Our Team

Ryder has over 20 years of experience in government relations, technology and marketing. As president, he leads Tripepi Smith and is the ultimate project owner of its clients, which span over 90 public, private and non-profit agencies. Ryder is also the creator of the City Internet Strategies Study, publisher of the Civic Business Journal and a frequent speaker on the local government circuit. Additionally, his insights have been published by industry-leading publications, such as Western City Magazine and Public Management Magazine, and local government professional organizations, such as the California City Management Foundation and Municipal Management Association of Northern California have recognized and awarded his support as a longtime partner.

Before Tripepi Smith, Ryder served as a senior vice president of operations and chief information officer for a software-as-a-service startup in the financial services sector. Prior to that, he was the technology manager for a regional staffing firm.

Ryder graduated from Claremont McKenna College (CMC) with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, politics, economics and a dual degree in economics and served as President of the 10,000 member Alumni Association from 2008 – 2010. He now volunteers his time as vice chair of the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at CMC and is a former planning commissioner for the City of Tustin, where he resides with his wife and daughter.

Fun fact: Ryder is the son of a commercial fisherman and spent several summers in Alaska working on the boat with his father. Thousands of halibut gave their lives to pay for a collection of Legos, Ryder’s first car and his college education.

Nicole has over two decades of experience in accounting and financial analysis, human resources and marketing. In 2002, she co-founded Tripepi Smith and has helped build it into a statewide public affairs firm with over seventy public agencies, as well as private and non-profit clients.

Prior to launching Tripepi Smith, Nicole worked in PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Business Assurance group, where she focused primarily on the real estate market. She later served as the Assistant Corporate Controller and Senior Financial Analyst for a publicly-traded homebuilder located in Orange County, and then worked for multiple clients in the real estate and services industries as an independent accountant. She now serves as the CFO and Director of HR for Tripepi Smith.

Nicole’s alma mater is Claremont McKenna College, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in Economics-Accounting.

Currently, Nicole serves on the board of the Vista Irvine chapter of National Charity League as the Vice President of Patroness Affairs. She volunteers with her daughter Reagan throughout their local community. She is a resident of the City of Tustin, where she lives with her husband, daughter and dog. She enjoys reading, working out and cooking.

Nicole is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional.

Fun Fact: Nicole grew up in local government–her father is a former California city manager.

Jennifer Nentwig is a talented, well-rounded communications professional and project manager with more than 13 years of experience serving government organizations. She has built and implemented programs in strategic communications, media relations, internal communication, community relations and social media. Her skills include website and social media management, development of content including articles, speeches, talking points and FAQs, as well as event planning and implementation. Jen’s clients include the City of Vallejo, City of Lomita, Pivot Charter School, Costa Mesa Sanitary District and City of Lancaster.

She is a Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional, is Facebook Blueprint certified, and has her Accreditation in Public Relations from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Jon has a wide-ranging knowledge and skill set from years of Internet marketing and marketing communications work in a variety of industries. Jon’s professional background includes search engine optimization and advertising, website content management, content writing and editing, product marketing management, and significant experience with social media marketing and community management. His clients include the City of American Canyon, City of Benicia, City of Culver City, City of Fountain Valley, City of Manteca and City of Napa. Jon graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature/English.

Jon is certified in Hootsuite’s Social Marketing, Twitter’s Flight School and Flight School Video, Siteimprove’s Digital Governance by Design, as well as Google’s Ads Video, YouTube and Google My Business. Jon also earned the Professional Certificate in Public Engagement For Local Government from the Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy and has completed the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) Emergency Communications Academy.

With more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit advancement, Katherine is an award-winning writer and creative director whose work with municipal and higher education clients has earned accolades from the California Association of Public Information Officers, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and the College Fraternity Editors Association. Her proficiencies include strategic planning, executive messaging, content development, proofreading and copyediting.

