Kevin W. Ward

Hi, I’m Kevin!

The temptation to be cliche and pitch myself like someone writing a Superbowl commercial is very tempting. Instead I think it’s important that I just let you know who I am and what I’m about.

My experience is varied from right to left brain activities. I have a background in Computer Science, a background in Aerospace Medicine, Creative Direction as well as a wealth of Business and Marketing experience. In my personal life I love being a dad a musician an artist and am truly blessed with an abundance of friends. That’s where I’m at now, how I got here has truly been a wonderful journey.

At 19 years old I packed up and set out on that journey.

My first stop was the Air Force, where I worked in Aerospace Medicine learning everything I could about emergency and clinical medicine. I gained a wealth of medical experience as well as training and management experience. I was exposed to many things and learned that if given enough time and information that there wasn’t anything I couldn’t learn or comprehend. During this time I also continued to hone my artistic and technical skills. With a background in electronics and computer science (I was lucky enough to attend college half a day during my junior and senior years of high school) I was able to not only witness but be involved in the implementation of new technologies that we depend on on and still use to this day.

After 8 years in the military I returned home and decided to start a new journey. Now you have to understand that I have always loved advertising. As a child my parents thought it strange that I wouldn’t watch TV shows with them but when the commercials came on I would come bounding in the room to watch glued to the TV. It was pure genius to me. To me advertising is one of the true art-forms of our day. To tell a story and elicit a response in someone in minutes or less is not as easy as it may seem. Given enough time anyone can tell a story. The true art is in telling that story effectively and quickly. So I embarked on my new journey. I started out with commercial art and took a few focused business classes that I knew would be relevant to my experience. You may find it interesting to know that the semester after graduating with only an associates degree in design I started teaching at a local community college in web design. This largely due to my vast experience with computers and the internet which I had been exposed to since my time in the military and before.

Then after a few jobs that helped break me in as an Art Director, I came to my business Mecca and met one of the most influential people in my life Tom (Birk) Birkenmeier who hired me to work at the ORCA Partnership thanks to a very good friend and amazing illustrator Frank Steiner. From there things really took off for me. I was a sponge soaking up everything around me whether people liked it or not, and Birk just kept feeding me books and information and more importantly exposed me to the inter-workings of an Advertising Agency and new ways of thinking! This was the fundamental experience that molded me and set me one step further than I expected into the world of Business Development. Now I find I am fascinated every time I learn about or am exposed to a new company or business. My mind pours over every aspect and like an explorer I run headlong into the journey and new experience.

I have worked for other companies since ORCA and have had an amazing career. I have to say though that ORCA was the liminal experience that truly set me on my way.