by KDC | Nov 18, 2021 | Client Coverage, Press Clips
Episode 90; Getting To Know General Manager Of Mohegan Sun Las Vegas At Virgin, Joe Hasson November 16, 2021 Welcome back to another exiting episode, where I had the honor of sitting down & Chatting with Joe. He covers his start in the industry to where he is now....Terri has more than 25 years of public relations and communications experience.
Terri is an 21-year senior level executive with Kirvin Doak Communications, where she currently oversees a public relations team of nine. During her time with the agency, she has successfully implemented public relations campaigns, property, show and venue openings, groundbreaking and community events for clients such as Electric Daisy Carnival, Blue Man Group, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Miracle Mile Shops, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, HELP of Southern Nevada, Credit One Bank and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and many others.
Prior to joining Kirvin Doak Communications, Terri worked as the advertising and public relations manager at The Desert Inn Resort. While at the resort her responsibilities included promoting the spa, casino, entertainment, dining and the golf course. She also played an instrumental role in The Desert Inn Resort’s 50th Birthday Celebration in April of 2000.
She began her career in Washington, D.C. in 1992 as a sales representative and worked her way up to the director of advertising, promotions and game operations for the Washington Wizards (Bullets) and Capitals. There she developed the teams’ advertising campaigns, produced collateral material, executed in-arena promotions as well as coordinated season ticket holder events. Her in-game promotional duties included the supervision of the team mascots, in-game entertainment and the execution of sponsorship agreements.
As a 25-year resident of Las Vegas, Terri has always been committed to the community. She is a past board member of the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada. Currently, she serves as the vice president for the UNLV Football Foundation.
She was recognized by Vegas Inc. in 2008 as one of Las Vegas’ 40 Under 40 business professionals as well as one of the original women honored by Vegas Magazine at their annual ‘Vegas Gives’ event in 2009.
Terri holds a degree in Communications from Pennsylvania State University located in State College, Pennsylvania.
Terri is a die-hard sports fan and loves to support her alma mater, Penn State. She loves the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Cavaliers, and now she proudly supports the home teams: the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Aces and Las Vegas Raiders. She and her boyfriend, Oz, are the proud parents to Marley, an English bulldog.
Tracy has 20 years of marketing, public relations, and corporate communications experience driving PR and marketing strategies, brand, award-winning campaigns, media relations, crisis communications, and public affairs across multiple industries.
She has worked with Fortune 500 corporations and leading brands with industry experience in the financial real-estate sector, media, entertainment, government sectors, utilities, renewable energy, environmental sustainability, education, and political campaigns. Tracy joined Kirvin Doak Communications in 2019 to lead the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs division.
Prior to joining Kirvin Doak, Tracy spent eight years as the Manager of Communications & PR for Republic Services where she led corporate communications and PR efforts, crisis communications, community outreach, events, and served as a spokesperson in major markets around the country. Most recently, she directed the communications effort for the successful Coalition to Defeat Question 3. Tracy led the 2018 campaign communications, PR and media relations strategy and served as a spokesperson for the largest ballot measure in Nevada history.
Originally from Southern California, Tracy has lived in Southern Nevada for 21 years, is a proud UNLV graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. She is an inductee in the Women’s Chamber of Commerce Women’s Hall of Fame, recipient of the In Business Las Vegas Top 40 Under 40 Young Leaders Award and the Las Vegas Business Press-Rising Stars of Business Award.
As an active member in the Southern Nevada community, Tracy has also served on the American Marketing Association board, the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation board, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Green Initiative Committee, the NAIOP Sustainable Development Committee, the Nevada Conservation League Executive Board, and currently serves on the UNLV Foundation-Advisory Board.
Tracy is also a founding member of the Clark County School District Green Ambassador Program, the U.S. Green Building Council and Desert Research Institute Recycle Roadshow Bus Tour, and is Co-Founder of the GreenFest Earth Day Festival, recognized as Southern Nevada’s largest Earth Day celebration.
Rachel is a communications professional with over 15 years of experience in public relations and marketing. She joined Kirvin Doak Communications in January of 2016. Prior to joining KDC, Rachel worked in event marketing for close to five years at the Thomas & Mack Center/Sam Boyd Stadium/Cox Pavilion/UNLVtickets as the marketing and public relations manager and then was promoted to marketing director. During her time at the venues, she had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s biggest sports and entertainment brands such as NBA Summer League, Feld Entertainment (including Disney on Ice, Monster Jam and Monster Energy Cup Supercross World Finals), PBR, USA Basketball and WWE.
Before jumping into marketing, Rachel spent just over four years as the publicist for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) during the start of its expansion internationally. While at the UFC, she managed the talent and media relations of the world’s fastest growing sports organization and created meaningful and distinctive campaigns that helped grow the organization into the billion dollar franchise it is today.