Katherine joined the Tripepi Smith team in November 2016. She previously was director of community relations for the Paine Art Center and Gardens, associate editor for The ANCHORA of Delta Gamma Fraternity, publications editor and director of creative services for Claremont McKenna College and a communications consultant for the Claremont University Consortium, Pomona College, Scripps College and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. She currently supports administrative and creative projects for Bayshore Consulting, California Choice Energy Authority, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Clean Energy Alliance, Energy for Palmdale’s Independent Choice, Mt. San Antonio Gardens, MuniEnvironmental, Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy, Pomona Choice Energy and Renne Public Law Group. Her municipal clients include the City of Saratoga and the City of Snoqualmie, Washington.

During her tenure with Tripepi Smith, Katherine has completed professional development programming including Social Marketing Certification from Hootsuite, the Local Leaders Academy at the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy and Microsoft Excel from Beginner to Advanced through Udemy. She achieved an Accreditation in Public Relations through the Public Relations Society of America and holds a bachelor of arts degree in English from Denison University, where she studied literature and writing, as well as organizational and interpersonal communication.

An active volunteer, Katherine sits on the boards of directors for the Claremont Educational Foundation and the Southern California Blind Children’s Center. She has served Delta Gamma Fraternity as council trustee: communications, regional director for California and Hawaii, regional alumnae specialist and regional alumnae programming and recruitment specialist. Katherine currently is vice-president: communications for the Glendale-Burbank Alumnae Chapter, where she also has been vice-president: programming, recording secretary and a member of the nominating committee. She also volunteers for the Denison University offices of admission, alumni relations and development, most recently as co-chair of her 25th reunion committee.

Katherine lives in Claremont with her husband, Charlie, and daughter, Charlotte.

After a passion for storytelling compelled her to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Scripps College, Cameron went on to study video editing and production at the Los Angeles Film School. This education led her to acquire more than 15 years of experience in video production and she later expanded her career into other areas of marketing communications. Her previous role as Director of Creative Services at Claremont McKenna College allowed her to manage print communication pieces and social media in addition to video work. Cameron’s background includes experience in a variety of industries including higher education, entertainment and the nonprofit sector. Her client work includes City of Indian Wells, City of La Cañada Flintridge, City of Burlingame and City of Sunnyvale.

Cameron is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional and Constant Contact Certified Solutions Provider and has YouTube certifications in Content Ownership, Channel Growth and Creative Essentials. Her video work in Indian Wells won a 2020 CAPIO EPIC award. She is also Library Board President for the City of Rio Rancho.

A passionate public servant and public affairs professional, Jennifer has nearly three decades of field experience. She has served in senior leadership roles within public affairs firms and operated her own fundraising company helping elected officials and nonprofits raise funds to achieve their goals. Jennifer’s experience includes major work on massive infrastructure programs, entitlement matters and public works initiatives. Concurrent with her public affairs work, Jennifer was a community leader in the City of Fullerton where she was an elected councilmember and mayor. She was also a regional leader in Orange County, CA having been president of the Association of California Cities, Orange County, a founding board member of OC United and a Board Trustee of the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District. She is also the founder and facilitator for the California Mayors Coalition. Jennifer is a graduate of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles.

Her client work is focused on collaboration with city council members, advancing public policy ideas and serving as a senior spokesperson for Tripepi Smith clients.

Jennifer brings over 20 years of experience in the public sector working for local government and public utilities. Prior to coming to Tripepi Smith, Jennifer spent 18 years with Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) in a variety of roles. As Public Affairs Manager, she was responsible for representing the company to many Orange County cities by maintaining government and community relations. She served on several Chamber of Commerce boards and as President for the Coastline Community College Foundation. She played an advisory role on the Asian Business Association of Orange County and the Groundwater Replenishment Program. Jennifer also managed a staff promoting energy efficiency solutions to local governments in her role as Public Sector Programs and Partnerships Supervisor before promoting to Public Policy Manager where she provided policy direction and strategy.

Jennifer garnered her initial city government experience with both the City of Anaheim as well as the City of Pasadena. She managed public relations efforts for the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau (now Visit Anaheim) during a $4.2 billion renovation of the Anaheim resort. She also served as Marketing and Communications Manager for an international economic development firm that promoted the Alsace region of France.

