OUR TEAM

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

Learning new equipment has been the most enjoyable to me.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

It started with my love of music. I received a degree in Music Industry Management and shortly after started work in the industry.

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

I think it shows us all that we can adapt and push through to the other side. Obstacles are what make us stronger.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

I enjoy concerts, making music, photography, and golfing.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

I would like to live outside of North America.

What has been your favorite project so far at Chase Creative?

I’d say my favorite project so far at Chase Creative was Michigan Safety Conference at Devos Place. We had many breakout rooms throughout Devos and managing everything from the setup to the event, to strike allowed me to build confidence both as a technician and as a leader. I also enjoyed working with a talented union and freelance crew. Working with larger crews from different departments reminds me of working on movie sets.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

I’ve always wanted to work in the film/video industry.  After receiving a degree in Film/Video Production from GVSU I started getting more work in AV. I then realized a career in AV would be more stable when compared to working on movie sets. Plus, I can incorporate my love of camera work, lighting, and sound.

What advice would you give to someone interested in working in the AV industry?

My advice would be don’t be afraid to ask questions. Be able to work well as a team member and be as diverse in AV gear and equipment set up as possible.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

I like to travel and spend time outdoors in the summer. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family and flying my drone.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

Travel to Europe and Hawaii.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

Travel, pay off student loans and my car, move to a bigger house and probably start a drone business (part time), help family out if needed and put a bunch into savings.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

If I could learn to do anything I would probably want to learn how to fly a jet. Like the Blue Angels, but with no risk.

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

There have been a lot, but any event with The White House really stands out.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

It looked like a fun career path with endless possibilities; and it has not disappointed!

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

There have been 2. The first is I was able to spend a lot more time with my family. The second is seeing what a great leader does in the face of a disaster.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

I am either spending time with my family, cycling around west Michigan, or getting a new tattoo.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

I would love to spend some time traveling through Scandinavia.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

First, I would donate some of it to my artist friends. Secondly, I would take a year off and travel the world with my family.

What has been your favorite project so far at Chase Creative?

For my position there hasn’t been a project in particular that has stood out. What did stand out was my first Fall busy season.  I had time to train on the systems – tools were available to me to work with but you can never be sure how things will play out when there is little room for error. Looking back October and November are a blur but successfully completed.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

Ever since high school I’ve had an interest in what goes on backstage or behind the curtain. As time passed, I found that I had good working knowledge for at least basic AV gear and a strong background in logistics. Chase has given me the chance to work with both aspects on a professional level and I’m very glad to be here.

What advice would you give to someone interested in working in the AV industry?

Anyone who works in AV needs 3 things: a good pair of shoes, a reliable pocketknife, and the wisdom to wrap cable using the over under method.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

In the winter I just hibernate, play video games and try to stay warm. The summer is home project time – last summer it was putting down some hard wood floors.  This summer will be a new roof.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

The writer of the hymn “Amazing Grace” had an incredibly filthy mouth. During his time as a sailor he was: “admonished several times for not only using the worst words the captain had ever heard, but creating new ones to exceed the limits of verbal debauchery”. I would like to find out what he said.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

I figured out over lockdown that my spirit animal is a lazy river so I would find/make/build my own and spend my days happily going where the water takes me, which is nowhere.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

I would like to learn how to pilot a glider. In my head it would be both very peaceful and exhilarating.

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

The warehouse redesign. Moving everything where you think it should go was fun. No one was here so we didn’t have to worry about noise or interruptions.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

When I was fourteen my best friend asked me if I wanted to go work downtown at a festival. We kept doing them and some of the people we worked with started doing bigger events. A couple decades later they finally got me to start doing shows with them. Last year was the first summer I didn’t spend a large portion of it in downtown Kalamazoo at some festival in over thirty years.

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

The only positive thing I can think of is knowing I work for someone that will do whatever he can for his employees. All of us kept our jobs during a time when every “business consultant” I saw was recommending laying off people. Thx Tony.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

Well until recently most of my free time in the spring-fall was spent doing festivals or other small events. During the winter I was just glad to have free time again. I guess I need to find something else to do during the summers since I don’t see many outdoor events happening this year. There’s a good chance many won’t return.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

Convert it into something other than dollars so inflation doesn’t slowly erode it away. Ideally invest it to make me more money.

Hypothetically, if you could learn to do anything at all, what would it be?

