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Christanne Knorr

Christanne has a knack for connecting with people – and helping clients connect with their customers. With a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from Texas State University and a certification in social marketing, Christanne spent more than 10 years putting her planning prowess and social savvy to work for 9thWonder, ReachLocal and Freeman for clients including Alcon, Essilor and Brinker International Inc. She joined the B Team in 2018 and manages projects and budgets for Premier Trailer Leasing, Aspens Senior Living and more.

Dana Fike

A media traffic project manager by day and an award-winning songwriter by night, Dana knows how to get the right message to the right audience at the right time. Before joining Balcom in 2018 as an administrative B, Dana worked for The Automotive Marketing Group as a receptionist and Jaxon Engineering & Maintenance as executive program support. After becoming a master of television and radio spot management, she now works exclusively with Balcom's media team to execute monthly media buys for clients. Dana also writes and performs music in her spare time with her husband, Richie.

Chris Hawthorne

Chris set out to be a copywriter, but fell in love with the art and science of media planning during an internship at a small Dallas agency. With a Bachelor of Arts in journalism/advertising from the University of North Texas, she’s spent more than 25 years serving a broad range of clients – from startups to Fortune 500 companies – including brands in entertainment such as Dave & Buster’s and Six Flags; nonprofits like the American Heart Association; and many others in food/packaged goods, telecommunications, travel and finance.

Melissa Smilor

Melissa helps keep things running in the accounting department with a number-crunching mind and a heart of gold. Originally starting at Balcom in 2016 as office manager, Melissa has a gift for making people feel cared for. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social welfare from the University of Kansas, and has a background working with foster children and children with special needs. Melissa and her husband, Matthew, live in Aledo with their two daughters and their dog, Aspen. She loves jazzercise and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Christine Cantrell

Christine began her career at Balcom as an intern in college, and we kept dragging her back until we could bring her on full time in 2016. Her organizational skills and level-headedness earned her a position as a program supervisor – keeping schedules efficient and projects moving forward for clients including Kubota Tractor Corporation. With a Bachelor of Science in advertising and public relations from Abilene Christian University, Christine previously served as an account manager at Elmore Public Relations in Houston.

Stephanie Orges

Stephanie began her career in advertising with Balcom as an intern and has been on the B Team full time for more than 10 years, armed with a penchant for creative writing that has given her versatility in voice and style. She has a few American Advertising Awards to prove it, including Best of Show, Best of Broadcast and multiple Best of Interactive awards. Whether it’s a video script, key messaging or an entire website, Stephanie wordsmiths for a variety of clients, including Dairy MAX, Mrs. Renfro’s salsa and Sinclair Oil.

Lynne Swihart

Lynne was our very first production director and broadcast producer, she started our project management department, and contributed significantly to the client services and media teams. Now she's using her years of experience and industry contacts to recruit new B Team members and give our colleagues the best operational support possible. Lynne has won too many awards to list – including an American Advertising Federation (AAF) Silver Medal – and served two terms as board president for AAF – Fort Worth.

Steve Cantrell

Steve came to Balcom in 2000, leading our media team to deliver stellar results in both traditional and digital platforms for clients including Kubota Tractor Corporation, Cavender's and Cook Children's Health Care System. With more than 35 years of experience in the industry, Steve is now head of account management, media and digital strategy for the agency. Prior to joining Balcom, he developed his advertising savvy at The Phillips Agency and Meyer & Johnson for clients such as the Texas Rangers baseball club and the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association.

Susan Schoolfield, APR

An APR (Accredited in Public Relations by the Public Relations Society of America) and past president of the Greater Fort Worth PRSA chapter, Susan has many years of experience in strategic marketing and public relations within corporate, nonprofit and agency settings. She previously worked for Cook Children’s Health Care System, Dowden Custom Media, and Regian Advertising and Public Relations, among others. Joining the B Team in 2011, Susan’s clients include eTrueNorth, National Farm Life Insurance and Premier Trailer Leasing.

Alexa Butler

Alexa is a self-proclaimed morning person and spreadsheet fanatic who naturally found her calling in media planning. She earned experience on both the vendor and brand sides of the media world at KEYE-TV in Austin and at Braum’s Inc., then rounded out her expertise working agency side at Insight Creative Group (ICG) in Oklahoma. In 2015, she served as a traditional media expert panelist for the Oklahoma City chapter of the American Advertising Federation. She then returned home to Texas to join the B Team.