Jennifer earned both a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Communication from San Diego State University where she also taught public speaking.

Kevin Bostwick is an experienced Art Director and creative manager. He delivers powerful ideas visually, distilling unexpected stories from challenging content and designing media for understanding and absorption. He directs and executes for digital, interactive and print mediums…delivering across a blend of channels, particularly for learning, data-display and presentation. His work for major clients has included digital tools, logos, presentation, interactive learning, advertising and print design. He navigates the whole ecosystem, working with high-powered stakeholders to shape concepts, UX, branding, strategy, writing, asset management, information architecture, and infographics. Kevin’s client work includes City of Aliso Viejo, City of Cupertino, Pivot Charter Schools, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority and Renne Public Law Group.

Kjerstin is a Senior Graphic Designer with Tripepi Smith. After studying Business Administration at both the Ecole Supérieure Libre Des Sciences Commerciales Appliquéesis in Paris and Concordia University in Irvine, Kjerstin went on to receive her Advanced Production Certificate in Graphic Design from Golden West College in Huntington Beach. She began working as a freelance graphic designer in 2012 and joined the Tripepi Smith staff in 2015.

Kjerstin has advanced knowledge of various creative platforms including Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign. Kjerstin has experience leading an array of creative projects including layout, graphic design, illustration and creative concept development. Her client work includes: City of La Cañada Flintridge, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, City of Culver City, City of Walnut, City of Cupertino, City of Saratoga, City of Livermore, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority and Costa Mesa Sanitary District.

Kjerstin is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. She also completed the University of Southern California Executive Education Forum for Local Leaders and the University of California, Irvine Public Policy Making Academy.

Allison Molnar brings a strong background in human resources and recruiting with extensive experience in the restaurant and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries. Throughout Allison’s career, she has supported employees across the United States and among all levels. She has spearheaded corporate projects, such as revamping the performance appraisal process and developing appraisal forms. Allison has also filled a variety of positions including Director/Manager-level positions, Engineering/Scientific positions and hourly positions. She enjoys developing working relationships and supporting business needs.

Melanie James is a talented graphic artist, expert on the WordPress platform, a skilled project manager and a lead for Tripepi Smith’s cablecasting and videography services. She has managed and delivered dozens of successful website development projects and has a full suite of creativity skills rooted in her formal graphic arts education. Her skills cover the full Adobe Creative Suite and into HTML and CSS. In addition, she has managed an array of projects ranging from robust digital advertising campaigns to comprehensive video production projects.

Her clients include City of Tracy, City of Daly City, City of Bellflower, City of Huntington Beach, City of Fullerton, City of La Cañada Flintridge, City of Menifee, City of Paramount, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Rowland Water District, and Placer Mosquito Vector Control District.

Melanie is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional and Constant Contact Certified Solutions Provider and has completed the University of Southern California Executive Education Forum for Local Leaders and the University of California, Irvine Public Policy Making Academy II.

Karen Villaseñor is a Business Analyst with Tripepi Smith. She received her Bachelor of Science in Communication, with an emphasis in Public Relations, from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Karen brings unique local government experience and insight to the Tripepi Smith team. Having delivered both in-depth research and hands-on work for various public agencies and organizations over the past few years, she assists clients in leveraging their social media and online platforms to connect with their communities. Additionally, backed by first-hand experience in working with city managers and city staff, she is passionate about shaping positive and transparent relationships between local government agencies and the residents they serve.

Her client work includes: City of Tracy, City of American Canyon, Industry Business Council, California Choice Energy Authority, Clean Energy Alliance, SCV Water, West Valley Clean Water Authority, Mt. San Antonio Gardens and Pomona Choice Energy.

Karen is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional, Facebook Blueprint Planning Professional and Constant Contact Solutions Provider. She also holds certifications in Google Analytics and Google Ads Search and has completed LinkedIn’s former advertising course, Advertising on LinkedIn, as well as the University of Southern California’s Executive Education Forum for Local Leaders.

