Toby Eckhardt
Chief Executive & Chief Creative Officer

Toby founded Focused Image in Washington, DC, in 1986. Today, Focused Image is a leading marketing communications agency within the Greater Washington area that helps clients realize their business potential and growth opportunities through brand development, advertising and public relations. Toby takes an active role with every Focused Image client, from strategic development through creative execution. With more than 25 years experience in creative marketing and design, he has worked with hundreds of clients from technology start-ups to Fortune 1000 companies to develop new brands, redevelop existing brands and raise visibility with target audiences. Over the past 20 years, Toby and his team of seasoned, senior communications professionals at Focused Image have developed strategic plans, award-winning designs, and highly creative campaigns for well-known brands such as AOL, Anteon, Black & Decker, CACI, MCI, XM Satellite Radio and many others. Key project highlights include XM Radio’s SKIFi launch, a four-star rating of HealthExtras’ TV launch campaign (featuring Christopher Reeve) by Bob Garfield in Ad Age, MCI Center launch, Eskimo Pie launch of Nabisco’s Snackwell's line extension into the dairy case nationwide, and the Black & Decker rollout of DeWalt’s “Hard-Headed to the Core” marketing program.

Toby began his career on the client side at Michigan-based Noble Holdings Corp. At 25, he was promoted to vice president of marketing of the adhesives company Marsh Laboratories, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In this capacity, Toby moved the company from its historical commercial business into mass-market retail. He established and managed a nationwide sales force, built channel relations with major distributors and worked directly with the major home improvement retailers in the United States, including Home Depot, Lowe's and True Value. Toby earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College.

Dave Scanlon
Chief Strategic Officer

Dave has a degree in marketing from Moravian College.

He comes to Focused Image after a diverse career with both Fortune 500 and midsize companies. His twenty-three-year career has been focused on strategic marketing. He began his career working for Mobil Oil Corporation. Dave held a series of senior positions with the global petrochemical giant during his sixteen-year tenure. Among his many accomplishments were establishing Mobil 1 as the fastest-growing brand of motor oil and the number one synthetic motor oil in the world. His expertise in channel marketing reflects his experience working with major retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target and AutoZone. He also has considerable experience in business-to-business sales and marketing with General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Caterpillar and Penske Corporation.

In 1996, Dave became the executive vce president for Arnold Communications and directed growth of the agency from $15.5 million to $155 million in 1999 billings. Under his leadership, the client base grew from eight small, local accounts to twenty-three major accounts including McDonald’s, ExxonMobil On The Run, Volkswagen, Black & Decker, SAP-AG, Cable & Wireless, Disney, Hyatt Hotels, Global One, CSX Railroad, Mobil Oil and others. During this period, Arnold Communications was the fastest-growing agency in America. Dave’s success can be directly attributed to his strong commitment to strategic planning and an unshakable dedication to client performance.

In May 1999, Dave left Arnold Communications and founded Solven Corporation, a strategic Internet marketing firm. Dave built the company to $5 million of revenue and twenty-three clients in just one year. Immedient Corporation, an e-solutions company, acquired Solven in the spring of 2000.

At Immedient, Dave was the senior vice president of eBusiness Strategy. He developed e-business processes for Immedient’s eleven offices as well as the overall strategic plan for the company. During his twelve months with Immedient, Dave delivered strategic solutions for Heinz Corporation, Penske Corporation, H&R Block, USA.Net, Karora Technologies and Roku Technologies.

Kristina Messner
Vice President – Public Relations

Kristina leads the Focused Image public relations practice supported by nearly 20 years of public relations, marketing and sales experience in a broad range of B2B, government and consumer arenas. 

Throughout her career, she has helped a wide range of organizations enhance their reputations, reach out to new target audiences, and drive bottom-line, tangible results.  Kristina has gained and managed extensive media coverage for clients in nearly every major U.S. market, working extensively with the Washington, DC, national and international press corps.  Her work with the media includes significant on-air spokesperson experience with local and network broadcast programs including A&E Investigative Reports, BBC, CNN, Oprah! and The Travel Channel.  Kristina also is skilled in event management, having produced events in various scope and size, including work with heads of state, top government and corporate executives, and international celebrities.

Previously as Director of Marketing at LexisNexis, a leading global provider of online news, business and legal information, she played an integral role in launching new online products to corporate, government and academic markets.  Kristina also held senior positions in public relations with EG&G (now URS), a leading provider of management and technical services to the U.S. government.  In this role, she produced and hosted press conferences and photo-ops across the country with executive level representatives from the U.S. Treasury Department, law enforcement and national charitable organizations.  Kristina also supported the launch of new technology products and provided public relations support for bid initiatives that secured several multi-million dollar contract awards.  

