12.19.23 | 4 min
2023 Employees of the Year
116 & West
This year, in our annual meeting, we focused on impact. The impact each individual makes, the impact we, as an agency, can make for our clients, and the impact and opportunity our clients can make in the world.
As a team, we recognize there are individual contributions that lead to the success of the team. For this reason, we make it a point to celebrate personal growth and foster a culture of continued learning.
Westies are empowered to make a difference; we love seeing it happen. We were pleased to celebrate a few of our creative, strategic thinkers who make 116 & West such a special place.
Rookie of the Year
A new face, lighting it up! Aaron Ellis, a designer based in the Boise office, came to 116 & West ready to take on the world. From the day he stepped through our doors, he was eager, willing, and consistent. His work was solid from the start, but he kept an eye on growth, learning new skills over the last year and earning himself the title of Senior Designer. Aaron’s smile is contagious, and his laugh is even better. The winning combination of a great attitude and growing skillset make Aaron our Rookie of the Year.
GrowMoore
This award is a throwback to our previous brand, DaviesMoore, which gave a nod to our founder and the founder of an agency we acquired in 2009. This particular award celebrates the value we place on continued employee development. We have enough of this inside the walls of 116 & West that we were fortunate to award two employees this year.
Sara Timberlake, an Integrated Media Specialist working out of the Boise office, is all things strategic. She has embraced the values of our agency, showing a hunger to understand new platforms, trends, and processes. She has demonstrated that she is coachable, eager to take on new responsibilities, willing to work hard, and excelling in ways that have earned the trust of the leadership team.
Ryan Davidson, one of our Graphic Designers out of Spokane, might be the kindest human we have ever met. His encouraging attitude, coupled with his talent, has made him an incredible team member. He was recently asked to work on our largest account and took advantage of the opportunity to grow his skillset. We are so proud of his growth and love seeing him take on the world.
Westie of the Year
All 116 & West employees vote on the Westie of the Year award to identify the person who stands out on the Westie team, constantly goes the extra mile, works their little fingers to the bone, and represents 116 & West the best. We’re looking for the person our staff feels should be recognized for their contributions to the “Westie Way.”
Annie Stillar, who is out of our Spokane office, received this award this year. We saw her strengths very early on and gave her the great responsibility of being the Spokane Lead. In this role, she has acted as the go-between, helping us share the agency’s philosophies, priorities, and processes and ensuring we didn’t skip a beat. She is an incredible creative mind, a master at relationships, and a true marketer in every sense of the word. Annie exemplifies our core values and is hungry for a challenge every day.
Agency Impact
One thing became abundantly clear as we reflected on where we have been for the last ten years and where we are going. When speaking of agency impact, no one has had more impact than Kallee Mendonca. She has managed our largest account for over a decade, making an extremely complicated, busy workflow look like child’s play. She is a master at all things 116 & West – owning the processes and approach that make us who we are. In one year as the Director of Client Services, she made changes and implemented training that has had lasting results. She is competitive, showing up with a hunger to make us all better at our craft. Her competency, character, and consistency are unmatched, making her stand out in any crowd. All of this has earned her a spot as a Vice President, serving on our Executive Leadership Team, and this year, as the recipient of our first-ever Agency Impact award.
Congratulations to our entire team and these individuals for their stand-out performance over the last year. We are so proud of this team. Bring it on 2024!