Saara joined Tripepi Smith as a junior business analyst in 2017. She filled the role of Tripepi Smith marketing manager for more than 3 years, reviving our monthly newsletter, helping to produce the “Meet Tripepi Smith” video series, planning special events and more. By 2019, Saara was promoted to business analyst, having served Tripepi Smith VIPs in both the private and public sectors, including: City of Culver City, City of Duarte, California Contract Cities Association, Institute for Local Government, League of California Cities, Orange County City Managers Association, San Gabriel Valley City Managers’ Association and Climatec. She has also supported Tripepi Smith subsidiaries, including PublicCEO and Civic Business Journal.

Saara came to Tripepi Smith as a fresh graduate out of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where she studied public relations, journalism, marketing management and philosophy. She wrote for Cal Poly Pomona’s student-run paper, The Poly Post, for a year before transitioning to brand ambassador for the university’s Associated Students, Inc. group and a safety communications intern in Southern California Edison’s Transmission and Distribution division. Saara also acted as marketing communications coordinator for a private K-12 school with locations in the San Gabriel Valley, Canada, China and United Arab Emirates.

Saara is certified in Constant Contact, Hootsuite Social Marketing, Hubspot Inbound Marketing and Google Analytics. She also completed the University of California, Irvine Public Policy Making Academy II in 2020.

Sara Madsen is a talented graphic designer with a background in marketing and environmental sustainability, in which she earned her degree from San Diego State University. Her formal education in Visual Communications and passion for the environment led her to complete a Creative Design internship with ECOLIFE Conservation. During her time with the non-profit, she advanced her strategic approach to graphic design. As a continuation of her interest in non-profits, NGOs, and the public sector, Sara tackles graphic design, digital marketing and web development projects for clients and Tripepi Smith.

Her clients include City of Indian Wells, City of Paramount, City of Hawaiian Gardens, City of Vallejo, City of Lomita, City of Culver City, City of Palm Desert, City of Palmdale, California Choice Energy Authority, Santa Clarita Valley Water, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Renne Public Law Group and Civiltec Engineering.

Sara is certified as a Constant Contact Certified Solutions Provider and Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. She has also completed the Public Policy Making Academy II at the University of California, Irvine and the Executive Education Forum for Local Leaders at the University of Southern California.

Sydni Overly is a Business Analyst with Tripepi Smith. With a background in public policy and local government, Sydni brings a unique perspective to the Tripepi Smith team. After studying Sociology at Boston University, she went on to receive her master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach. Sydni further developed her leadership skills at the City of Gardena, where she supported several municipal departments and gained extensive experience in intergovernmental relations, community outreach, and content creation for websites and social media. Her experience in emergency management also enhanced her crisis communication and speechwriting capabilities.

Sydni is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. Her client work includes: City of Lomita, City of Paramount, City of Pasadena, City of Bellflower, City of Napa, City of Grover Beach, and County of Merced.

Allison Torres brings a strong background in social media marketing and data analytics to the Tripepi Smith team. Allison graduated from Biola University with a degree in Business Management and flexed her leadership skills as a two-year captain of Biola Women’s tennis team. She gained experience in marketing and project management during the various internships she held. Previously, she executed social media marketing at TSE Worldwide Press. Her client work includes Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency, Clean Energy Alliance, the City of Martinez and the City of Manteca. She is also working closely with Tripepi Smith clients on the 2021 redistricting process.

Allison is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional and Constant Contact Solutions Provider.

Danielle has previous experience with several industries: transportation, public affairs and non-profit. She graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication with a minor in Public Relations. She developed her leadership and writing skills at Cal Poly Pomona with on-campus experience, such as Sports Editor of Cal Poly Pomona’s campus newspaper, The Poly Post, and as a Public Relations Intern for Patti Stanger from Bravo’s “Millionaire Matchmaker.” After graduating, Danielle developed her media and community relations skills at Metrolink and Arellano Associates, where she provided strategic communication support for transportation, private and non-profit clients. She has specific experience with large capital projects where she addressed proactive communications, staffed hotlines and developed routine processes to receive public feedback and address community concerns.

