Our Talent

The professionals at The Strategy Group for Media are in the business of winning elections. Our clients win because we have the campaign-tested experience and creative edge that makes the difference.

The Strategy Group for Media is comprised of award winning writers, directors, editors and media buyers. We help our clients win elections because we have the campaign-tested experience and creative edge that makes the difference.

From national campaigns to local races, Strategy Group for Media team members have been involved in nearly every aspect of political campaigns. We have been involved in campaigns for President, U.S. Senate, Congress and statewide races. Our team has managed federal and state campaigns and directed state political party committees. We have devised strategy for judicial candidates and directed state legislative caucus programs. The Strategy Group for Media has proven experience that delivers winning results.

Rex Elsass is the founder of The Strategy Group for Media and serves as President and C.E.O. of the company. Rex has produced hundreds of ads, including many national award winners for creative excellence. Rex has been the principle business visionary, leading The Strategy Group for Media from its foundation as a political consulting firm, to the creation of a full-service post-production house and media buying company that serves clients across the nation.

Rex has inspired and directed The Strategy Group for Media team to become a leader in creative media production, efficient media buying, and client service.

Today, The Strategy Group for Media ranks as one of the top-five GOP media firms in America.

An accomplished director, editor, and political strategist, Rex has been a candidate, officeholder, Republican Party leader, campaign manager, and public affairs professional. He formerly served as Executive Director of the Ohio Republican Party and has managed both local and statewide elections.

Rex and his wife Laurie have three sons, Reid, Carter, and Evan.

Elsass earned his B.A. degree in Radio and TV Production and Performance from Ashland College.

Brian is the Senior Vice President of The Strategy Group for Media and serves as Creative Director.

A successful television and radio copywriter, Brian J. Berry works with clients to develop creative scripts that communicate who you are, what you believe, and why you're the best choice for voters.

Brian has extensive experience in directing campaigns having served as manager of Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's 1993 special election and the primary campaign for President George W. Bush's first run for Governor in 1994.

Brian has been Executive Director of the Ohio Republican Party, Southwestern Regional Political Director for the Republican National Committee, and a regional director for President George H.W. Bush and former Senate Republican leader Bob Dole.

Under Brian's creative direction, The Strategy Group for Media has won numerous national advertising awards for TV and Radio.

Brian attended American University in Washington, D.C. where he earned a B.A. in International Studies. He resides in Austin, Texas.

Bob Kish serves as Vice President and Art Director for The Strategy Group for Media and is in charge of artistic planning, ad production, and business development. Bob's job is to tell your story by selecting the proper shoot location, best camera shots, lighting, and creative content. Bob is the chief director and producer for The Strategy Group for Media. His work has received numerous awards for creative excellence.

Bob earned his B.S. degree in Finance from The Ohio State University. An experienced political operative, Bob has worked on campaigns at the local, state and federal level in management and finance positions.

He also served as a Fiscal Analyst for the State Auditor of Ohio. Bob is married to Megan, and they have two children. The family attends Immaculate Conception Church in Columbus, Ohio.

Scott Schweitzer serves as President of Brick Editorial Boutique & Studio, our firm's postproduction company.

Scott has been with The Strategy Group for Media since 2000 and oversees the creation, production, and delivery of TV and radio ads and is the in-house expert on Web 2.0 and new media strategies. Scott also directs message and media strategies for candidate campaigns, ballot issues, and third party groups.

An experienced manager, Scott meets deadlines while maintaining excellence in ad production. Scott graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati, with a degree in Political Science.

He worked in Washington, DC on grassroots lobbying strategies and public policy issues, returning to Ohio where he served as Executive Director of a successful issue advocacy organization and managed and worked on numerous races.

Scott's other interests include finance and technology policy, English Premier League football, playing drums, and traveling with his family.

Nick is the founding President of Strategic Media Placement, Inc., which was established in 2005 as the media planning and buying arm of The Strategy Group for Media.

An experienced political media professional, Nick has been with The Strategy Group for Media since 2002, working in all phases of the creative media process. Nick has developed ad campaigns, directed shoots, and edited TV and radio spots.

Nick develops and oversees the execution of all political and corporate paid media campaigns.

An expert in his field, Nick determines the best ad medium to use, identifies the right target audience, and allocates each ad dollar with the greatest efficiency. Nick's commitment to excellence provides clients with the most effective and efficient media buy possible.

Nick has a double major from The Ohio State University, graduating in 2002 with a B.S. in Political Science and a B.A in Journalism with an emphasis on Public Relations.

Alex Tornero provides political, creative, and organizational support for The Strategy Group for Media. Alex uses his artistic talent to write, storyboard, direct, and produce television and radio advertisements that stand out visually and rhetorically. His work has gained national recognition, receiving awards for creative excellence.

Alex has nearly a decade of experience in campaigns and politics, having worked for the Ohio House of Representatives, the Ohio Bush/Cheney campaign, and Ken Blackwell's race for governor in Ohio, where he served as Southwest Field Director.

Alex is active in local and state grassroots efforts and serves on the board of directors of several conservative organizations.

Alex graduated from Capital University in 2006, earning a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Political Science.

Laurie Elsass has served as Comptroller for The Strategy Group for Media since 2000 and is responsible for all financial transactions. She also serves as liaison between each client and our media placement team.

