Marking 28 Years of PR Agency Experience

With 28 years of PR agency experience, (W)right On Communications has earned trust during moments of change, scrutiny and transformation for our clients. While tools and media models evolve, our focus on credibility, reputation and outcomes remains constant.

GRant Wright, Mindy Wright, Julie Wright, Dani Crebbin, David Cumpston at San Diego Press Club awards

By Julie Wright, President, (W)right On Communications

On January 2, 1998, I founded (W)right On Communications.

I launched the agency just a few months before Google entered the world and fundamentally changed how people find information. I couldn’t have predicted how dramatically communications, media and marketing would evolve over the next 28 years. It has been quite a ride. But I believed then and continue to believe today that organizations need trusted counsel to help them navigate change, respond to scrutiny and make the most of the moments that matter.

How PR Has Changed over 28 Years

My time at (W)right On Communications has given me a front-row seat to some of the biggest shifts our industry has ever seen:

  • Early 2000s: The dawn of digital marketing, including PPC, SEO and content marketing.
  • Late 2000s: The explosion, evolution and enshittification of social media, from the early days of Twitter and Facebook to today’s algorithm-driven, pay-to-play platforms and influencer culture.
  • 2005-2024: Journalism’s collapse as its business model was upended and the related erosion of trust.
  • Now: The rise of AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, which are once again reshaping PR and how people get their information.

Each wave has brought new tools, opportunities and risks. And each has reinforced my view that PR is more than publicity. It’s about shaping understanding, credibility and trust.

👉 Suggested Reading: “Rewriting the Rules of Search: PR’s Role in the AI Age.

What a Senior-Led PR Agency Delivers Today

I launched the company as a one-woman show, originally in Vancouver, B.C. where I had an established network based on my early career there. Since then, referrals have been our lifeblood.

After 28 years, we’re still living our values as an agency. One important value for everyone on the (W)right On team has been to work with clients who inspire us. This value has kept the work meaningful and underpins our strong client relationships based on mutual respect.

As we’ve grown, we’ve stayed a senior-led strategic communications agency built to help organizations navigate complexity. Today, our work includes:

AI has made PR even more vital in today’s marketing mix given its critical role in driving AI answer engine citations.

Industries Where Trust and Stakes are Highest

One of the things I’m most proud of are the relationships I’ve had the chance to build with our client partners. We’ve acquired deep knowledge across a number of industries that positively impact people:

Clean energy + cleantech

We’ve led PR programs for California’s investor-owned utilities and its community choice providers and helped innovators like Zenobē tell their impressive global fleet electrification and energy storage story, Luminia grow its distribution-level solar and storage project footprint for community clean power providers, and South 8 launch its novel battery electrolyte material that performs no matter how hot or cold the climate.

Senior living + healthcare

We’ve had the honor of working with seniors and telling their stories like when we introduced Greater Phoenix and the world to Mirabella at ASU, a university-based retirement community formed by PRS and Arizona State University. I’ve very proud of our proactive PR for Oakmont Senior Living, a recognized industry leader delivering premier environments, programs and amenities for seniors in California, Nevada and Hawaii. Oakmont’s footprint has more than tripled since we began our work together in early 2021. A favorite moment was our award-winning Valentine’s Day vaccination pitch for Oakmont of San Jose and two of its residents.

Cybersecurity + regulated industries

Keeping people and businesses safe from fraud with a cybersecurity client like ID Dataweb or unveiling Maravai Life Science’s new facility for manufacturing mRNA just months before the Covid-19 shutdown are great examples of B2B communications with impact. We’ve also been entrusted to tell the stories of several healthcare district hospitals and their charitable arms, community health centers, multifamily and senior housing developers and more. And working with a major California investor-owned utility gave us insight into nearly every aspect of its operations from new grid-enhancing technologies to community relations, energy efficiency, demand response and EV infrastructure.

Tourism + destination marketing organizations (DMOs)

(W)right On Communications’ many years supporting the San Diego Tourism Marketing District and Visit Napa Valley to communicate the benefits of tourism to local economies and quality of life inspired us to develop a program that supports smaller DMOs like Visit Modesto and others. Our insights in tourism are founded on our work with National Parks like Sequoia and Kings Canyon, attractions like the Queen Mary and hotels like Tenaya at Yosemite, Cape Rey Carlsbad and La Casa Del Zorro Resort + Spa in Borrego Springs.