Danielle is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional and Constant Contact Solutions Provider. Her clients include Foster City, City of Manteca, CalChoice and City of Duarte.

Kaetlyn Hernandez brings an inventive and supportive spirit to the Tripepi Smith team with a background in several industries, such as public affairs, entertainment and non-profit. She recently graduated from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Entertainment Arts with a minor in Public Relations. She developed her skills in leadership, event planning and marketing in her time at CSUF with on-campus experience in student government and several other clubs, and with off-campus internships with the Alzheimer’s Association and NBCUniversal. Her client work includes: City of Culver City, City of Indian Wells, Costa Mesa Sanitary District, Pivot Charter School, and Claremont McKenna College’s Rose Institute.

Kaetlyn is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional, certified Constant Contact Partner and has completed the following Udemy courses: ‘Ninja Writing: The Four Levels of Writing Mastery‘ and ‘Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer.’

Kevork Kurdoghlian is a concise communicator with experience in the journalism, public relations and local government industries. He brings insights from each of those experiences to provide holistic solutions for clients. He developed a passion for public service as a Youth Council member for his hometown of La Cañada Flintridge. As a young reporter, he was assigned to the city hall beat for a local newspaper, taking a greater interest in local government. Consequently, he decided to study public administration at the University of Southern California, where he was a City/County Management Fellow. As a public relations professional serving charter public schools, Kevork sharpened his skills in content development, internal communications, and graphic design, while developing skills in media relations and digital marketing.

Kevork is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. His clients include the County of Santa Barbara and the City of Cupertino.

Hannah Lebiga brings a diverse skill set that combines visual storytelling with marketing strategy to the Tripepi Smith team. Hannah graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a degree in Marketing, where she utilized her experience to lead the creation of compelling marketing campaigns for innovations in precision measurement, 3D printing and additive manufacturing industries. Hannah deploys her passion for visual storytelling when screenwriting, directing and editing video. She also propels strategic content across print and digital platforms using her skills in graphic and web design, leads teams through social media strategies to support business development and coordinates corporate events and industry trade shows.

Hannah is a Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. Her work includes various creative projects.

Anne Jang brings a tireless work ethic and commitment to quality to the Tripepi Smith team with a background in graphic design, marketing and public policy. She graduated from Claremont McKenna College and majored in Government and Philosophy. She developed her skills in project management, event planning and marketing while studying at Claremont McKenna College with experiences with research institutes, several other clubs, and off-campus internships such as the Veterans’ Legal Institute and the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

Anne is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. She is an editor of PublicCEO.com and works with many of Tripepi Smith’s redistricting clients.

Cailyn Thompson brings a strong work ethic and open-minded dynamic to the Tripepi Smith Team with a background in recreation, collegiate athletics and event management. She recently graduated from St. John’s University (SJU) with a Master of Business Administration degree in Strategic Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management with a minor in Business Administration. She developed her skills in leadership, organization and event management in her time at SJU with on-campus internships, the graduate assistantship program and summer employment with the City of Cypress Recreation.

Cailyn is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. Her client work includes the City of Renton and the City of Downey.

Claire Torza is a talented writer and researcher with a background in several industries, such as public affairs, legal studies and non-profit. She graduated from Claremont Mckenna College in 2020 with a B.A in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She developed her writing skills as a PPE major at Claremont McKenna through extensive reading of complex works of literature and subsequent analysis of such pieces. She continued writing and greatly developed her research skills while working as both a law clerk intern and a legal assistant at Public Counsel, the largest non-profit law firm in the nation, as well as gained extensive non-profit experience and knowledge.

Claire is certified in Hootsuite Social Marketing. Her client work includes: City of Duarte, Culver City, San Gabriel Valley City Managers Association and City of La Canada Flintridge.

Kylie Benzing brings a diverse skillset to the team from her experience in several industries, such as litigation services, academic administration and music marketing. She graduated from Biola University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Management. She has a strong background in social media strategy, website development, writing and scheduling and high-volume operations due to her experiences as Administrative Assistant at Biola University, Marketing Intern at Transparent Productions, Social Media Marketing Manager at TSE Worldwide Press and Operations Associate at TSG Reporting.