Laurie spent nine years serving Ohio Governors, George Voinovich and Bob Taft, as their chief lobbyist for economic development, international trade, housing, technology, and travel and tourism issues.

Laurie was a fund-raiser for Bob Taft's successful 1990 campaign for Secretary of State and also served for five years at the Republican National Committee in various capacities.

A proven political fundraiser, Laurie Elsass received a B.A. in Communications from the University of Virginia, where she spent her final year in school as a radio news reporter for WINA, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Rex and Laurie are currently raising three young Republicans in Dublin, Ohio.

Dan Bayens is a public affairs specialist for The Strategy Group for Media.

An expert in communication techniques, Dan holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky. Dan is an experienced political professional, having served as a spokesman for Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher and as a campaign aide to Congresswoman Anne Northup.

Dan is a member of the Republican Party of Fayette County Executive Committee and the Lexington Charity Club. He is an avid Kentucky Wildcats fan, history buff, and political junkie.

Kegan Beran serves as a Media Planner and Buyer for Strategic Media Placement Inc., the advertising placement arm of The Strategy Group for Media. Kegan is responsible for the planning and execution of paid political media campaigns.

An expert in television and internet marketing, Kegan brings years of media experience. Kegan previously worked as an account executive in cable ad sales, identifying customer needs and creating marketing plans to meet their goals. Having worked as a seller, Kegan has experience on both sides of media buying and planning.

Kegan is a graduate from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Business Administration, specializing in Marketing. He is an avid Ohio State Buckeyes and Columbus Blue Jackets fan.

An experienced marketing professional, Rachel serves as the Assistant Marketing Specialist for Strategic Media Placement, Inc., the media planning and buying arm of The Strategy Group for Media.

Before joining The Strategy Group for Media team, Rachel worked as the marketing associate for Six Disciplines Northwest Ohio in Findlay. There she was responsible for all marketing functions as well as various client support activities.

Prior to Six Disciplines, Rachel was the assistant store manager for an Old Navy store in the Cincinnati area. Rachel was responsible for hiring and training associates as well as logistical activities, including shipping, merchandising, in-store marketing, and facilities maintenance.

Rachel received her degree from Miami University, graduating in 2006 with a B.S. in Business Marketing.

Dennis Farkas is a Cleveland native who resides in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, Susan and eight year old son, Devin.

An innovative editor with more than 16 years of experience in post-production, Dennis has received countless creative awards for his work. Dennis has a bold and creative style that brings a new vision to editing political spots, videos, corporate commercials, infomercials, and music videos.

Dennis has experience using systems such as Flame and Grass Valley; serves as the senior Avid DS Editor; edits on Avid DS Nitris, and utilizes Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Encore to compliment his work.

Dennis is a diehard Cleveland sports fanatic and is a huge Columbus Blue Jackets fan, too.

Born in East Liverpool, Ohio, Mark Trbovich has over 19 years of experience in post-production, working with numerous ad agencies and corporate clients.

A skilled editor, Mark graduated from The Ohio State University in 1991 with a BSBA with an emphasis on video production. Mark has served international, national, and local clients such as Toyota, Victoria's Secret, McDonald's, OhioHealth, Cooper Tire, and countless others.

Mark's political ads have made a winning difference for clients and have been recognized for creative excellence by national ad organizations.

Mark builds lasting relationships with clients because he delivers quality production and exceptional service. Mark is a Senior Editor of post-production and utilizes Avid DS Nitris and Avid Media Composer.

Mark and his wife, Natalie, have two children, Eli and Lily.

A Cincinnati native and graduate of Ohio University, Sean has over 13 years experience in audio production ranging from music production, television, radio, film, and corporate video. Sean's engineering, mixing, and field recording credits include Blessid Union of Souls, Toyota, KFC, Victoria's Secret, ESPN, Nickelodeon, Nationwide, Bayer, and Caterpillar.

As a staff audio editor for over six years, Sean worked with several high end ad agencies and managed a video production department. Sean became a freelancer in 2003 and has worked with most of the production companies in Columbus.

Sean understands both the technical and business side of his trade and formed Brick Audio in 2007. Sean is an expert with his Pro Tools HD2 suite with mix to picture, which allows him the ability to use all his creative audio talents. Sean has over 18,500 sound effects, access to software synthesizers, a pool of voice over talent, ISDN capability, and extensive music libraries (Killer Tracks and APM) to customize every ad project and sound design.

Joining The Strategy Group for Media in 2009, Mary Beth McCallion serves as Office Manager. Mary Beth insures all visiting client needs are met and keeps the office running efficiently and smoothly.

Prior to The Strategy Group for Media, Mary Beth ran her own internet marketing business while raising her family - sharpening her ability to juggle multiple priorities, keeping each on schedule through their completion.

Mary Beth's strong organizational and planning skills were developed through her work in Michigan's Oakland County Health Department (OCHD) and Allen Resources in Ohio. At OCHD, Mary Beth coordinated and conducted student vision screenings at public schools in Oakland County. At Allen Resources, she made sales calls, followed up on leads, handled customer inquires, and coordinated orders with suppliers.

Mary Beth and her husband, Bill, reside in Westerville. They are enjoying their new empty-nester status, as their youngest son recently began his first year at Ohio University, where their two older sons graduated.