Class action settlements and high-visibility legal matters

Because of our work with high-stakes lawsuits and other crises as well as with outreach and education programs, we were selected in 2023 to lead communications for the Payment Card Settlement, a $5.5-billion antitrust settlement for merchants from Visa and Mastercard. Our settlement PR campaign reaching millions of merchants has been a career highlight. We also helped support communications during high-profile lawsuits, state attorney general penalty announcements, global mergers between industry leaders and allegations of serious employee misconduct.

Nonprofits and public-interest initiatives

We’ve supported nonprofits through our PR programs, pro bono work, volunteering and donations. Our support of World Design Capital 2024 San Diego Tijuana stood out for helping put the binational region on the global map. We worked to save young lives through early detection of undiagnosed heart defects through Parent Heart Watch and its National Youth Heart Screening Day. Our longest standing client is New Haven Youth + Family Services, an education-focused nonprofit lifting up teen boys and helping them find their way from loneliness or anger to socialization and career competency.

Our work hasn’t been about chasing headlines or impressions. We’ve measured success based on the trust earned or preserved, projects approved, community support, product adoption or industry reputation when the stakes were high.

Why Experience and Mentorship Matter in PR

While campaigns and outcomes matter deeply, it’s the people that make the work meaningful.

Over 28 years, WOC has been home to talented communicators at every stage of their careers. I’m incredibly proud of the team members I’ve had the opportunity to mentor and watch grow into leaders. This is true whether the growth is inside our firm or beyond it.

Three of our early team members have enjoyed great careers after either getting their first job, or first San Diego job, with (W)right On Communications. Betsy Scuteri is now Director of Marketing Operations with Intuit’s Turbo Tax and earlier this year received Intuit’s CEO Award; Kelly Short is now Director of Corporate Communications for ResMed, and she just told me today that I was her first ever LinkedIn connection (honored!); and Chancelor Shay is a former intern who is now Director of Communications for Thermo Fisher Scientific’s genetic sciences and clinical next-generation sequencing businesses.

Former Communications Strategist Rebecca Gardon translated her passion for sustainable seafood into a career marketing and storytelling about the companies that are leading the charge. Kristina Houck has been an editor at Patch.com now for 10 years and has brought three beautiful boys into the world. Alex Mikhail is now an MBA candidate at the UC Irvine business school, and I love getting the occasional text from him nearly as much as I love getting Betsy’s annual holiday card. (Apologies to all of our agency alumni I’ve left out here!)

This feels like our true legacy after 28 years because we’ve always believed in:

  • Senior-level involvement and the value of an agency-owner led model.
  • Mentorship and professional development through lunch and learns, coaching and allocating time for it.
  • Accountability and follow-through that signals real ownership of project results and client relationships.
  • Pairing imagination with strategic insights and execution discipline—this is pretty much the trifecta of good public relations.

Recognition Along the Way

Atta girls and atta boys do count. PR agency work is hard. It can be thankless and frustrating with occasional moments of accomplishment and glory. With the pace of change and disruption I led off describing, it’s not a great career for folks who want to coast through their careers. That’s why (W)right On Communications’ awards and recognitions matter to us.

Our work and our people have been recognized by organizations including Forbes, Newsweek, PRNEWS, PRSA, IABC, the San Diego Press Club, San Diego Business Journal, San Diego Metropolitan and others.

Awards are never the goal, but they’re meaningful validation that the work stands up to scrutiny and delivers real value.

What Hasn’t Changed in 28 Years

  • PR is about shaping understanding, not chasing attention
  • Judgment matters more than tools
  • Relationships outperform transactions
  • Senior involvement protects credibility when stakes are high

What the AI Era Demands from PR

As we enter our 28th year, the communications landscape is once again in flux.

  • AI is changing how information is discovered.
  • Trust is harder to earn and easier to lose.
  • Organizations are navigating more complexity than ever before.

(W)right On Communications is leaning into PR for GEO*. What gives me confidence isn’t any single tool or platform. It’s the same foundation that’s guided us since 1998:

  • The judgment that comes from experience
  • Relationships founded on trust so we can go into battle together
  • Clear thinking and common sense in moments of uncertainty

I’m deeply grateful to our clients, partners, team members (past and present) and our broader community for being part of this journey. I’m excited about what’s ahead, and committed to continuing to help organizations earn attention for the right reasons and under whatever conditions the marketplace throws us. Afterall, it’s what we’ve been doing for the past 28 years.

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Julie Wright

President + Founder

Julie Wright is President of (W)right On Communications, Inc., the award-winning integrated strategic communications firm she founded in 1998. With offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and Vancouver, B.C., her team handles complex communications challenges for B2B tech, cleantech and energy, healthcare, tourism and hospitality, not-for-profit and public sector organizations. Wright and her team elevate the agency experience through data-driven insights and measurable results for client partners.