Kylie is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. Her clients include Cypress Organics Recycling, the City of Santa Barbara, the City of Carlsbad and Independent Cities Finance Authority.

Melanie Moore is a driven and detail-oriented individual with a background in financial research and marketing. She graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Melanie’s prior experience includes her on-campus involvement with the Financial Economics Institute where she strengthened her research, reporting and data analysis skills to provide insightful models and literature on an accounting labor market issue. She also exercised her creative skill set with website rebranding and B2C marketing solutions work as a marketing intern for CoralTree Hospitality Group and a marketing research analyst for Exous Inc.

Melanie is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. Her clients include the City of Manteca and the City of San Bruno.

Charlie is an analytical and technical writer who specializes in public policy analysis and marketing strategy. Charlie’s experience in client relations, sales, product management and marketing spans multiple industries including finance, technology, public policy and non-profits. He graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and a minor in Leadership Studies. He strengthened his skillset as a marketing associate for the Claremont Marketing Group, a Communications and Marketing Systems intern for the American Enterprise Institute, and a Product Management, Sales, and Client Relations Intern for Algomi LTD.

Charlie is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. His client work includes the California City Management Foundation, California Choice Energy Authority, City of Palmdale EPIC energy and Clean Energy Alliance.

Skyler Addison knows the power of a well-told story in transforming and transmitting a message to a large audience. She is a recent graduate of Claremont McKenna College, receiving honors in her dual Literature and Government B.A. Skyler was involved in several activities on campus that enhanced her writing, event planning and marketing skill sets. She was most recently a student manager for Gould Center for Humanistic Studies, a research institute where she established creative research fellowships and robust online programming for students. Skyler completed professional internships in both majors that have enabled her to illuminate the intersection between messaging and good governance.

Skyler is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. Her client work includes: Civiltec and the City of Anaheim.

Josh is a driven creative professional with over 7 years of experience in the audio/visual and TV production industry. Josh attended Saddleback College where he participated in the Cinema/Television/Radio Department to strengthen his skills in TV production, directing, storytelling and video editing. He started his career in local government as a graphic designer for the City of Aliso Viejo and then furthered his experience in council meeting broadcasts with the City of Santa Ana and the City of Huntington Beach. He has also practiced his skills for companies, like Microsoft, Paul Mitchell, School First and the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Josh is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing professional. His clients include the City of Huntington Beach, City of Bellflower, City of Fullerton and City of Santa Ana.

Nolan Voge offers creative insight and technical solutions to the Tripepi Smith team with extensive knowledge in video systems, creative media projects and venue production. As a recent graduate of San Diego State University (SDSU), he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Television, Film and New Media with an emphasis in Production and a minor in Theatre Arts. He displayed his strong work ethic outside of the classroom by participating in nearly sixty projects relating to production. He further enhanced his experience as a content creator for the College of Education at SDSU, followed by employment in the government space. He previously practiced event videography, project management and his knowledge of video systems, computer systems and software with with Empire Media Productions.

Nolan is Hootsuite Social Marketing certified and holds a certification in Dante for audio solutions in production work. His client work includes: City of Bellflower, City of Fullerton, City of Huntington Beach, City of Lake Forest and City of Villa Park.

Kayla Cao brings a strong writing background to the Tripepi Smith team with experience in newspaper journalism, blog writing, and marketing. She recently graduated from Biola University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with an emphasis in Writing and Publishing. She developed her writing and leadership skills through her time as a section editor and staff writer for the university newspaper, The Chimes and her internships at Biola’s Center for Marriage and Relationships and the Orange County chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. After graduating, Kayla gained additional marketing experience at Mark 1 Mortgage and Wealth Academy, where she regularly wrote, designed, and published local real estate content.

Kayla is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing professional. Her client work includes the City of Paramount and ProcureAmerica.

