Kirvin Doak Communications
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Dave Kirvin, Partner
For 15 years, Dave has helped lead Kirvin Doak Communications in developing and executing outcome-driven public relations and marketing communications campaigns for the most successful and high-profile entities in Las Vegas.
With a broad base of experience, and relationships with key media in fields including travel, entertainment, hospitality, retail, healthcare and sports, Dave has helped carve out difference-making strategies for clients including MGM Resorts International, Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining, Cirque du Soleil, Siegfried & Roy, Tiffany & Co, BASE Entertainment, Nevada Cancer Institute and many more.
Since playing a key role in the opening of Bellagio in 1998, Dave has been closely aligned with many of the city’s most visible and well-covered events, including the openings of Mandalay Bay, four Cirque du Soleil productions, five Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining restaurants, JERSEY BOYS, Disney’s The Lion King, PURE nightclub and dozens more.
Dave led the KDC crisis communications effort surrounding the tragic on-stage incident of Roy Horn in 2004, which brought an end to the most successful show in Las Vegas history – Siegfried & Roy. The agency continues to coordinate all facets of the duo’s communications and marketing efforts.
Dave founded Kirvin Communications Group in 1999, and partnered with Bill Doak to form Kirvin Doak Communications in 2002. Dave came to Las Vegas when he was hired to open the Las Vegas office for Brener Zwikel & Associates in 1994. He went on to create the public relations division of Carrara Nevada Government Affairs & Public Relations.
Dave is a member of the Las Vegas Founders, a civic organization which has raised $15 million for Las Vegas charities. He also volunteers for a variety of non-profit organizations including Three Square, Opportunity Village, American Cancer Society and the Lied Animal Shelter. He was named to In Business Las Vegas' "Most Influential" list and its “Top 40 under 40.” In 2009, the Nevada Cancer Institute honored Dave as one of the "Vegas Dozen."
A former award-winning journalist in Colorado and California, he is a graduate of Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado.
Bill Doak, Partner
A leader in Las Vegas marketing and public relations, Bill brings two decades of experience to Kirvin Doak Communications. His background combines special event marketing and management for some of the world’s most celebrated events with an invaluable mix of in-house resort marketing and agency public relations for notable hospitality and gaming brands.
During the past eight years he has helped design and oversee successful marketing public relations campaigns for several MGM Resorts International developments and more than a dozen tourist-based product launches. He also has led the public relations strategy for the opening and ongoing communications of CityCenter for more than four years.
A veteran of the Las Vegas resort industry, Bill was responsible for the successful promotional launch of Mandalay Bay in March of 1999. As marketing director for the resort, he led all promotional activities including brand and event campaigns.
Prior to joining Mandalay Bay, Bill served as director of public relations and promotions for MGM Grand from 1994 to 1998. He played a key role in the promotion and planning of Las Vegas’ biggest events including both Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson championship fights, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, FOX Billboard Music Awards and dozens of major concert and special events.
From 1990-1994, Bill served as an account executive at the firm of Brener Zwikel & Associates (Reseda, Calif.) for clients such as SHOWTIME Networks; The Mirage; Super Bowls XXV, XXVI and XXVII; Slim Fast; International Management Group and MGM Grand.
From 2000 to 2002, Bill was marketing director for DHL Worldwide Express, the world’s leading international air express carrier. There, he was responsible for building a U.S. marketing team, communications related to the company’s restructuring and acquisition, and a revitalization of the DHL brand.
In addition to Kirvin Doak Communications, Bill is co-creator of Las Vegas-based professional services firms Outdoor Solutions and Caric Sports Management, and the microbrew bar concept Sin City Brewing Co.
Bill earned a Bachelor of Science from California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo in 1989; an MBA from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 2000; and holds an Executive Certificate in Leadership and Management from the University of Notre Dame.
Terri L. Maruca, Sr. Vice President
Terri brings over 17 years of marketing, promotions and public relations experience to Kirvin Doak Communications. While with Kirvin Doak Communications, she has successfully implemented public relations campaigns, property and venue openings, groundbreaking and community events for clients such as N9NE Group, Golden Gaming, Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, AEG Live Las Vegas (Bette Midler, Cher and Carlos Santana) Silverton Casino Lodge, Miracle Mile Shops, the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group and Greenspun Media Group. She currently manages a staff of ten employees.
Terri joined Kirvin Doak Communications in 2000 from The Desert Inn Resort where she was the advertising and public relations manager. While at The Desert Inn Resort, she assisted in public relations and advertising for the resort, including the spa, gaming, entertainment, dining and golf course. She played an instrumental role in The Desert Inn’s 50th Birthday Celebration in April of 2000.
She brings to Kirvin Doak Communications’ clients a strong background in public relations, marketing and special events. She began her career in Washington, D.C., where she worked as the director of advertising, promotions and game operations for the Washington Wizards and Capitals. There she coordinated season ticket holder events, team music videos, in-game promotions including the supervision of team mascots, in-game entertainment and advertising.
Terri holds a degree in Communications from Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania. She was named one of Southern Nevada’s Most Distinguished Women in 2002 and was the recipient of 40 under 40 by In Business Las Vegas in 2008. She serves as board member for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas.