As PR Director for the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel, a Washington landmark, she reinvigorated the historic institution’s reputation by establishing partnerships within the Washington business, arts, charitable and media communities, including work with the Corcoran Museum of Art, Ford’s Theatre, Make-a-Wish Foundation, National Pageant of Peace, National Press Club, Smithsonian, Special Olympics, The Washington Ballet and the White House.

Kristina’s career was kick-started early with help from a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Communications from George Washington University, through which she also gained early hands-on training in a variety of Washington and New Hampshire based jobs in journalism, lobbying and politics.
 
She is on the Board of Directors of the Public Relations Society of America’s National Capital Chapter, a member of the National Press Club and sat on the original Advisory Board of the Washington Business Journal. 

Laurie Gold
Vice President, Editorial

Laurie takes the lead in all editorial and writing initiatives at Focused Image. Her strategic approach and inspired creativity translates into powerful, persuasive copy that generates real results for our clients.

With more than 20 years’ experience writing and directing marketing communications efforts, Laurie has orchestrated numerous high-profile campaigns for giants such as Time Warner Cable, Microsoft, Compaq, Verizon Wireless, Accenture and Siemens. Her impressive portfolio includes collateral, branding, direct mail, advertising and online marketing for a diverse group of clients. Among them are AARP, Space Adventures, Fannie Mae Foundation, William & Mary, WAMU and GlaxoSmithKline, to name just a few.

Most recently, Laurie served as editorial director for the Pittsburgh-based advertising firm Blattner Brunner, where she played a leading role in revitalizing brands. Laurie developed messaging, positioning, branding and marketing strategies for a wide range of corporate and non-profit clients, including Deltek, Watson Wyatt Worldwide and The Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation. Prior to that, Laurie thrived as editorial director for Carter Cosgrove, where she oversaw all copywriting, editing, proofreading and market research activities for the agency.

Laurie earned her bachelor’s degree from Earlham College and has taken numerous courses in the visual arts. In addition, she has participated in the Publication Specialist Program at The George Washington University.

Christine “Sis” Pittman
Creative Director,
Print Communications

Sis is a graduate of Marymount University, with a major in graphic design communications and a minor in architectural design.

Prior to joining Focused Image, Sis honed her creative skills at several prestigious area creative shops including Glass & Glass and MFM. She rose quickly through the ranks from designer to art director and assistant creative director. She has the rare ability to work equally well within the two- and three- dimensional arenas.

Her extensive client experience includes the Smithsonian, Fannie Mae, Cable and Wireless, Oliver T. Carr. Among her many career highlights are numerous regional and national design awards and HealthExtras four out of five stars rating by Bob Garfield, Ad Age.

Greg German
Creative Director,
Web & Interactive Communications

Greg is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with degrees in advertising, music and architecture.

Prior to joining Focused Image, Greg held a number of high-level creative positions. After getting his feet wet in advertising as an art director at Henderson Advertising in South Carolina, he joined the creative team at Image Communications in McLean, Virginia, where he served first as a creative director and then as senior creative director. Following his tenure at Image Communications, he was appointed executive worldwide creative director for Ketchum Worldwide in New York and Atlanta, during which time he established Ketchum Creative Works and e-Ketchum. In 1998, he joined iXL as a senior creative director, and he remained with iXL until joining Focused Image in 2000. In addition to his interactive capabilities, Greg is highly proficient in all areas of the creative process including design, copywriting, print production, broadcast production and brand strategy development. He has won numerous Addy & PICA awards for his print, radio and television work.

Over the course of his nineteen-year career, Greg has been the lead creative director on numerous high-profile advertising accounts, including British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Nokia, Sea-Doo, Ski-Doo, Learjet, America Online, Compaq, DeBeers, Mobil and Beretta USA.

Matt Marsden
Director, Business Development

Matt has twenty-five years of experience in the communications field. He has held numerous positions with major area preproduction houses, printers and post-production shops. He has concentrated his efforts on business development for the last ten years, but his extensive experience throughout the creative and production process makes him an invaluable resource to his prospects and clients alike.

Matt has led the company’s efforts to attain major clients, including General Dynamics, iDirect Technologies, WorldSpace Satellite Radio, Segovia, Advanced Technology Systems, CACI, Tandberg, Sourcefire, ComScore Networks, The Kane Company, DigitalNet, Inphomatch and VERIDIAN.