Molly Alvarado brings a cheerfully collaborative supporting role to the Tripepi Smith team with a background in several industries such as finance, cosmetology and non-profit organizations. She recently graduated from California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with an emphasis in Organizational and Applied Communication. During her time in college, she developed her craft of public speaking and creative writing via her participation in publication clubs and community outreach programs. While working towards her degree, Molly worked for small business companies that leveraged significant growth because of her public speaking, event planning, creative writing and content creation input.

Molly is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing professional.

Ashley Logue brings a strong background in social media management and content creation to the Tripepi Smith team. Ashley graduated from Biola University, with a degree in Studio Art, where she was able to gain experience in graphic design work, event coordination and photography during the various internships she held. Ashley displayed her leadership skills as the Art League President and Peer Internship Ambassador at Biola University. During her time at Harvest Christian Fellowship and Image Bearers Arts Academy, she executed numerous social media projects, assisted in managing social media accounts and designed print and online graphics.

Ashley is certified by Hootsuite in Social Media Marketing. Her work includes various creative projects.

Jacob Lyle brings a strong background in policy research and local government to the Tripepi Smith team. Jacob graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a degree in Government and Economics. During his college years, Jacob was able to gain experience through the various jobs and internships he held, including as a student researcher for the Robert Day School of Economics and Finance and a police cadet for the Ventura Police Department. Jacob acquired valuable leadership experience as a 3-year captain of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football team.

Jacob is certified by Hootsuite in Social Media Marketing.

Alyson Nichols is a thoughtful and detail-oriented communicator, with a degree in Public Relations from Missouri State University. With work experience in retail, marketing and real estate, Alyson brings a unique background and an excited, go-getter attitude to the Tripepi Smith team. She has a strong track record in social media and event planning, as well as in writing and high-volume operations from her experience in office administration.

Alyson is certified in Hootsuite Social Marketing. Her client work includes Pivot Charter Schools and Clean Energy Alliance.

Eldon provides an advanced background in media and project management with extensive experience in the marketing world. As a recent graduate of San Diego State University (SDSU), he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Television, Film and New Media with an emphasis in Production. Throughout his college career, he was trained as a first assistant director to handle the logistics of running a set, acting as a liaison between the director and the rest of the production team, and created/managed the day-to-day operations whilst coordinating with all departments. He advanced his experience as a video producer, photographer, videographer and editor for SDSU’s College of Education and as media specialist for Idol Memory. After graduating, he continued his career as a technical director, editor and videographer producing content under Empire Media Productions for civic organizations.

Eldon is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. His client work includes the City of Bellflower, City of Fullerton, City of Huntington Beach and City of Villa Park.

John Balliet brings a solid background in communication and SB 1383 know-how to Tripepi Smith. He graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University with a degree in Societal Communication and was able to hone his skills and leadership abilities as one of the captains of his collegiate baseball team. He further developed his communication skills, as well as expanded his knowledge in the solid waste recycling field during his time as a Junior Consultant.

John is a certified Hootsuite Marketing Professional. His clients include: Climatec, City of Huntington Beach, City of Fullerton and contracted SB 1383 work.

David brings a strong background in creative writing and storytelling with experience in both marketing and social media across several different industries. He is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College (CMC), receiving honors in both disciplines of his double major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; and Literature B.A. He also received the Senior Award for Best Thesis in Literature for his short story collection “Devil in a New Dress Shirt.” Likewise, David served as a Head Consultant for the Center for Writing and Publics Discourse on campus where he grew immensely in both his writing and tutoring practices. Outside of CMC, David served as a Marketing and Media Intern for Red Hen Press where he curated skills in social media marketing and content production.

David is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing Professional. He will be utilizing his expertise in writing for several of Tripepi Smith’s clients.

Amy Gallagher is a detail-oriented individual with a background in journalism, photography and social media management. She graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. During her time in college, she gained experience with writing, photojournalism and content creation. She developed her marketing skills through her internship at Segerstrom Center for the Arts where she worked alongside the Center’s marketing team to effectively communicate with their audience through social media.

Amy is a certified Hootsuite Social Marketing professional. Her clients include the City of Culver City, City of Manteca, City of Duarte, California City Management Foundation, ICMA and ICFA.