TLC Names Seth Colton Director of Political Services

The Lukens Company recently announced the promotion of Seth Colton to Director of Political Services.

Seth, who graduated from Marietta College in Ohio with a dual degree in Political Science and International Business, has been with The Lukens Company since 2007. 

Most recently, he served as a Director of Major Accounts, including long-standing clients such as the National Republican Congressional Committee, the Susan B. Anthony List and the Republican National Committee.  He also played a pivotal role for some of TLC’s top accounts including the Indiana Senate Majority Campaign Committee, Tommy Thompson for Senate, and dozens of highly targeted, integrated voter contact campaigns across the country.  For his creative acumen, Seth has received multiple Pollie, Reed and Maxi Awards.

In this expanded role at TLC, Seth will be responsible for overseeing strategy, creative and marketing efforts across the political division, including multi-channel voter contact and fundraising efforts.

“Seth Colton has been an instrumental part of the Company’s continued growth in the political arena.  He is being promoted to Director of Political Services in recognition of the superb job he’s done directing efforts internally and for our clients,” said TLC Executive Vice President John Schaller.  “Seth possesses a calm and steady leadership style that complements his unparalleled work ethic and commitment to our Republican candidates and causes.  His increased role in the leadership of our company is a critical component to our success moving forward.”

Congratulation, Seth!

Spotlight: Joe Richards

This month’s TLC Spotlight is on Joe Richards, Account Assistant for TLC’s political team.

A graduate of Rhode Island’s Providence College School of Business, Joe’s longtime interest in politics inspired him to work on Fred Thompson’s Presidential Campaign in 2008. After three years working in the Compensation and Benefits Department at American Institutes for Research, Joe decided to make a return to political fundraising and he joined TLC in March 2011. Recently Google AdWords certified, Joe looks forward to helping his clients integrate new online strategies during the upcoming election season.

Now on to the fun questions…

• Five words that best describe you: Fun, caring, honest, perseverant and passionate.
  

• What clubs or sports teams did you participate in high school? I played Rugby throughout high school.

  
  

• What’s your favorite sports team? The Dallas Cowboys. I was born in Dallas and lived there for during a few Super Bowl wins, so that helped solidify my allegiance. Unfortunately, it’s been rough going ever since then!

  
  

• List five websites you visit most: NFL.com, Drudge Report.com, IMDB.com, ESPN.com and YouTube.

  
  

• What brought you to the DC area? My family moved to Maryland from Texas when I was young and I went to grade school and high school in DC. I went to college in Rhode Island and wanted to move back to the DC area for work.

  
  

• What organizations do you support? I am a big supporter for the Make a Wish Foundation. I am also training and raising money for the Marine Corps Marathon, which supports a lot of great causes, including Make a Wish. 

  
  

• Describe your perfect Saturday. It would consist of grilling and sitting outside with friends in 85 degree weather.

  
  

• What book is currently on your nightstand? The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding from You, which was recommend by Matt Seney (TLC’s Digital Account Executive).

  
  

• Tell us – what’s on your iPod? Bruce Springsteen, Hootie and the Blowfish and a variety of country artists.

  
  

• What is your favorite TV show? Currently, I am a big fan of Breaking Bad on AMC.  I also loved Arrested Development and pumped for the new episodes to come out next year.

  
  

• Share one to-do that ranks high on your “bucket list”. I’d love to go skydiving. 

  
  

• What’s your favorite local lunch spot? The Weenie Beenie – but we only go there on special occasions.

  
  

• Why do you work at TLC? I really enjoy the people I work with and love the goals TLC sets for it clients and employees. 

  
  

TLC Spotlight: Tiffany Delgado, Account Manager

TLC Spotlight: Ray Avalos, Production Manager

This month’s TLC Spotlight is on Ray Avalos, Production Manager for TLC’s LA office.

Ray came on board in July 2010, and was one of the first members of the LA office team. As the production manager for all of TLC’s west coast clients, Ray’s days are always busy working with our vendors, bidding out mail campaigns and paying meticulous attention to every detail. His fourteen years of experience in direct mail explain why he is so great at his job, but it’s Ray’s huge personality and sense of humor that his co-workers love most.

Let’s get the scoop on Ray, TLC style…

• Five words that best describe you: Attentive, socialable, relaxed, charismatic, reliable.
• What clubs or sports teams did you participate in in high school? I played sweeper on the soccer team and in baseball I pitched and also played center field and first base.
• What’s your favorite sports team? THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS!!!
• List five websites you visit most: CNN, ESPN, Yanks-Abroad, The Golf Channel, a local news station, KTLA.
• What brought you to the LA area? I was born and raised in Santa Clarita, where I live now with my own family. I love living so close to my family – and being just a few miles from Six Flags Magic Mountain is kind of fun, too.
• What organizations do you support? I enjoy participating in Santa Clarita’s Relay for Life, which supports the American Cancer Society.
• Describe your perfect Saturday. On the golf course bright and early followed by an afternoon of quality time with my little family, including my one year old son, Cayden.
• What book is currently on your nightstand? Fearless Golf: Conquering the Mental Game by Dr. Gio Valiante.
• What is your favorite TV show? Two and Half Men.
• Share one to-do that ranks high on your “bucket list”. I’d love to go to a World Cup game in another country. I actually cheered for the U.S. during the 1994 World Cup at the Rose Bowl, but I know it would be an entirely different experience in another country, where soccer is more popular.    
• What’s your favorite local lunch spot? King Taco is an office favorite. It’s an LA chain and a group of us go there for lunch on Fridays quite often.
• Why do you work at TLC? TLC is a great company to work for because I believe in the philosophy surrounding the work we do for clients. I also appreciate the company value on balancing home life and work.