Learning to fly would be interesting. Like a bird but no arm flapping. That would be fun. I think it would be more practical to just learn to teleport yourself where ever you want to go. It’s faster. You don’t have to worry about sun exposure or rain. It’s far more impressive looking to fly. I’ll have to think about it more. So either flying or teleportation would be nice to learn.

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

It’s hard to pick one – there’s a holiday party that we used to do every year that I enjoyed a lot for the chance to be creative with the overall design.  We also have a few annual clients that I love working with year after year.  I also really enjoyed the virtual studio that we setup as a response to doing all virtual events over the past year and a half.  The studio was great to fulfill a need, and was a fantastic demonstration of our teamwork and problem solving here at Chase Creative.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

I actually married my love of live theater with my interest in video technology after college, and found the perfect solution in starting my career as a live events AV technician.

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

Seeing this company pull through what could have been an absolutely devastating outcome, has made me incredibly grateful for our team, and for our leadership from our CEO.  I’m proud to be a part of a company that so highly values its employees, and takes care of its clients.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

Usually whatever my kids like to do for fun!  If it’s up to me though, I try to catch a handful of live shows every year – concerts and theater.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

More traveling.  I’d love to go to Italy, Iceland, back to Ireland someday……. And maybe some other places that don’t necessarily start with the letter “I”.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

Take one of those trips!  And then pay off my and my family’s houses.  No mortgages hopefully means more travel in the future……..

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

Play piano, but can I do it without a lot of tedious lessons?  LOL

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

The Saint Mary’s Foundation Annual Gala – we’ve worked with them as far back as 2007; they bring us creative and unconventional locations, and look to us to think outside the box and create environments with lighting and décor to wow their guests each year.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

I came into event AV kind of by accident. I spent 10 years working in a video production studio, but more and more of our clients wanted us to produce their events outside the studio in a live events environment. So I took my video production background, and learned to add event lighting, sound, staging & event décor to the projects I was managing.

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

I had a chance to go back to my video production roots and help our live event clients create studio virtual events, that we edited and/or streamed to their audiences who were working and attending from home.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

I love spending my off time with my family – we love heading north and hanging out with our extended family in Traverse City and Leelanau County enjoying all our Michigan seasons.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

I would like to travel internationally again. Before kids we’d racked up 20+ countries on 5 continents, but I would love to travel more.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

Give, invest, and plan some international trips.

If you could learn to do anything, would what it be?

Be a better parent to my amazing kids.

Bio coming soon!

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

Helping with the setup and promo video for our virtual studio. It was great to collaborate with our team to create a space that we were able to customize to each event.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

I started out working as a camera operator at a horse racing track. I didn’t know at the time that I was going to get a lot of AV experience. I enjoy continually learning new things and the challenge of events.

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

I’ve been able to focus on learning and developing new skills.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

When not at work I’m enjoying the outdoors with my family, playing guitar, cooking, and doing lots of craft projects with my son.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

Travel the world. There are too many places to list!

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

Anything that involves editing. Having virtual meetings allowed me to use my talents as an editor which I’ve not been able to do in my decade plus of working in the industry.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

It chose me. I went to school for film and video production and an audio visual company found my resume online and drafted me.

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

I ran every day in the month of May and totaled 110 miles and raised $500 for my local animal rescue group. Because of COVID the group was unable to do its regular fund raisers. I also got back on social media and reconnected with old friends.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

I’m a runner and I love to run. My wife and father-in-law are runners as well and I love doing races with them. I also love making music, acting, and doing improv comedy.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

Hang gliding.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

Invest some of it, pay off our house, and move somewhere warm and quiet.

If you could learn to do anything, would what it be?

Some mad dance skills.

What has been your favorite project so far at Chase Creative?

My favorite project that I’ve worked on so far would be the Campus Vote Project live stream at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. I think I enjoyed it so much because not only did the event go well, but the client was great to work with and loved the result!

Why did you choose a career in AV?

I chose a career in AV because I had a sudden moment of clarity during my undergraduate degree when I realized that I needed to enjoy the work I was going to be doing for the rest of my life. Once I switched to an AV-related degree, I found myself much more engaged and passionate about what I was learning and it led me to a career with Chase!

What advice would you give to someone interested in working in the AV industry?