Right out of college from the University of Nevada, Reno where she obtained a bachelors degree in Journalism and Marketing, Rachel had the opportunity to cut her PR teeth at Las Vegas agency’s PR Plus, Shonkwiler Marcoux Advertising, and VIRGEN Inc., while working on a variety of nightlife, entertainment, food and beverage, sports and non-profit clients. She also holds a second bachelors degree in Fashion Design from the International Academy of Design & Technology in Las Vegas.
Rachel leads two teams at KDC which handle the PR efforts for clients such as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, The Joint, Maverick Helicopters, Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, Wet’n’Wild Las Vegas, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Blue Man Group Las Vegas and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, and Communities in Schools of Nevada among others.
A native Nevadan, Rachel has always been an explorer and loves to travel, be active and hang out with her husband Brandon, sons Jackson and Jacob and German shepherd Bella when she’s not busy working on the Las Vegas Strip. She is also active in her Pi Beta Phi college sorority alumni club as well as a member of PEO, a philanthropic educational organization and volunteers her time to Dress for Success of Southern Nevada.
Chandra Stepanovich is a dedicated, self-starting executive with more than fifteen years of travel and hospitality public relations experience, ranging from destination marketing to hotels and resorts, entertainment, nightlife, luxury spas, wine & spirits, tour operators and products. A keen adviser of business strategies and the best ways to leverage brands, Chandra joined KDC in 2018 following a career of managing a portfolio of her own private clients as well as leading campaigns both as in-house PR management and as a senior strategist at top agencies working on such brands, destinations and resorts as Walt Disney Resorts & Hotels, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas, Waldorf Astoria Collection Resorts and Hotels, Pebble Beach Resorts, La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA West, Barton Creek Resort & Spa, The Historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, and tourism destinations Paso Robles, Marina del Rey and the Republic of Palau. Chandra grew up traveling the world visiting more than 20 countries and all 50 US states and first moved to Las Vegas from Irvine, California in 1991 as a freshman in high school. Through her career, she has lived and worked in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Central Coast and is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a bachelor of arts degree in communications, public relations and did two years of graduate course work at the Academy of Art in San Francisco toward a masters of fine art in fashion. A mother of two under the age of 5 and happily married to her husband Stephen, Chandra enjoys the arts, live music and traveling the world as a family of four.
Richelle is an Emmy award-winning communications professional with over a decade of experience in TV news and social media.
Richelle joined Kirvin Doak in 2014 and launched the social media division. During her time with the agency, she has successfully created and implemented social media strategies and event activations for clients such as Canyon Ranch Spa Club, Tiger Jam, South Point Hotel and Casino and Four Seasons Las Vegas.
Prior to joining Kirvin Doak, Richelle worked as Vice President of Social Strategy for a social engagement agency where she developed the social strategy for various businesses including casinos, nonprofits, grocery store chains, athletic clubs and restaurants. Her social media experience began in 2007 when she joined the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s public information office and successfully launched the department’s social media sites.
Richelle began her career as a TV journalist in Yuma, Arizona where she worked her way up to assistant news director before moving to Las Vegas to cover the crime beat for the NBC affiliate as a special projects producer.
Richelle holds a bachelors degree in Journalism and Communications from the University of Oregon and is a huge Oregon Ducks fan.
Dominique manages all finance and accounting for Kirvin Doak Communications. This includes accounts receivables and account payables. Dominique received her Bachelor Degree in Accounting from UNLV and began as an Accounting Manager for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, went on to come Full Charge Bookkeeper for Hansen Mars Financial Group prior to joining Kirvin Doak in 2006.
Lynn is a marketing strategist and account leader who brings 13 years of expertise in brand building, campaign development, product launch and partnerships.
She has worked with Fortune 100 brands and leading licensors, and has industry experience in the gaming, entertainment, real estate and government sectors. Clients have included Samsung, Bosch, Westinghouse, Toshiba, OCTA and OC Parks. Prior to joining Kirvin Doak, Lynn led the global marketing strategy for IGT’s premium product portfolio, including branded integrations with Warner Brothers, Fox, Sony, HBO and Universal Studios.
With a passion for innovation and technology, she has championed groundbreaking campaigns, award-winning experiences, and negotiated win-win opportunities in leading media markets in the U.S. During the 2016/2017 NFL seasons, Lynn was responsible for driving a sponsorship that placed skill based game demos within Lucas Oil Stadium, to reach a new player demographic.
A big picture thinker with a talent for mapping marketing strategies to overall business vision and goals, Lynn prides herself on being a client “wingwoman” and champion of best-in-class marketing programs that produce measurable results.
A California girl at heart, Lynn received her Bachelors of Marketing from California State University Long Beach (Go Beach!) and relocated to Vegas in 2013. Lynn is an active member of Junior League, LVIMA, Global Gaming Women and GGW’s Lean In circles. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, cooking, hiking and weekend getaways.