Debbi Medsker, Sr. Vice President of Marketing
Debbi is one of Las Vegas’ premier branding and media planning strategists. She has spent the last 13 years in the hospitality industry at Luxor, Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand. Her experience has been in both the sales and marketing arena of several leading resort destinations in the Las Vegas market.
Debbi launched the re-branding campaign for Luxor and was the Director of Advertising for the successful opening of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. She planned and managed a launch and entertainment budget for Mandalay Bay in excess of $15 million in 1999.
Her efforts include leading the initiative to re-brand MGM Grand. This encompassed the initial brand assessment, research and internal infusion of the brand to employees. In addition, Debbi directed the strategic development of media plans and creative direction for marketing of all MGM Grand brands which totaled more than $20 million annually. She also oversaw the communications and measurement of the brand throughout all key operations of MGM Grand.
She has developed and managed numerous entertainment campaigns for the Mandalay Bay Events Center and the MGM Grand Garden Arena. She most recently planned and lead the $5 million ad plan for the launch of KA by Cirque du Soleil.
Since joining Kirvin Doak Communications in 2005, Debbi has directed the development of the Marketing Division of Kirvin Doak Communications. Clients include Phantom Las Vegas, Blue Man Group, Jersey Boys, Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining, Wolfgang Puck Casual Dining, XPRIZE Foundation, Nevada State College and Las Vegas Springs Preserve. Her efforts include overseeing brand development and research, brand architecture, media strategy and planning, product and promotion integration.
Debbi directed the brand development for the successful opening of the 180-acre Springs Preserve in 2007, the marketing strategy for the Blue Man Group relocation to The Venetian and media strategy for the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group nationally.
She continues to lead the development of the Marketing Division, including a staff which encompasses account services, promotions and media buying.
Kate Turner Whiteley, Vice President
A consummate news hound and former reporter, Kate prides herself in translating her clients’ goals into tangible story ideas that are relevant to today’s newsrooms and result in compelling and meaningful content. In conjunction with her team at Kirvin Doak Communications, Kate has blended her experience as a television reporter with the firm’s award-winning public relations practices to create comprehensive, multi-media public relations campaigns for some of Las Vegas’ most exciting brands including MGM Resorts International, Pure Management Group and BASE Entertainment.
Kate joined Kirvin Doak Communications in 2002 after working her way across the country as a television news reporter. Thanks to the firm’s founders and Vice President, she was able to learn the ins and outs of public relations from the best in the business. Given the freedom to explore new ideas and the support to experiment, Kate blossomed at Kirvin Doak Communications, where she now leads a team of nine and handles the PR efforts for clients as diverse as JERSEY BOYS, BODIES . . . The Exhibition and Keep Memory Alive.
Always striving to present a multi-faceted campaign, Kate is often found securing impactful placements, coordinating promotions, planning gala events, crafting story ideas and mentoring the younger members of Kirvin Doak Communications. She holds a bachelors degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Journalism and Political Science, is a proud member of KNPR’s Community Advisory Board and spends as much free time as possible outside enjoying the Las Vegas Valley with her husband, Gavin, and her three dogs.
Natalie Mounier, Sr. Account Director
Natalie brings more than a decade of public relations and marketing experience to Kirvin Doak Communications. Her experience runs the gamut from travel/hospitality, culinary, spa, luxury retail and entertainment to corporate, consumer electronics, sustainability, health care, real estate, adventure and even space tourism clients. She has been responsible for driving successful public relations campaigns for some of Las Vegas’ most high-profile destinations and resorts, including CityCenter’s ongoing media relations campaign, specific offerings at Mandalay Bay including Disney’s THE LION KING and BATHHOUSE Spa, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. In 2007, she led the PR effort for the successful launch of MGM Grand Detroit, and in 2006, the re-launch of Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi one year after the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Natalie also represents such clients as the Nevada Cancer Institute; National Clean Energy Summit, which joined Senator Reid, former President Bill Clinton, T. Boone Pickens and Mayor Bloomberg to address the country’s energy challenges; the X PRIZE Foundation, which is dedicating to achieving radical breakthroughs that impact humanity’s greatest challenges; Zero Gravity Corporation; and Space Adventures, the only company in the world flying private explorers to the ISS.
Before moving to Las Vegas, Natalie was part of the consumer marketing and public relations division of Hill & Knowlton Los Angeles, where she implemented national campaigns for Motorola North America, Proctor and Gamble. In addition to ongoing media relations for Motorola, Natalie helped plan and coordinate successive annual media launch events for the company's global product portfolios in New York City, Milan and Shanghai. And, faced with re-launching Cheer detergent, which was neither new nor improved, she successfully tackled the “dingy laundry dilemma” with humor and imagination. She started her career with Nissan North America.
Natalie has planned and managed client participation in community events of all sizes, including sponsorship negotiations and charitable partnerships. Notable events include the Academy of Country Music Awards, Academy Awards and several Las Vegas events including Susan G. Komen’s “Race for the Cure”, Alzheimer’s Association’s “Memory Walk”, American Heart Association’s “Heart Walk”, American Diabetes Association’s “Tour de Cure”, Las Vegas Marathon and Las Vegas Bike Fest.
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