Earlier in her career, Wright served at several public relations agencies and in-house as Director of Marketing for a financial institution. She began her career as a journalist, working as a radio news anchor.

Wright currently serves as a director and past chair of the San Diego North Economic Development Council and a director of CalTravel. Her previous community service has included director of the Los Angeles chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, board vice president of the La Jolla Village Merchants Association, trustee for the Tri-City Hospital Foundation and chair of the President’s Advisory Council for California State University San Marcos.

Wright was named a “Woman Who Means Business” by the San Diego Business Journal and a “40 Under 40” honoree by the San Diego Metropolitan magazine. She was also recognized with the annual Fran Aleshire Award for community leadership by Leadership North County and founded the LNC Alumni group, which is now 400 strong. Julie was named IABC San Diego’s Communicator of the Year in 2025.

In 2025, Wright received San Diego Press Club’s Andy Mace Award for outstanding public relations and the Communicator of the Year award from IABC San Diego. She has also been named a “Woman Who Means Business” by the San Diego Business Journal and one of “San Diego’s Best Marketing Executives” plus a “40 Under 40” honoree by the San Diego Metropolitan magazine. She was also recognized with the annual Fran Aleshire Award for community leadership by Leadership North County and founded the LNC Alumni group, which is now 400 strong.

Wright holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of B.C. and a Master of Journalism degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of Western Ontario. She is a graduate of the Leadership North County program as well as the Corporate Directors Forum Governance Academy.

She lives in San Diego with her husband, has two sons in college, loves being outdoors in Southern California and Vancouver, and has a passion for elephants, frogs and Champagne.

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Roman Luck

Motion Graphics + Video Specialist

Roman is an accomplished video production specialist with over 15 years of experience contributing to various corporate and commercial video projects. Throughout his career he successfully completed jobs for some of the world’s most recognized brands including Amazon, Nike, UCLA, Airbnb, HP, US Navy, and T-Mobile, with some videos reaching millions of online views.

Roman’s expertise covers every stage of production—from pre-production planning and professional on-set cinematography to post-production, including video editing and motion graphics design. His portfolio spans diverse video formats, from corporate training and recruitment films to commercial documentary, testimonials, and animated explainers, delivering high-quality visual storytelling that engages audiences and achieves business goals.

Tatiana Martinez

Hispanic Media + Outreach Specialist

Tatiana Martinez leads Spanish-language media outreach and community relations efforts for the agency and its client partners. She acts as a spokesperson for Spanish-language media and business or community group outreach. Tatiana has provided translations, Spanish voiceovers and strategies for reaching Spanish-speaking stakeholders. A former journalist for Mexican and American media outlets, Tatiana has a journalism degree from the University of Arizona and communications degree from Mexico’s Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara.

Phelan Riessen

Lead Developer + Technical Resource

Phelan Riessen is a passionate web and graphic design artist with over 25 years of experience designing and building more than 60 websites for a variety of organizations. Skilled in fontography, web design, Photoshop and web marketing strategies; Phelan also holds a strong presence in the San Diego tech community by serving as an organizer of several large-scale events including RefreshSD, March Mingle and Startup Week.

Mindy Wright

Senior Communications Strategist

Mindy provides (W)right On client partners more than 10 years of experience in internal and external communications, media relations, content development, campaign and crisis leadership, fundraising support, social media, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement. She is a LEAD San Diego Impact Leadership Program Graduate; healthcare communications and marketing campaign platinum award winner from MAR-COM Awards; and recipient of a silver award for crisis and executive communications from the San Diego/Imperial County chapter of PRSA.

A native San Diego resident, Mindy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Security and Conflict Resolution from San Diego State University.

Marsha Kelly

Tribal Media + Outreach Specialist

Marsha Kelly has dedicated her career to assisting American Indian tribal communities and businesses with strategies to diversify their economies through wind farms, solar arrays, EV charging infrastructure and other initiatives. Her tribal relationships include the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association with consulting to other tribes across California, Michigan, New Mexico, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin. She holds a Bachelor of Science in English and Communications from the University of Minnesota.

Larry Smalheiser

Vice President, B2B & Tech

Larry is a senior strategic communications advisor who helps organizations build credibility, manage complexity, and translate visibility into business impact. With more than 20 years of in-house, agency and independent experience, he partners with executive teams to strengthen reputation, support growth, and navigate moments where trust and judgment matter most.