If someone is interested in working in AV, or media in general, my advice would be to strive to become an expert in every facet of the industry, even if you are only interested in part of it. Whether it is lights, video, audio, sales, etc., you are always going to be a better worker when you know a little bit of how other departments work.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

When I’m not working for Chase, I’m spoiling my Pandemic pup, Titus. I also unwind by watching movies/TV and playing video games.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

One thing that I would really like to cross off my bucket list would be to direct a feature film. I don’t think I would care if it made or lost money, just to have a piece of art that reflects my interests would be totally surreal.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

The first thing I would do if I won $1 Million would be to buy some sort of dumb status symbol like a Gucci belt and then invest the rest. Maybe while I wait for the investment to grow, I could work on my bucket list.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

One of my favorite hobbies is bringing home new/different instruments and learning how to play them. I’m not sure which instrument is next, but I would love to tackle the violin sometime!

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

I think my favorite project in my time at Chase Creative was the first large event I managed after being hired.  It was a great opportunity to take the Arts Midwest Conference through the entire process start to finish and to watch early designs and ideas turn into reality.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

When I was a music student at Western Michigan, I discovered how much I liked the technical side of the world of concerts and events.  Ever since then my career has been 100% centered around event technology and production.

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

First off, the way our company owner handled the early days of the pandemic and treated all the employees was exceptional.  That first meeting, when lockdowns were initially happening, was a huge eye opener with how confidently, and honestly stated the plan and outlook was.

Secondly, we’ve all become the Zoom experts we never wanted to be, and that gave everyone a chance to learn new skills and expand their base of knowledge.  A lot of hidden talents were revealed in the last year and a half.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

Most of my time off work is spent with my family; most of it centered around the kids’ hockey and gymnastics and family camping trips.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

Probably just to travel more.  I’d love to take my family to see the rest of the world.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

See the previous question; that and invest in a nice house.

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

I think my favorite project at Chase Creative was navigating and adapting during the pandemic.   Trying to work from home without an office wasn’t always easy.  Our owner wanted to keep us all working and since our industry and other businesses were pretty shut down, we had to look into State and Federal funding, make payment arrangements with vendors and put a plan together for safety, health and wellness for our employees and clients.  I liked assisting the owner with looking into grants and loans that would sustain our business.  Putting together spreadsheets to track all our loans and grants was a challenge that I most enjoyed.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

I started out as a temporary employee at Chase Creative and have since learned a lot about the AV business.  I wanted to stay on and help the business to grow.  It takes a great team to pull off year after year of successful business operations and I wanted to be a part of that team.

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

Our team agrees that the owner, from the start of the pandemic, put the employees and the clients first.  None of us were put on leave even though our industry and others were totally shut down.  We realized we were a part of something great where creativity is encouraged, new skills learned, and constantly reminded that each person’s contribution and ideas are important to the success of Chase Creative.  Who wouldn’t want to work for a company where you have an ethical Leader that leads by example and wants to see his company and employees grow?

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

I live for summer when I can go kayaking with my brothers and their family and just enjoy the beautiful outdoor weather.  I spend a lot of time with family and friends and enjoy a good glass of sweet red wine.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

One thing on my bucket list is to travel with my husband to Europe and see the Netherlands where my parents were born and raised until relocating to US in their late teens with their families.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

If I won $1 Million, first, I’d sign the back of the ticket, so it cannot be stolen.  Then I would hire a financial counselor as it seems like some winners are broke in 5 years.   It would be nice to pay off all debts and get a couple vehicles that don’t break down.  I would invest in a travel trailer so my husband and I can take vacations with our cat and dog and explore the US.  We also would probably take my mom, brothers and their families on a fun cruise too.  Though anyone who knows me knows I’m going to be looking for a coupon.  If I could keep my winnings a secret, I would prefer that.

If you could learn to do anything, would what it be?

I’d love to learn a new language such as Spanish and German (with none of the practice it actually takes to do so).

What has been your favorite project so far at Chase Creative?

My favorite event happened when I was just freelancing with Chase Creative at the time. I was called in to work at a private charity event which had Earth, Wind, and Fire playing. A year prior to the event my band had pulled a publicity stunt in front of an Earth, Wind, and Fire concert. At the charity event I got a chance to interact with the band and discovered that they had pictures of our publicity stunt on their mobile devices. We successfully entertained the entertainers! I enjoyed working with Chase Creative on those events so much that I decided to join the team full time.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

At the time I was looking for a job where I could wear all black and have it be fashionable. Plus, I get to tell people I work in AV and they think I’m way cooler than I actually am.

What is one thing that you wish people knew about your job?

I wish people knew that our job is not just about setting up equipment. We are also expert problem solvers, crisis managers, and comedians.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

I am addicted to music and entertainment. It’s the reason why I chose this industry. In my spare time I’m usually attending concerts, performing as a musician or DJ, or checking out the latest video game, although I’m partial to the ones with cool sound effects. Pew Pew!

