meet the team
NAME | J. Darien Southerland (pronounced Darren) | |
AKA | The BG Guy | |
TITLE | CEO | |
BORN | With a Golden Horseshoe in Smyrna, GA | |
LOVES | His family, his faith and his hard-working staff, and baseball | |
BEST KNOWN FOR | His contagious enthusiasm for life and fierce negotiating skills | |
WACKY FACT | Darien’s name was misspelled at birth and he personally met with | |
Joe Biden and Donald Trump (talk about being in the middle) |
“People will forget what you say, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Darien Southerland’s energy is plumb contagious. He does everything like his hair’s on fire and delivers BG results for BG AD Group clients ALL. THE. TIME. He has the uncanny ability to match brands with audiences perfectly, and knocks it out of the park when it comes to putting together targeted events that generate growth. Make no mistake: Darien is a fierce negotiator, award-winning sales leader and expert trainer. Darien likes to say he is abnormal in a positive way, and it works to his advantage. He’s just lucky enough to have normal staff around him to keep it real. Darien is an expert in automotive marketing, and shares his passion and instant drive with all clients he represents. Darien has mastered the art of bringing qualified folks on-site with traffic-driven marketing that helps BG AD Group automotive, education, event and all other clients succeed.
In regards to life outside of the office, Darien takes community involvement seriously. He has served as the Head Middle School Football Coach for Whitefield Academy in Mableton, Georgia as well as the former choir director at his church. Additionally, Darien serves as a Chamber of Commerce member for Cobb County, Douglas County, Hall County as well as Nashville’s Chamber of Commerce. He even serves as the Assistant Director of New Members Class at Marietta First United Methodist Church. He enjoys all types of music, is an excellent singer, and a hard core American Picker (if you have to ask, you don’t know, so talk to Darien). What does this man not do? Darien’s wife Mary has been an educator in Gwinnet/Cobb County for the past seventeen years. They have two children, Jacob (Lenoir-Rhyne University Class of 2017) and Kendall (Georgia College and State University Class of 2018), who not only dedicate their time to academics, but also community involvement.
NAME | Dr. Jim Kilgore | |
AKA | The Brain | |
TITLE | VP/Nonprofit CSO | |
BORN | To lead with excellence, in Anderson, SC | |
LOVES | Leading his small group at church, playing guitar, and volunteering at the local food bank | |
BEST KNOWN FOR | Going to The Masters EVERY year | |
WACKY FACT | Jim once had dinner with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip |
“Two ways to run through a mine-field;
with and without a map.”
Jim’s what we call ‘old-hat’. With 25-plus years of non-profit CEO-COO leadership, he’s figured out how to avoid the mines (and help put the pieces back together when it blows) for businesses and organizations. As a seasoned ‘pro-fesh-un-al’, he basically helps organizations get better and more efficient at what they do. He’s got a lot of fancy schmancy qualifications—like being President of The Atlanta Christian Foundation, the founder of GC2 Consulting, the President and CEO of Advancing Church’s in Missions Commitment, and the senior executive of an international organization in Islamabad, Pakistan where he worked in over 50 countries. He’s basically a ninja at helping for-profit and non-profit organizations, colleges, universities, and groups. He has also done coaching and consulting, business development, marketing, and performed first-class research. At BG AD Group, he’s our Secret Sauce.
Outside the office, Jim has built personal relationships with many leading faith leaders in America such as Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, and others. His father-in-law was the former director of the nuclear regulatory commission during the Reagan administration, so he had to walk a chalk line with his daughter. Jim is married to Grace and is the proud grandfather of Owen, his first grandson. Secretly he would like to own a goat farm in upstate South Carolina one day.
