney & Company, and now Creative Director of Ryan, Sawyer & Whitney, Dan has worked for over two decades emphasizing the execution and delivery of creative production in all available media. A firm believer in building and maintaining a solid brand, Dan utilizes the power of a well conceived Creative Platform to provide  clients with direction, continuity and, ultimately, measurable results. Dan’s work has won many awards, but his greatest reward is seeing the surprised look on a client's face when they realize that their advertising actually worked.

Systems and Strategy

“Great advertising is about giving a clear voice to a valid marketing premise.”

Lee Whitney founded L.A. Whitney & Associates in 1990 and co-founded Ryan, Whitney & Company in 1998. He has served as the chief marketing strategist and consultant for the firm. His love is creating and developing marketing solutions and helping move them to commercial success by finding, "the right customers at the right time."

Lee’s marketing experience includes stints in plastics, aerospace, defense, real estate/construction, manufacturing, high technology and periodic excursions into aviation. Lee has served in capacities of Marketing and Customer Support Director, Managing Director, Charter Pilot and CEO. He is a named inventor on several US Patents and has extensive product and technology development experience. He has been involved in the birth of completely new industries and has an Inc. Magazine 500 Fastest Growing Companies award in his résumé.

VP of Business Development

“I am a ‘dream manager’ helping my clients convert the dreams they have for their businesses into reality.”

Cat Coughran has 15 years of marketing, advertising and sales experience with eight concurrent years of hospitality and tourism marketing experience.

Cat founded Synergist Group in early 2008 to “raise the bar” on the level of marketing, advertising and sales consulting services in western Colorado. She defined Synergist Group’s specialty to be sustainable economic development, tourism and hospitality marketing, advertising and sales consulting. Cat quickly acquired several large and influential clients that were focused on utilizing and implementing her unique approach to Branding and New Media Marketing.

Cat served as the Director of Sales and Marketing for Gateway Canyons Resort, which has become a major destination in western Colorado. She has also shared her expertise with a wide variety of other clients, assisting them in developing strong charismatic brand names, marketing strategies, collateral pieces and advertising campaigns.

Office Manager

After over 20 years of living in the resort towns of Aspen and Vail, Colorado, Stephanie and her family moved to Grand Junction in 2000 for the warmer climate and year-round outdoor activities.

She brings with her a broad and varied background in accounting and office management, having worked for the Vail Ski Resort Company, the Town of Vail and a large property management company.

Before coming to Ryan, Sawyer & Whitney she was the Office Manager for a computer networking company and worked for a local Credit Union. She joined the RSW team in 2006 and works closely with the entire staff, helping with daily operations, bookkeeping, media buying and anything else that comes her way.

Client Relations

A territorial granddaughter of Colorado, Valerie and her family have long enjoyed all of western Colorado. She graduated from Mesa State College's marketing program and quickly began her career as the Sales and Marketing Coordinator for Gateway Canyons Resort, then as Client Manager and Web Support Specialist for Synergist Group.

Valerie has a knack for Customer Relationship Management processes and system implementation and currently works one-on-one with many of Ryan, Sawyer and Whitney’s clients to help maximize their efficiency and ‘bang for the buck’.

Account Manager

As a Kansas City, Missouri, transplant, Elaine brings a wide range of public relations and marketing knowledge to the table. Soon after graduating from Oklahoma Christian University with a degree in public relations and advertising, Elaine began working in the agency environment with clients in bank profitability consulting, glass packaging manufacturing, gourmet food, retail and technology. Creating PR homeruns for clients is Elaine’s goal, and some of those homeruns include articles in The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest and features on CNBC.

With a passion for outstanding customer service and measurable results, Elaine joined the Ryan, Sawyer & Whitney team in 2009 as an Account Manager.

Art Director

A Grand Junction native, Heidi started her design career early, freelancing in high school and college for local businesses. After graduating from Mesa State College with a degree in Graphic Design, Heidi and her husband explored the cranberry country of Massachusetts, where she designed products and packaging for a New England chain of retail stores. In 2003 they were drawn back to Grand Junction, and Heidi was promptly recruited by Ryan, Whitney & Company.

With her passion for the Internet, Heidi is our chief web designer, while also providing concept and design for a variety of branding and promotional campaigns. Heidi oversees all design projects for RSW with her uniquely talented perspective.

Graphic Design & Illustration

Colorado grown, John is a graduate of the Colorado Institute of Art and has put his talents to work for publications and brands known throughout Colorado and nationwide. As a principal designer with Multi Media Arts in Boulder and as a freelance designer/illustrator, John has provided services for a variety of clientele including the University of Colorado, Celestial Seasonings, Rock Bottom Brewery in Denver, and Westword and Buzzworm magazines. John’s reputation for outstanding design soon drew the attention of Wild Oats, which recruited him to serve as one of the innovative company’s principal designers. John was chiefly responsible for providing the unique look that defined the Wild Oats brand. For his efforts there, John won the Edison Award from the American Marketing Association, one of the most prestigious graphic design and marketing awards in the country. In 2000, he was hired by Ryan, Whitney & Company. With an uncommon ability to combine art with commerce, John brings ideas to life with a flair for originality that cuts through the clutter and gives our clients a measurable return on their marketing investment.