Announcing TLC’s February Year of Service Project

We’re still winding down from our first Year of Service project, but at the same time looking ahead to February when a group of TLC staff will head to Austin, Texas for our next project. We can’t wait to team up with our next organization, Green Doors.  

Green Doors is based in Austin and their mission is to prevent and help end homelessness in Central Texas by creating affordable, safe, quality housing for those in need; providing residents with access to support services; and educating about and advocating for individuals and families struggling with homelessness.

Volunteers on this project will spend two days (Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, February 29) helping staff at Green Doors prepare their community garden for spring harvest and also removing unwanted landscaping from their housing for homeless veterans. We look forward to getting a little dirty for this worthwhile cause!

Want to join TLC staff and a number of clients and friends who’ve already committed to the project? Contact Ashley Gunning at agunning@thelukenscompany.com or 703-845-8484 x231.

Make sure to check back here for a recap on this project and find out what we’re planning for our trip to New York in March.

TLC and Friends Conduct Beach Clean-Up with Heal the Bay

It was a sunny and mild January morning in Los Angeles when one enthusiastic bunch of TLC staff, along with local clients and vendors, met at Santa Monica Pier to take part in our very first Year of Service project – a beach clean-up with Heal the Bay.

The day started with an orientation led by Heal the Bay volunteer coordinator Kate Nevels where volunteers learned more about the organization’s important work protecting Southern California’s coastal waters.Then the group split into two teams (the Dirt Devils and the Kickin’ Butts) and the real work began.To keep things interesting, Heal the Bay organized two friendly competitions to determine who collected the most trash (congratulations, Dirt Devils!) and which team picked up the most cigarette butts (nice work, Kickin’ Butts!). Collectively the group picked up 61 lbs. of trash and the amount of cigarettes collected reached over four feet tall.

Our first Year of Service project was a great success. We’re proud to say everyone in attendance had a productive and rewarding experience. Danielle Brown, Vice President of Annual Giving, Natural History Museum LA summed the day up best, “Our mission at the NHM is to inspire wonder, discovery and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds and the task of cleaning the beach falls perfectly in-line with this. It was a wonderful way for me to build my team’s relationships with one another, align ourselves with the Museum’s mission, and spend some time bonding with one of our largest Museum partners (that’s you, TLC!).”

Thank you to Heal the Bay, Natural History Museum LA, The Monaco Group, Hoon Designs and The Pinnacle List Company for helping with this project. For more information about volunteer opportunities with Heal the Bay, or to make a gift, contact Kate Nevels at 310-451-1500 x159 or knevels@healthebay.org. 

For more photos from this project, click here.

Announcing TLC’s January Year of Service Project

Organizing TLC’s Year of Service has been a labor of love, and there is still much to be done. But after a month-long nomination process and hours of research, we’re ecstatic to announce the very first organization we’re partnering with for TLC’s Year of Service (drumroll, please): Heal the Bay!

Heal the Bay is a LA-based nonprofit committed to making Southern California’s coastal waters and watersheds safe, healthy and clean. In addition to organizing regular beach clean-ups, the organization uses a science-based approach to guide their education, community action and advocacy efforts. On January 24, staff from both our DC and LA offices, along with some of our LA based clients and vendors, will lead a one-day beach clean-up in Santa Monica with Heal the Bay.

Want to join TLC staff and a number of clients and friends who’ve already committed to the project? Contact Ashley Gunning at agunning@thelukenscompany.com or 703-845-8484 x231.

Stay tuned for a recap on this project later this month and also for the announcement of February’s charity in Austin, TX!

TLC Spotlight: Leigh Ann Rogerson, Creative Copywriter

This month’s TLC Spotlight is on Leigh Ann Rogerson, Creative Copywriter.

Leigh Ann joined The Lukens Company as a Creative Copywriter in 2010. She writes for TLC’s nonprofit and arts clients, including Central Park Conservancy, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry and LA Philharmonic. Leigh Ann previously worked as a writer for the donor communications group at the American Red Cross National Headquarters and before that she was a copywriter for another agency that previously shared office space with TLC, which is how she first became acquainted with the company!