His background spans global B2B and B2C organizations, from established leaders to emerging innovators. Larry has built and led cross-functional communications efforts for brands including Sony, Dell, VMware, RSA, Xerox, Virgin Galactic, Underwriters Laboratories, and high-growth technology companies across security, cloud and enterprise software. His work consistently sits at the intersection of communications strategy, sales enablement, and executive leadership.

Most recently, Larry served as Public Relations and Analyst Relations Lead for Sony Electronics, working closely with the North America President & COO and global teams. In that role, he helped shape corporate narrative, engage influential analysts and media, and ensure alignment between business priorities and external perception across a highly complex, matrixed organization.

Larry is known for bringing a steady, practical point of view to communications challenges — whether advising leaders on thought leadership, managing brand visibility in competitive markets, or guiding teams through high-stakes initiatives. He is a two-time PRSA Silver Anvil Award recipient and regularly mentors business and community organizations.

He holds a master’s degree, is fluent in Japanese and Spanish, and is based in San Diego.

Katrina Early


Media Integration Specialist

Formerly with VisitBritain and Showtime Networks, Katrina Early provides (W)right On client partners’ integrated and creative partnerships with film and TV studios, retailers, and media outlets such as Sony Pictures, Universal, Warner Brothers, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Entertainment Tonight to name a few. Experienced in the hospitality, travel, entertainment industries among others, Katrina coordinates all aspects of B2B industry events, as well as grows client partners’ audience social media engagement through highly sharable digital content. Results achieved include positive media placement in top tier outlets including National Geographic, Robb Report, Forbes, USA Today, LA Times, NBC/Today Show, E! News, Extra, The Tonight Show, People and many others.

Katrina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Public Relations from CSU Long Beach and a Master of Arts in Communications from the prestigious University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication.

Justin Beach

Web Developer + Technical Resource

Justin Beach brings over 25 years of expertise in web development, programming and technical support to his role at (W)right On Communications. As the agency’s Web Developer and Technical Resource, Justin ensures our client partners’ digital platforms are optimized for success and deliver seamless functionality and a compelling user experience.

Justin’s career spans leadership and entrepreneurial roles with experience building corporate websites, e-commerce platforms and electronic marketing campaigns for a diverse client base. His technical fluency extends across PHP, ASP, MySQL, CSS, JS and multiple database architectures.

Previously, Justin supported strategic SEO campaigns at Myers Media Group, creating platforms responsible for deploying over a million search-optimized web pages. He also led the development of an online shopping platform for Kodak subsidiary ENCAD, Inc., driving e-commerce growth through sophisticated web solutions and marketing integrations.

From guiding print marketing clients into the digital age to deploying hundreds of websites across various frameworks, Justin’s ability to blend design and technical expertise has benefited industries ranging from finance and bioscience to wellness and nonprofit organizations.

At (W)right On Communications, Justin’s creative problem-solving, deep technical know-how and passion for excellence power our clients’ digital strategies, elevating their brands in the digital space.

Hamish Marshall

Director, Research + Analytics WOC Intelligence

As Director of Research & Analytics based out of (W)right On’s Vancouver office, Hamish leads (W)right On’s survey and stakeholder information gathering initiatives North America-wide. A former advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, Provincial Premiers, City Mayors and dozens of elected officials, he also served in the government of Canada overseeing the quantitative and qualitative research activities of federal government agencies. With experience using every sort of data collection method to provide critical insights for strategic planning, marketing and other organizational activities, Hamish has worked with dozens of private and public sector client partners, including the world’s largest mining company. In 2004 he worked in radio business development in Kabul, Afghanistan, and he has volunteered in democracy-building activities in Bangladesh and Jordan. Today, Hamish is frequently sought out by the media as an expert commentator for national television, radio and print publications. Prior to joining (W)right On, Hamish worked as the Research Director for Angus Reid Public Opinion, conducting and performing analysis on surveys in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Oxford in England, a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree from the University of Toronto and enjoys history, writing and sailing.

Grant Wright

CEO & Managing Partner

Grant Wright has more than 30 years of senior management experience including external affairs and business development leadership roles for major American and Canadian corporations and their subsidiaries. With extensive skills in all aspects of communications including media, regulatory, governmental, community outreach and labor relations; he has also led major infrastructure project development, M&A due diligence and implementation management, marketing and brand development, strategic planning and business plan development for small through Fortune 500 companies.

As CEO and Managing Partner, Grant provides oversight and senior-level communications and business counsel for the agency’s client partners while also overseeing agency management and administration.

