Soul – Banner
Our
Soul
Let us take you into the deep
We’re modern magicians. Our soul is full of creative energy and it’s designed to put your brain somewhere else for a minute. And yes, we drug test. Or test drugs. Whatever.
Meet the Team
Martin Valenti
Martin Valenti is the Vice President, Vice Principal, Co-Pilot, and Second in Command at Arthur Elliott. NAPA is his bread and butter. Of his 8 years spent working with Arthur Elliott, 20 of them have been spent working at or with NAPA. If you're questioning that math — don't. Martin is a master of many things, numbers included. His time with NAPA dips* (more on that later) into every facet of the business — from DCs to stores before his transition to Arthur Elliott.
One of the greatest successes of his career is the people whose goals he has helped to achieve. And these aren't the only people who have put their trust in him and walked away with more to give. His first professional career was as an EMT — working on ambulances and in emergency rooms. As for the *dips? He's an avid scuba diver and water enthusiast. Perhaps that's how he remains so level-headed.
Chelsea Bodziak
Chelsea Bodziak is a legendary Senior Project Manager at Arthur Elliott. Some may say she learned everything she knows through her 10+ years of marketing and project management experience, while others insist it's her TWO master's degrees in business administration and sports & entertainment management. If you ask me (the fingers behind the keyboard), I'd say it has something to do with the fact that she's thrown 2 perfect games, 10 no-hitters, and was once on ESPN's top 10 plays as a fastpitch softball player. There are some things only life experience, the genuine drive to win, and a little bit of softball dirt can teach...
Of her 8 years spent striking out everyone at Arthur Elliott, she's dedicated 4 of them to NAPA. Her passion lies in the execution and implementation side of client management, and she lives for the internal collaboration that gets projects to the finish line. Looks like you can take the player out of the team, but not the team out of the player.
Rob Kubiak
Good jokes, bad jokes, a smile on a rainy day — Rob Kubiak is your guy. As the Director of Client Success at Arthur Elliott, he's dedicated to...well...your success (as we all are, but Rob specifically). With over 20 years of marketing experience spanning roles across agencies, corporations, and nonprofits, Rob credits his resilience in the industry to his other full-time job as a Buffalo Bills fan. Of his 3 years with Arthur Elliott, he's dedicated 1 to NAPA.
If you haven't met him yet, perhaps you recognize him as the president and founder of the Buffalo Men's Book Club (or BMBC). His favorite selection is The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and he is a trained facilitator in the Creative Problem-Solving Process through the Center of Applied Imagination. And before you ask (because I, the writer did) — no, that is not made up.
David Monday
Strategy Manager at Arthur Elliott, he worked for NAPA. During his 19 years with NAPA, David held various positions, including in warehouses, as a District Sales Manager for Retail Sales, Customer Service, and in Purchasing, and Marketing. How does he know creative strategy? From the 11 years he's spent managing social media business accounts. And of course, from developing and managing his OWN.
That's right. David (otherwise known as Dave, or Monday) started building metal art (art made of metal) on New Year's Day in 2013 after having a dream about it. He didn't know how to weld — so he taught himself. Not only that, but he organically grew his social following to over 200K, and now ships his builds all over the world. He has worked with Arthur Elliott for 3 years now, ALL of them dedicated to NAPA.
Emily Keady
Who is Emily Keady? She's a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo. She spent 6 years of her childhood traveling around the country competing nationally in the sport and officially retired from mixed martial arts when she decided to do a 180 and try cheerleading. She once did a week-long field hockey camp on a broken ankle (that she didn't know was broken) and went on to deliver a TED Talk as a high school student before graduating from UNC with a degree in Advertising and PR.
Aside from her hobby of incredibly humble story-topping, Emily channels her ferocious confidence and bubbly personality into her work as a junior project manager on the Arthur Elliott team.
Matt Chandler
If there's a creative pulse, Matt Chandler is one to feel it. As a Creative Content Manager at Arthur Elliott, Matt is focused on bringing client ideas to life through innovation and creative digital media. With his 12 years of communication, digital marketing, and social strategy experience and 10 years shooting brand lifestyle and portrait photography, Matt builds campaigns that win. Take his 5th-grade campaign for student mayor for example: “Don't be a cashew, vote for Matthew!” Matt spoke and the people listened. A winner is a winner.
Matt was his high school's first graduating student, graduated 3rd in his class (of 4 people total), and sometimes collects eclectic machinery from junkyards to use as wall art. Call it a passion for repurposing. (I heard something about an old pay phone?)
Megan Black
Megan Black turns bossy into a coveted characteristic. Before her time with Arthur Elliott, she taught high school freshmen leadership skills using the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People and was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” during her own senior superlatives. Her 20 years of management and marketing experience would agree that her current position as Project Manager is only fitting.
Megan loves the beginning stages of every project and watching ideas transform into concrete deliverables. She thrives in chaos with a 15-year-old pit bull named Anarchy, used to foster dogs for military personnel stationed overseas, and she knows how to fill and empty carousel change machines.