Liz Lundstrum has more than 15 years experience in the media industry. She joined Kirvin Doak Communications in 2008 and has worked on successful show launches including Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages and Absinthe as well as many other gaming and entertainment clients. Prior to joining KDC, Liz was part of the planning/media buying team at Las Vegas based SK+G, where she worked on MGM Grand, Luxor, New York New York, Zumanity and KA by Cirque du Soleil. Liz was Research Director with Sinclair Broadcasting’s Las Vegas-based television stations. Liz began her career as a broadcast media buyer with Barkley in Kansas City. She purchased 30+ markets for clients including Sonic Drive-In, Blue Bunny Ice Cream, Payless Shoes and Kansas and Missouri Lotteries.
With nearly fifteen years of entertainment, television, lifestyle and corporate experience, Stephanie Ceccarelli is a seasoned media relations veteran. And while Stephanie most recently specialized in television program and corporate publicity, her career roster includes a host of diverse corporate, lifestyle and entertainment clients.
Most recently, Stephanie served as Vice President, Program Publicity and Corporate Communications at Viacom Media Networks in Santa Monica, CA. In this role, she spearheaded publicity campaigns for Country Music Television’s (CMT) non-scripted shows. Stephanie’s efforts were aimed at driving show tune-in for ratings success and she was also responsible for helping shape and implement consumer, business and trade press strategies in support of broader Viacom brand priorities. Stephanie led a team of three while at CMT.
Prior to CMT, Stephanie quickly climbed the ranks at leading Los Angeles entertainment PR agency, Rogers & Cowan (R&C). Over the course of almost eight years, she was promoted four times; she started as a Senior Account Executive and worked her way up to Vice President, Entertainment Publicity, where she began operating her own department and was responsible for strategic oversight of a five-person team. During her time at R&C, Stephanie developed and directed public relations campaigns for a variety of high-profile clients including Food Network, Villa San Juliette Winery (Paso Robles, CA), Sarloos & Sons Winery (Los Olivos, CA), “So You Think You Can Dance” (the show and tour), Dylan’s Candy Bar, interior designer and wife to Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, Kristen Buckingham, Oxygen network, History Channel, AEG and 19 Entertainment, to name a few. Stephanie also represented high-profile personalities such as CEO of Nigel Lythgoe Productions, executive producer of juggernaut “American Idol” and co-creator, judge and executive producer of Fox’s long-running, hit summer show, “So You Think You Can Dance,” Nigel Lythgoe. As part of her decade-long representation of Nigel, Stephanie not only managed his personal PR and brand positioning efforts, she also led all corporate PR initiatives on his behalf.
Stephanie relocated to Las Vegas, NV in October, 2016, from Manhattan Beach, CA, when her husband, Chris, accepted an offer from Caesars Entertainment to work on the Brand Alliances team. Three months later, she joined Kirvin Doak Communications and is currently leading a team of four. Her clients range from Miracle Mile Shops, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Tuscany Suites & Casino to Blue Man Group, Major Series of Putting, HELP of Southern Nevada, Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and Credit One Bank.
Over the years, Stephanie has cultivated and maintained strong media relationships and has a proven track record of knowing how to successfully navigate those relationships for editorial and other press opportunities. Stephanie’s unique and diverse background enables her to create and execute successful media strategies within virtually any PR category.
Stephanie graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communications with a concentration in Journalism. She spent her sophomore year studying at the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina where she received a certificate of completion in International Public Relations. She completed her major and studies in Spanish in Granada, Spain at the Universidad de Granada.
Stephanie, her husband and their beloved chocolate Labrador and “furbaby,” Moose, are enjoying learning all there is to know about their new city and home.
Natalie is a two-time winner of American Gaming Association’s Public Relations Campaign of the Year and one of a few national PR pros to lead multiple gaming resort launches. She brings nearly 15 years of public relations and marketing experience to Kirvin Doak Communications and specializes in advising luxury travel and lifestyle brands on strategic media relations, content creation, social media efforts and promotions. Natalie has planned and implemented campaigns for resorts, restaurants, entertainment, nightclubs, retail/fashion, adventure experiences, space tourism, nonprofits and more.
Since beginning with Kirvin Doak in 2005, she’s led media relations efforts surrounding the opening of multiple resorts & destinations, including the December 2009 openings ARIA Resort & Casino, Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, Vdara Hotel & Spa and The Shops at Crystals. Additionally, Natalie spearheaded the re-launch of Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi one year after the Hurricane Katrina disaster (2006); MGM Grand Detroit (2007); and the 2012 rebranding and renovation of the D Las Vegas and Golden Gate Casino in Downtown Las Vegas. In 2014, she’ll lead public relations efforts surrounding the opening of the Delano Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay. A passionate foodie, Natalie works with award-winning restaurants throughout the city helmed by chefs such as Joël Robuchon, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Shawn McClain, Julian Serrano and many others.