Grant holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and an MBA in Marketing and Finance. Professionally, he is formerly a Board Director of the San Diego Venture Group (now Connect San Diego – the region’s venture capital ecosystem). Grant is a two-time Finalist for the San Diego Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO Awards, and currently is in his second year as Chair of the North American chapter of the International PR Network (IPRN) based in Brussels, Belgium. He is also one of five board directors chosen by its worldwide membership for a second year to lead IPRN globally. A resident of and advocate for San Diego, and with (W)right On being a prominent tenant in San Diego’s iconic Emerald Plaza, Grant also serves on the board of directors of the Downtown San Diego Partnership.

During his free time, Grant enjoys scuba diving, hiking and family time. He is also a commercial pilot licensed in both Canada and the U.S. and is the founding board chairman of the Southern California Aviation Association that has provided more than $500,000 in student scholarship grants since the organization’s inception.

David Cumpston

Associate Vice President, Lifestyle & Hospitality

David brings more than two decades of strategic communications leadership to (W)right On Communications, advising client partners in hospitality, tourism, senior living, wellness and education on how to earn attention and build trust in competitive, high-visibility markets. As a senior leader, he serves as a counselor to organizations navigating growth, scrutiny and change.

His work spans brand-building, reputation management and integrated campaigns for organizations including JP Morgan Chase, Oakmont Management Group, Episcopal Communities & Services, Aramark, the San Diego Tourism Marketing District (SDTMD), Visit Napa Valley, Visit Modesto, Stanford Children’s Hospital, Walmart, SEGA, Best Western and Orbitz.

Known for pairing sharp strategic judgment with creative problem-solving, David helps cut through noise with communications that are both disciplined and differentiated. His ability to respond quickly under pressure has earned him two Bulldog Media Awards for Best Response to Breaking News. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Texas State University and is a certified member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

A lifelong global traveler, David brings a global perspective and deep appreciation for culture and context to his work. When he’s not advising clients, he’s likely exploring a new destination or spending time with his Chiweenie mix, Dora.

Danielle Crebbin

Senior Graphic Designer

With a proven track record of success and more than 10 years of design and marketing experience, Danielle Crebbin optimizes design workflows to ensure consistent brand identity while overseeing a wide range of creative services from concept development, through to delivery of final designs and artwork. Prior to joining the (W)right On Communications team, Danielle worked for various creative agencies and on a wide range of freelance projects for clients in the Caribbean, the U.K. and European Union. Most recently, she oversaw creative localization for Dyson’s Central European and Emerging Markets.

Danielle’s capabilities include content creation, marketing pieces, animations, websites, print collateral, motion graphics and more, all with a strong foundation in visual storytelling.

Danielle holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts & Graphic Design degree from Barbados Community College, a Master of Science in International Creative Advertising degree from Manchester Metropolitan University, and embraces emerging technologies in the creative services field.

Danielle has lived and worked in the Caribbean, U.K., and Austria and loves living in San Diego and exploring Southern California with her husband.

Claudia Askew, APR

Senior Communications Strategist

Claudia Askew, APR is based in Washington, D.C. and draws on her 30 years of experience in strategic communications to serve client partners in the energy, cleantech and B2B sectors. She led marketing and PR planning for the NeighborWorks America program for eight years helping low-income residents in all 50 states access down payment assistance through the Neighborhood LIFT program. She has a long history of volunteerism helping underserved youth and low-income women, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from Wake Forest University and her Accredited in PR (APR) designation from the Public Relations Society of America.

Brian Wright

Communications Program Analyst

Responsible for communication programs research and analysis, Brian provides administrative and functional support to the agency’s program leads as well as senior management. With experience managing a retail store in the complex pool supply industry, Brian is a key contributor for social media programs, media relations, content development, vendor management, software programs oversight and other critical program aspects. He brings an innate sense of the agency’s GSD attitude to help ensure the agency remains at the industry forefront.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, is an FAA-licensed Private Pilot, and is an accomplished musician and music producer in his spare time.

Andrea Saxenhofer

Senior Communications Strategist

Andrea brings more than ten years of strategic communications experience, with a strong focus on energy, B2B and tech. Most recently based in San Diego, she has worked as a freelance communications consultant supporting numerous energy infrastructure projects across the country through community outreach, corporate and sustainability communications, and digital content creation. Prior to this, Andrea led comprehensive internal and external communications initiatives at BKW Power Grid, Swiss Post and the State Executive Office in Switzerland.

She currently serves as Chair of Communications for the San Diego Chapter of WRISE (Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy).

Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Public Management and Policy, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Political Communications from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. She also earned a Digital Marketing Certificate from Columbia Business School and most recently completed the MITx Resolving Renewable Energy Siting Disputes course.

She is bilingual in English and German, fluent in Spanish, and proficient in French.