Michelle Boch
Michelle Boch is our Maestro, our Resource Renegade, and our Hype Ringleader—commonly abbreviated as HR, she is the controller. Michelle has worked closely with NAPA for the entirety of her 8 years at Arthur Elliott. She has 6 years of management experience with a large specialty retailer and 8 years of public accounting experience, dabbling in everything from taxes to CFO services. She also grew up working on a farm. She's baled hay, disked fields, and bottle-fed calves. She's also seen Bigfoot. Or maybe it was just her 8-year-old son who's already as tall as her (she's 5'5”). But also…she saw Bigfoot.
Alison Zimtbaum
Alison Zimtbaum is famous. And also happens to be a Project Manager at Arthur Elliott. Famous? Well—her 2-year-old Sheepadoodle, Izzy, is, and Alison is recognized as “Izzy's Mom” throughout their small town. Although we know her more formally as Alison “Cinnamon Tree,” a nickname coined from the German translation of her last name… (just kidding—we don't call her that…but her peers did growing up.)
Izzy's Mom has over 10 years of project management experience ranging from work in the consulting and tax audit realm to that of retail and the meat industry. Alison is passionate about leading intricate marketing projects from inception to completion. That passion may be fed by her competitive edge…let's just say you'll want her on your team in ping pong.
Stephanie Chalmers
Stephanie Chalmers is an Account Manager at Arthur Elliott. As such, she serves as a main point of contact and addresses client needs and concerns as quickly and effectively as possible to develop and maintain strong relationships. She is also the self-proclaimed designated planner for all family events, large and small. So this checks out. That dedication spills over into other parts of her life as well. Currently binging the Stargate SG1 series, Stephanie is a diehard Sci-Fi fanatic—and the Arthur Elliott general Slack channel can attest to this. We're talking Star Trek references left and right. (Ok…just one so far.)
Stephanie “Charli” around the office has 20+ years of retail leadership experience, 6 of which were with GPC where she was named GPC's Retail Business Development Manager of the Year in 2021 for the Mid-Atlantic Division. She is EXTREMELY passionate about enhancing the customer experience across all channels. And she loves Hamilton the musical.
Brendan Malmstead
Brendan Malmstead is an Account Manager at Arthur Elliott. As far as experience with NAPA goes, Brendan is exceptionally familiar with the world of automotive. Not only does he have a bachelor's degree in advertising management and 2 years of marketing management experience in the motorsport realm, but he also has his NHRA-9 license. Aka his drag racing license. NOW BEFORE YOU ASK, no—he has never broken a bone. I know you were bursting with the need to know that. I know I was.
All jokes aside, Brendan is the epitome of Account Managers. He knows what you need, asks questions, and prioritizes YOU above all else. He takes his job as seriously as someone with 9 siblings takes a shower schedule—which is very seriously. He loves reading Westerns, is passionate about wildlife and land conservation, and does in fact have 9 siblings.
Matias Doune-Bosch
Matias Doune-Bosch is a Production Designer at Arthur Elliott. For those of you who don't know, a production designer's job is to extend and translate established creative concepts into production-ready print, web, and digital assets. Matias does this and more. With over 20 years of experience in graphic design, Matias has worn many creative hats (metaphorically speaking), including that of Graphic Designer, Art Director, and Web Developer—all in addition to his current hat of Production Designer.
He has spent 15 years focusing his craft on logo design, branding, and web design, and has conceptualized, designed, and coded over 30 websites. Like I said…a man of many hats. One of those hats may even be from one of his favorite sports teams. Born in Patagonia, Argentina, and a former rugby player, it's safe to say Matias will be decked out in gear from the Pumas, Ríver Plate, or the Patriots.
Michael Farrar
Michael Farrar, known around the office as Farrar, has 19 years of experience working with or at* NAPA. Of those 19 years, he has dedicated 4 to Arthur Elliott as an Account Manager. The at* NAPA comes into play with the 15 years he spent with Genuine Parts Company, working in all aspects of DC Operations, DC Sales, District Sales, and helping independent NAPA store owners achieve their goals. However, his involvement with NAPA doesn't stop there. No—Michael has personal ties to the brand…
Farrar met his wife at the NAPA Seattle Distribution Center, which also happens to be the same building where his parents met 25 years earlier. NAPA ties aside—he and his wife are musicians, and their 6-year-old daughter just started learning drums. Right back to cars for a full circle moment; Michael is an ASE Certified Automotive Technician and loves working on anything with an engine. He also has a history with the Red Panda. What that history is, I'm not sure. You'll have to ask him about it.
Sara Young
Sara Young, spelled S-A-R-A (no H), is a Project Manager at Arthur Elliott. She has spent the entirety of her 3 years as part of the NAPA team (emphasis on team). That team player mindset is nothing new to Sara but rather second nature. As a former collegiate lacrosse player at Queens University of Charlotte, Sara is the epitome of a team player, and her role as Project Manager reflects that. Although she traded in her gear for timelines and proposals, Sara is still actively involved in the sport and serves as a goalie coach for a local lacrosse club in Charlotte.