Natalie has played a role in the burgeoning private space travel industry, representing clients such as Space Adventures and Zero Gravity Corporation; and also launched Planetary Resources, the world’s first asteroid mining company.
Outside of work, Natalie is a thrill seeker who jumps at the chance for adventures such as sky diving, zero gravity flights, exotic and muscle car road trips and white water rafting.
A consummate news hound and former reporter, Kate prides herself in translating her clients’ goals into tangible story ideas that are relevant to today’s newsrooms and result in compelling and meaningful content. In conjunction with her team at Kirvin Doak Communications, Kate has blended her experience as a television reporter with the firm’s award-winning public relations practices to create comprehensive, multi-media public relations campaigns for some of Las Vegas’ most exciting brands including MGM Resorts International, Pure Management Group and BASE Entertainment.
Kate joined Kirvin Doak Communications in 2002 after working her way across the country as a television news reporter. Thanks to the firm’s founders and Vice President, she was able to learn the ins and outs of public relations from the best in the business. Given the freedom to explore new ideas and the support to experiment, Kate blossomed at Kirvin Doak Communications, where she now leads a team of nine and handles the PR efforts for clients as diverse as JERSEY BOYS, BODIES…The Exhibition and Keep Memory Alive.
Always striving to present a multi-faceted campaign, Kate is often found securing impactful placements, coordinating promotions, planning gala events, crafting story ideas and mentoring the younger members of Kirvin Doak Communications. She holds a bachelors degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Journalism and Political Science, is a proud member of KNPR’s Community Advisory Board and spends as much free time as possible outside enjoying the Las Vegas Valley with her husband, Gavin, two children and her three dogs.
Debbi is one of Las Vegas’ premier branding and media planning strategists. Debbi oversees brand development and research, brand architecture, media strategy and planning, product and promotion integration, management of property relations and sales channels.
Since joining Kirvin Doak Communications in 2005, Debbi has directed the development of the Marketing Division of Kirvin Doak Communications. This division has clients in entertainment, hotel/casino, retail, fine dining, hospitality, education and associations. Clients have included Phantom Las Vegas, Blue Man Group, Jersey Boys, Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining, Wolfgang Puck Casual Dining, Agua Caliente Hotel/Casino, Spa Resort Casino, Red Rock Casino, XPRIZE Foundation, Nevada State College, Nevada Mining Association and Las Vegas Springs Preserve.
Debbi directed the brand development for the successful opening of the 180-acre Springs Preserve in 2007, the marketing strategy for the Blue Man Group relocation to Monte Carlo in 2012, and media strategy for the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group nationally.
Prior to joining Kirvin Doak in 2006, she spent the 13 years in the hospitality industry at Luxor, Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand. Her experience has been in both the sales and marketing arena of several leading resort destinations in the Las Vegas market.
Bill brings more than two decades of marketing and public relations to Kirvin Doak Communications. His background combines special event marketing and management for some of the world’s most celebrated events with a mix of in-house resort marketing and agency public relations for leading hospitality and gaming brands. His professional history includes positions with sports agency Brener Zwikel & Associates, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and the global express carrier DHL.
In addition to co-founding Kirvin Doak Communications in 2002 with Dave Kirvin, Bill is co-creator of Las Vegas-based professional services firms Outdoor Solutions and Caric Sports Management, and the microbrew bar concept Sin City Brewing Co.
Bill earned a Bachelor of Science from California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo; an MBA from the University of Nevada Las Vegas; and holds an Executive Certificate in Leadership and Management from the University of Notre Dame.
Dave brings a two-decade track record of creating some of Las Vegas’ most successful and innovative PR campaigns. He co-founded Kirvin Doak Communications with Bill Doak in 2002 and since then has helped build Nevada’s largest and most recognized public relations and marketing firm, representing industry-leading clients in a variety of fields including travel, hospitality, entertainment, healthcare and non-profit.
Dave has been the recipient of several professional and civic awards including In Business Las Vegas’ “Most Influential” list and its “Top 40 under 40.” In 2009, the Nevada Cancer Institute honored Dave as one of the “Vegas Dozen.” He is on the Board of Advisors for The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the Board of Directors of the Fulfillment Fund and the Clark County School- Community Partnership Board of Advisors.
He is a graduate of Western State Colorado University, which named him one of the Top 100 alumni in the school’s history.
Jill Pierce has worked in and around Las Vegas for over 30 years and has worked in many areas of Las Vegas tourism and hospitality. Her experience includes working as a project manager for a staging company, Casino Marketing, Convention Sales, and Entertainment Production. She is a skilled organizer, caring mentor and energetic party organizer.
She has an education in Business & Office Management, Human Resources, and Accounting.