What is one thing on your bucket list?

I would love to record music in space. I’m not sure it’s been done yet, but I don’t have a problem volunteering to be the first.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

With a million dollars, I would create the ultimate karaoke experience, complete with holographic backup singers and synchronized pyrotechnics.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

I would probably learn to be an astronaut because I really do want to go into space.

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

Being on show sites and being exposed to how all the different gear sets up and works.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

I’ve had an interest in music and video production for a while that grew to a point where I switched my area of study at WMU to Film and Multimedia Arts, and I’ve found that AV is closely adjacent to that.

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

I was finishing up credits at WMU when COVID first hit, so my last classes ended up moving online. This coupled with the fact that my classes were project heavy led me to have a lot of time to mess around with music/video production and get a lot of personal projects done.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

I like to make computer music and dumb videos when I’m not playing computer games, and I enjoy longboarding on paved trails when the weather permits.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

I really want to live outside of the US for an extended period; Greece would be really cool.

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

Pay off student loans, Invest in a house, Upgrade PC. Other than that, probably just save it.

If you could learn to do anything, would what it be?

I think learning to sing and process vocals well would be nice, but I’ve also wanted to learn how to code for a while.

What has been your favorite project at Chase Creative?

It is difficult to pick just one as there are so many interesting and exciting events we produce.  I would say some of my favorites were the university commencements last spring (2021) that were held outdoors due to the pandemic.  For one of our clients, our team turned a plain parking lot into a beautiful outdoor space where the commencements could be safely held.  It was quite incredible to know that, behind the scenes, we helped provide an opportunity for students to experience that incredible feeling of accomplishment as they walked across the stage to receive their diploma, hearing their names announced and images of them projected onto large LED video walls for family and friends to see.

Why did you choose a career in AV?

I’ve always had a passion for AV, in some form or another.  When I was 8 years old, I remember receiving a portable Sony cassette tape recorder for my birthday.  I made recordings of just about everything I could find, including thinking it was pretty cool to record the sound of a flushing toilet.  Then as a teenager, I made recordings of my sister playing piano and singing songs that she composed, which I will always treasure.  Later, I satisfied my passion for AV by serving as a volunteer videographer for the University of Michigan Marching Band, which I still do today.  After leaving an executive position in the corporate world, I transitioned into my role here at Chase Creative where I absolutely love what I am doing and am thankful for the incredible team I get to work with every day!

As devastating as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, have you experienced any positive outcomes?

There were several.  One of which was the opportunity for our team to learn more about one another.  We learned a lot about the personal lives of each other as while during numerous Zoom meetings, it was common to see kiddos in the background (unknown to their parents), pets climbing across laptops (sometimes even sending messages), and the living rooms, basements, and backyards of each other’s homes.  This was a unique glimpse into the personal lives of one another that we otherwise would not have had.  We also discovered many unknown talents within our team that we are now utilizing in our business.

But, one of the most incredible things for me was experiencing the perseverance, hard work, and creativeness of the Chase Creative team as we navigated to the other side of this crazy storm.  Yes, we were fortunate to receive two PPP loans, but each of these covered just two and a half months of payroll costs… the pandemic tossed our ship up and down for two years as we weathered the impact of the shutdown of our industry.  Had it not been for the true grit of our team, we would have been tossed upside down.

What do you do for fun, in your time off from work?

I love running, traveling, backpacking, live music, reading, cooking, eating out, and spending good old face to face time with family and friends.

What is one thing on your bucket list?

Train for and run another marathon.  It has been three years since the last one… would love to run a BQ (Boston Qualifying Time).

If you won $1 Million, what would you do with it?

While I was in business school, a professor asked our class a similar question.  There were a lot of different answers… travel the world, start a company, invest the money, quit my job, buy a new home, take time off to learn a new skill, etc.  He then asked us why we weren’t pursuing these things right now, even if in just small increments.  The class got quiet as we realized there was no reason not to start pursuing our dreams now.  With that said, if I won $1 million, I would give back to those who invested in me… I guess I should start doing that now.  I would also do something fun for my wife and me… maybe an exotic vacation at an oceanfront villa in Koh Samui.

If you could learn to do anything, would what it be?

With as much as I love cooking, I think it would be fun to learn some gourmet cooking techniques and recipes; as well as explore molecular gastronomy.