Sara is passionate about facilitating projects from the beginning stages through to completion. She is what we consider: an Agenda Architect—always planning, coordinating, and orchestrating. As for scheming…she does have a twin. Tragically, they are fraternal.
Zac Nelson
Have you ever accidentally drunk holy water from a Mexican well only to be forever imbued with good luck? Well—Zac Nelson has. Andddd he's also a Production Designer at Arthur Elliott. His background (aside from the holy water thing) set him up to exceed expectations, turn heads, and make us laugh while doing so. More on that background—Zac worked on hand letterings, murals, and graphics for supermarket chains, environmental design, merchandising, and food and beverage menus for a restaurant operations group. He also has heterochromia (two different colored eyes), so you can add that to the list of things that make Zac…well, cool.
William Duarte
William Duarte is an Account Manager at Arthur Elliott with 10 years of experience dedicated to NAPA. Believe it or not, William (or Will) started his NAPA experience as a part driver. He worked his way up the NAPA ladder and eventually ended his AT NAPA experience as a DC Wholesale Manager. He enjoyed working side by side with NAPA owners as a Territory Sales Manager and Wholesale Manager. In a perfect twist of fate, Will was able to continue working alongside NAPA owners and continue growing his WITH NAPA experience.
William is passionate about follow-up and consistency—believing both are key to a winner's mindset. It could be that passion or his “spontaneity” that makes him so great at his job. Will likes to get up and go *wink* everywhere and anywhere, following a “don't think, DO” kind of mindset. He's a "closet pyro" and grew up liking fireworks and still does and is the only male in his family NOT named José.
Valeria Nogueria
Valeria Nogueria is a multifaceted, exceptionally talented creative with skillsets that range from graphic design and editorial art direction to surface + lettering design and photography. Valeria, who we know as Vale (bah-leh), has 20+ years of graphic design experience as a senior design manager in advertising agencies, in-house corporations, and branding studios. On top of that, she is an award-winning art director with 15 years of freelance design experience dedicated to logo design and exploration. Did I mention she takes photos? I think I did, but it's worth saying again—because they're cool.
Vale was born in Buffalo, NY, and grew up in Argentina—finally finding her happy place in Charlotte. However, her Argentinian roots are never far behind, often manifesting as a midday cappuccino. Field hockey is her #1 sport, she loves to hike, and will always make a wish on something new.
Stephanie Walker
Of her 11 years spent with Arthur Elliott as a Senior Account Manager, Stephanie Walker has dedicated all 11 to NAPA. *Drumroll Please* With those 11 years, Stephanie (who we know as Steph) is Arthur Elliott's most tenured employee! To put that in perspective, Steph was part of the team when the “team” was but 2 people. She has 15 years of Account Management experience in the banking and marketing industry and 11 years of field marketing experience developing strategies and executing hyperlocal advertising plans spanning several east coast states. (Now that was one experienced run-on sentence.)
Speaking of running, Stephanie once jumped 16 ft in the long jump and was a state champion track and fielder. She also performed at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii with NSYNC as a dancer when she was 17 and received Performer of the Year at the national cheerleading competition in Minnesota. Stephanie still enjoys dancing…only now with her husband and their two amazing children.
Andrew Tilley
Andrew Tilley is an Account Director at Arthur Elliott with 20+ years of experience working with NAPA. I (the writer) made it a point to lead with the numbers because Andrew (who we know as Tilley) is all about the data—because that's his thing. Andrew is passionate about data-driven marketing that focuses on results and has 30 years of experience driving said results (again with the numbers). He's worked with main street small business owners, consumer packaged goods, entertainment venues/artists, and national retailers.
Speaking of NAPA, Tilley ate lunch with country music icon Alan Jackson in his museum garage when NAPA sponsored his concert tour. Alan served mashed potatoes, corn, and fried chicken out of NAPA drain pans and used hose clamps as napkin rings. Who knew you could mix the automotive industry with that of fine dining…leave it to Andrew to find the connection. "It's all in the data."
Erin Romero
Erin Romero is an Account Manager at Arthur Elliott. She's been a part of the Arthur Elliott team for 8 years and has 15 years of experience working with NAPA. Over those 15 years, she's worked with hundreds of NAPA store owners across the U.S. to ensure their marketing success. Erin is exceptionally passionate about helping small business owners, ESPECIALLY small business owners at NAPA for a multitude of reasons. One of which is the fact that her grandparents and parents both owned NAPA stores.
As an Atlantean (someone who lives in Atlanta, GA), Erin is a huge Braves fan. And when I say huge—I mean she has season tickets. Really, Erin is a huge sports fan in general. She loves the New Mexico Lobos, playing golf, and teaching fitness classes in her free time—Jazzercise to be exact. She's an avid runner and loves hot air balloons (especially the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta), and Erin's husband's name is also Aaron.