NAME | Lindsey Bryce | |
AKA | Mommy | |
TITLE | Media Buyer/Planner | |
BORN | Organized! In Marietta, GA | |
LOVES | Shopping | |
BEST KNOWN FOR | Finding great deals | |
WACKY FACT | Lindsey is allergic to Ranch dressing |
We joke about how someone so attractive, in shape, and athletic can enjoy eating weekly at McDonalds. We also joke that Lindsey was born with great negotiating skills in her “jeans”. Her loyalty, organizational skills, and dedication serve her well as Media Buyer and Planner for BG AD Group, because she basically manages people and schedules all day long. God bless her. She negotiates and oversees client advertising budgets LIKE A BOSS with one goal, and one goal only: to obtain the best rate at the best price with excellent added value. From planning major media buys to scheduling a 90-event engagement marketing tour, Lindsey has proven her ability to get the job done. Girlfriend will get your ROI, and she loves her Georgia Bulldogs. Go Dawgs! If she’s not negotiating for her clients, she is spending time with her husband, Neal, and her two-year-old daughter, Zoe.
“You can always come down in price.”
NAME | Sandy Hamrich | |
AKA | Sandy | |
TITLE | Office Manager | |
BORN | To be the glue that holds BG AD together, in Sewickley, PA | |
LOVES | Animals and Roller Coasters | |
BEST KNOWN FOR | Her willingness to lend a helping hand | |
WACKY FACT | Sandy was a dance instructor for 6 years |
“Honest is the first chapter to the book of wisdom.”
Sandy Hamrich is the glue that binds us. She first came to BG AD as a part-timer in February of 2013 after retiring with 36 years from the Department of Defense. Her experience includes super cool stuff like working with Ret. General Colin Powell, being an Air Force Emergency Management Adviser alongside FEMA during Disaster Relief Operations throughout the US, and other less glamorous (but nonetheless important) tasks like Office Manager, Budget Officer and Program Analyst. After working in Darien’s garage for a while, Sandy realized Darien needed a swift kick in the pants and that’s when things really started happening at BG AD Group. Sandy is a proven leader, manager, advisor, planner and operator at all levels who is known for her innovations and practical management style. She is a highly motivated professional dedicated to customer service and satisfaction and she’ll take anyone to task, so best mind your manners around Sandy.
In Sandy’s past life, she was a Girl Scout and Girl Scout Leader for over 2 decades, first for her daughter and then her granddaughter. She loves sports and played softball and volleyball for many years; her favorite sport is soccer. Sandy has two children: her daughter Jennifer lives in Birmingham, AL and they have two children, Autumn and Evan. Her son EJ is married to Jessica and they live in Denver, CO. Thank goodness Sandy loves to travel.
NAME | Mariah Post | |
AKA | Grammar Police | |
TITLE | Strategic Marketing/Social Media Manager | |
BORN | In Carleton, Michigan, but we forgive her | |
LOVES | Football, TV Commercials, and French Fries | |
BEST KNOWN FOR | Writing copy | |
WACKY FACT | Mariah and her fiancé have put on their Bucket List | |
to try a Mexican restaurant in every U.S. state |
“If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.”
If you don’t love Mariah the minute you meet her, we’ll give you your money back. She’s a doll. She’s wholeheartedly devoted to our clients, and we truly don’t know what we’d do without her ‘go-the-extra-mile’ attitude. She’s an official Smarty Pants, with dual undergraduate degrees in Advertising and Psychology from the University of Georgia (the psychology bit comes in handy when she’s trying to make sense of her BG Teammates) and previous work experience as an account executive. Her management capabilities are on-point, making her a great fit for her twofold role as BG AD Group’s Strategic Marketing Assistant and Social Media Manager. On weekends, Mariah loves running races all around Atlanta. Her favorite race is The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Peachtree Road Race. If she’s not tweeting, pinning, liking, or sharing content, she’s cheering on the Dawgs up in Athens, GA. And by the way, one of Mariah’s close family members wrote the Willie Nelson classic, You Were Always On My Mind. Talk about a creative gene pool.
NAME | Timothy Newton | |
AKA | Jack-of-All-Trades | |
TITLE | Operation Manager/Event Coordinator | |
BORN | To make friends in Marietta, GA | |
LOVES | Golf, Family and the Braves | |
BEST KNOWN FOR | Never meeting a stranger | |
WACKY FACT | Tim served for 25 years as a Choir Director (bless his heart) |
“Be good to people, and people will be good to you.”
