Gary Vlk

As a founding principal of One Smooth Stone, Gary brings foresight into the changing needs of clients that has allowed the agency to evolve from simply producing meetings to addressing organizations’ marketing challenges and leading them from strategy through execution.

As a musician (yes, he had 80s hair-band hair), Gary is attuned to the rhythms and arrangements inherent in all meetings and events, especially during the planning process. This background gives him the rare ability to lead logistically and technically complex programs, while also remaining a calming influence on those around him.

A recipient of an Ex Award from Event Marketing Magazine for best corporate virtual event, Gary regularly shares his ideas on the One Smooth Stone blog, whether discussing the power of the Grammy Awards or the branding of James Bond. Get to know Gary better on LinkedIn.

Stephanie Selig

With a wide range of event experience, Stephanie has been an invaluable part of our team for more than 15 years. She joined One Smooth Stone right from Columbia College. Growing up here has equipped her with the tools necessary to deliver impact and exceed client expectations.

Stephanie’s ability to easily grasp a project, blend seamlessly into any team, and efficiently multi-task makes her a favorite internally and among our clients. Her positive attitude and effortless flexibility enables her to quickly assess a situation and create powerful solutions in the most stressful environments. And if you ask her, she will tell you the birthday of every person who has ever worked here. Get to know Stephanie better on LinkedIn.

Mark Ledogar

Mark joined One Smooth Stone in 2000, coming over from SmithBucklin, where he was director of the tradeshow division.

Mark’s hands-on approach to strategic and creative message development, pre-event and on-site event production, presenter management and coaching, and team leadership positions Mark as a highly skilled and highly invested relationship manager for the variety of clients we serve.

And spirit of giving back serves as a model for us all. He’s the president of the Northwestern University Alumni Association and president of Seven Generations Ahead, a non-profit sustainable community organization. Get to know Mark better on LinkedIn.

Juliann Kelley

Juliann joined the One Smooth Stone family in 2012. Since joining our team, she has quickly exceled. The daughter of a meeting planner, Juliann inherited the key traits necessary for success. She’s detail oriented, proactive, creative, and personable. Juliann brings her creative, calm and solutions-oriented approach to solve any problem, big or small, during both the planning process and onsite event. Get to know Juliann better on LinkedIn.

Steve Koppel

Steve joined One Smooth Stone in 1999, coming over from Edelman Public Relations, where he provided internal communication counsel to Fortune 100 companies.

During his tenure, he’s produced events in more than a dozen countries for organizations big and small. Steve loves the adventure of producing something from scratch. He says every client and every event is unique. “Whether it’s a ballroom filled with thousands of people, or a barrel room filled with wine, I love figuring out what’s possible.”

Steve’s not your typical event producer. His background in public relations and marketing has allowed him to provide value to message development and event communication strategies.

Steve shares his ideas regularly on the One Smooth Stone blog, where he discusses topics ranging from the state of the art in trade show booth design to improving your speaking skills. Get to know Steve better on LinkedIn.

Brian Duffy

Brian leads our sales efforts. Coming to us from BI, he quickly shored up our sales process. Competitive wins for work with US Cellular, United Airlines, and OfficeMax have his fingerprints all over them. He lives in Denver, but he grew up in Jersey, so he traded the salt air for no air. Get to know Brian better on LinkedIn.

Barb Sepulveda

Barb takes care of all of us Stonies. Among other things, she coordinates our travel, manages our shipping, and keeps the kitchen stocked! For nearly 10 years, she’s run a tight ship over here, giving us the support we need to produce exceptional programs for our clients. Get to know Barb better on LinkedIn.

Jonathan Williams

Jonathan came to One Smooth Stone from McDonald’s, where he produced events for more than seven years. Jonathan's music and theater background make him a natural in the live event industry. He’s a skilled media producer as well, and if you have any questions about Star Wars, Star Trek or Dr. Who, go no further. Get to know Jonathan better on LinkedIn.

Ken Haller

Prior to joining One Smooth Stone in 2002, Ken was vice president and director of production for Thinktank, an integrated marketing agency in Chicago. Throughout his nearly 30-year career, Ken has worked in broadcast television and radio, has worked with three presidents and produced and planned events in 30 countries.

A jack of all trades (and a master of a few, too), he possesses expertise that is as diverse as his background: global sales kick-offs, large incentive programs, countless press events, and the Summer Olympics. Today, he focuses his passion on working with clients to solve their communications needs through innovative and integrated event solutions. Ken has a deep footing with most traditional and non-traditional media and enjoys investigating diverse tools and solutions that best fit a client’s objectives. Get to know Ken better on LinkedIn.

Lisa Hultmark

Lisa works in our accounting department. The mother of five kids and nearly a dozen foreign exchange students through the years, she knows how to balance a budget.

Brad Zulke

Brad joined One Smooth Stone after 15 years of leading a $400 million investment management & trust company in the greater Chicago area. As the CEO, he created short- and long-term strategic initiatives, as well as the actionable plans to achieve the company's objectives. His strengths include strategic planning, financial management and leadership.

At One Smooth Stone, Brad runs our vast business empire. He’s our COO/CFO and is responsible for the daily operational and financial management of One Smooth Stone. Get to know Brad better on LinkedIn.

Gabriela Soltys

Gabriela comes to us as a 2014 graduate of the University of Iowa. A fluent Spanish speaker, Gabriela loves to travel, which is nice when you’re in the meetings and events business. She has crossed off a number of places already, including Paris and Lisbon (where she slept in an airport one evening when she ran out of money…), and counts Australia and Alaska as two places on her wish list. Get to know Gabriela better on LinkedIn.

Kelly Earnest

Kelly has over 8 years of experience working in live event production. Before joining One Smooth Stone she previously worked for McDonald’s Corporation with their Creative Services department. There her production efforts spanned across live events, video & photography shoots and webcasts. Kelly values her attention to detail, organization and willingness to always step in to help. Key qualities that have contributed to her career success. When she is not living in the world of logistics, schedules and creative brainstorming meetings she enjoys spending free time jamming to her eclectic mix of music, being an “unofficial” television show critic, reading fiction stories and most importantly spending time with her family.

Samantha Perryman

Samantha has a passion for event planning. While in college she oversaw and took lead on many events within the University of Iowa’s Alumni Association and even traveled abroad to London as an intern in marketing and events. 

She holds two unique certificates, one as a certified wedding coordinator and the other as a certified scuba diver. So if your dream is an underwater wedding, Samantha’s got it covered! In her free time, she loves to travel, cheer on the Iowa Hawkeyes, and spend time with family and friends.