On to the Spotlight questions…

• Five words that best describe you: OK I asked around for answers on this one! I got “trustworthy,” “even-tempered,” and “introspective.” I guess I would also add loyal and compassionate.
• What clubs or sports teams did you participate in in high school? I was in the ski and yearbook clubs, and I wrote for our school newspaper. I was also a competitive majorette (baton twirler).
• What’s your favorite sports team? The Pittsburgh Steelers.
• List five websites you visit most: Washingtonian, Amazon, Pinterest, Facebook and the Animal Rescue Site (click to give FREE food and care at http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/)
• What brought you to the DC area? I had been obsessed with moving to the DC area since I first saw St. Elmo’s Fire, which was set in Georgetown! I started sending resumes down here my senior year of college, and fortunately landed a job offer soon after graduation. The fact that I had some college friends moving here and relatives already living in the area made the locale all the more appealing.
• What organizations do you support? The Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation, American Diabetes Association, American Lung Association, and the American Red Cross.
• Describe your perfect Saturday. Coffee from Caribou and a late breakfast at the Silver Diner, a long afternoon hike with my dog and my boyfriend, and an evening spent with good friends, food and wine. Or, in an alternative scenario, an evening out at the Shakespeare Theater or the Kennedy Center. 
• What book is currently on your nightstand? Finishing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - just in time to see the movie. 
• What is your favorite TV show? Modern Family, Mad Men and American Horror Story.
• Share one to-do that ranks high on your “bucket list”.  Ziplining! Ideally through a tropical rain forest in Costa Rica.  There may or may not be a waterfall involved.  
• What’s your favorite local lunch spot? Carlyle. The Crispy Two Noodle Shrimp Salad completes me.   
• Why do you work at TLC? Working at TLC allows me to indulge my passion for creativity, philanthropy and the arts in an environment that is welcoming, encouraging, and motivating. I was particularly drawn to the company’s strong emphasis on capturing the unique voice of each client, and communicating their vision in a distinct and compelling way. I also love TLC’s philosophy on “giving back” to the community.  

The Lukens Company Gives Back This Holiday Season

It’s the season of giving and in keeping with our company philosophy of supporting the local community, TLC employees collected and donated items for two local DC charities this December.  In all, over 200 items were collected for the DC Foster Care System and the Animal Welfare League of Arlington.

The DC Foster Care System’s Pajamas for Kids drive is an initiative created by a local foster mother, Kathleen Jackson, in order to fill a need that was not currently being met by regular donations to the DC Foster system. Staff collected pajamas for kids of all ages in addition to much needed winter accessories and other items. A special effort was made to remember teenaged kids since this age group is the most often forgotten when it comes to donations.

To learn more about the DC Foster Care System’s Pajamas for Kids, read this article about the initiative and how you can help.

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington has been committed to the humane treatment of animals and to the promotion of animal welfare. The League provides temporary care and refuge for homeless and suffering animals, places animals in loving, responsible homes, provides animal control services to Arlington County and educates the public on a wide variety of Community services. Throughout the year, the organization relies on the public to provide necessities for the dogs, cats and other small animals in their shelter.

To learn more about in-kind donation needs at The Animal Welfare League of Arlington, visit their website.

Stay tuned for an update early next month on our Year of Service, including the announcement of our first volunteer project. And from all of us at TLC, best wishes for the New Year!

TLC Spotlight: Seth Colton, Account Director

This month’s TLC Spotlight is on Seth Colton, Political Account Director.

Prior to joining TLC in August 2007, Seth worked for the United States Senate focusing on homeland security and education issues. After a few years he wanted to transition to the political side of the spectrum and stumbled upon the listing for an opportunity at Lukens. Lucky for us – our political team hasn’t been the same since! While Seth is based out of TLC’s Arlington office, he and his wife live in South Carolina full-time. 

Now let’s get to know Seth a bit better, shall we?

Five words that best describe you: caring, motivated, fun-loving, outgoing, and tall.

• What clubs or sports teams did you participate in in high school? I played basketball, was on the swim team and was President of the student body.
• What’s your favorite sports team? Boston Red Sox
• List five websites you visit most: Politico, Drudge Report, The Daily Beast, Facebook, and Amazon.
• What organizations do you support (philanthropically or with volunteer work)? My church, the American Cancer Society, and American Leprosy Missions.
• Describe your perfect Saturday. I’d love to wake up early and go for a morning hike with friends and my dog, followed by a day filled with good food, lots of laughs and an intense game of Taboo.
• What book is currently on your nightstand? I like to read a few at a time. Currently I’m reading the Bible, “Start Something that Matters,” and “The Tipping Point”
• What is your favorite TV show? “30 Rock”.
• Share one to-do that ranks high on your “bucket list”.  I hope to one day tour the Greek Isles with my wife.
• What’s your favorite local lunch spot? Bullfeathers is my favorite lunch spot in DC!
• Why do you work at TLC?  I work at TLC because everyone who works here truly cares about what they do and feel invested in the clients that we serve.  I also enjoy the unique mix of creative and analytical skills that TLC encourages you to develop.