With a background in sales, it’s no wonder we joke that Tim can make a brick wall talk. Tim came to BG AD Group to help manage operations as well as to coordinate local and regional events. Tim is an avid ‘People Person’ and knows how to strike up a conversation with consumers and prospects to bring awareness to events for BG AD’s event activation clients. Tim’s a great storyteller, and talking with others about his life experiences helps him make meaningful connections, whether it’s about his service in the Army, or his job as a church Choir Director. Outside the office, Tim thinks he’s a great golfer, but it’s actually more like he’s just fun to golf with. Oh, and he LOVES the Atlanta Braves and the Georgia Bulldogs. In addition to his work life, Tim has been married for 36 years to Crystal. They have three children and five-going-on-six grandchildren. If all this wasn’t fascinating enough, Tim is also a licensed auctioneer.
NAME | Nick Paparelli | |
AKA | Pappy | |
TITLE | Lead Event Coordinator | |
BORN | To have fun in Marietta, GA | |
LOVES | The Atlanta Braves, University of Alabama, Friends, and Family | |
BEST KNOWN FOR | His laugh | |
WACKY FACT | Nick DOMINATES Darien in the American football | |
video game Madden |
“Always be there for the ones in need..”
Nick Paparelli is BG AD’s up-and-coming Event Coordinator. He currently attends Georgia State University in Atlanta for Marketing and has a heavy interest in the sports marketing industry. Nick loves people, and (truly) focuses on others every day whether he’s helping them uncover solutions to problems or just trying to make the moment better. Nick has been involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has coached baseball for the BEST Academy in addition to donating his time to the children of Alan Hills in Atlanta. Regarding his past sports’ career, Nick said (and we quote), “Just as I was beginning to be good at High School football the season was over.” No matter. If you see Nick at work or out in the field, you will witness his heart to serve and encourage. Side note: Nick recently lost over 40 pounds, and is on the prowl.
NAME | Logan Breault | |
AKA | Lo Bro | |
TITLE | Lead Event Coordinator/Junior Account Executive | |
BORN | Carrying a tune in Mableton, GA | |
LOVES | Music and family | |
BEST KNOWN FOR | Putting others ahead of himself | |
WACKY FACT | Logan’s Daddy is a doppelganger for Danny Divito |
Logan Breault is what we call a one-hundred-percenter. Everything he does is executed with excellence, effort, and energy. Most people don’t know this (Humblebrag Alert), but when Logan was a high school freshman he scored four varsity football touchdowns as a running back. After reaching the pinnacle of success his freshman year, he promptly retired to pursue other interests. Upon graduation from Whitefield Academy, he was voted ‘Most Likely to be Famous’, and where you’d think all the glory and praise would get to his head, Logan is actually a pretty decent guy. His attention to detail, listening skills, and warm heart set him apart from other young, self-aggrandizing college kids. He has a passion for music and loves to play guitar, drums, and sing when he has free time. Darien thinks he has potential. Logan will graduate from Georgia State University with a degree in Communications and a minor in Music.
“Vanilla Ice was that good.”
NAME | Lauren Kandrack | |
AKA | Baby Lala | |
TITLE | Junior Account Strategist | |
BORN | To be spirited and optimistic, in Pittsburgh, PA | |
LOVES | The beach, cats and cupcakes | |
BEST KNOWN FOR | Being on time | |
WACKY FACT | Lauren is terribly afraid of clowns |
“Hang around people who make their dreams happen.”
Lauren just recently joined the BG Ad Group family and fits like a glove. From her warm smile to her unique sense of humor, it’s a pleasure having her with us. We like to refer to her as our “busy bee” because she flies around the office helping everyone out any way she can. She will be a college graduate this summer, claiming her Bachelors in Communications with a concentration in Media Studies. Lauren loves blasting country music on the radio, but don’t let that fool you…she will always be a Northern girl at heart. Fun Fact: Lauren’s favorite hometown team (Pittsburgh Steelers) and her college team (Kennesaw State Owls) have the same team colors, so I guess you can say she reps black stripes and yellow paint pretty much all the time.
NAME | Bianca Glade | |
AKA | ||
TITLE | ||
BORN | ||
LOVES | ||
BEST KNOWN FOR | ||
WACKY FACT |
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“QUOTE”