Meet The Team

Building on almost 25 years serving technical industries in an organizational, strategy and marketing role, Kimberly leads the AOE team and our service offerings. Her experiences as the owner of a marketing agency for 16 years, as well as several years in corporate communications and business development for a nationally-ranked engineering firm, provide her with the perfect mix of industry and consulting experience to meet AOE client needs. In her role at AOE, she ensures best practices are applied to the delivery of all services, the establishment and monitoring of return on investment, as well as service and talent development.

With more than two decades of experience in administrative and operational roles, Amy helps develop and guide processes to ensure smooth delivery of services for AOE. She has contract administration, logistics, accounting and team development expertise — all roles she fills for the AOE team. She also leads the client onboarding and advocate process, and is responsible for the development and oversight of return on investment reporting for all AOE accounts.

Kari brings a long history of working with the construction industry, with previous experience as a construction magazine editor. She works with AOE clients to help promote their products and technologies through targeted public relations, including industry articles and social media. Kari frequently works with clients on tradeshow planning and marketing.

Kristin Dispenza has been a member of the AOE team since 2013, developing trends articles, case studies and other PR materials. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University College of Engineering/School of Architecture and has more than 25 years of writing and editorial experience.

Kathy Spanier has 40+ years of marketing experience, both in the consulting and client side of the business, working with a variety of organizations across a number of industries. She currently serves AOE as a strategic planning consultant. In addition, she serves as a Discussion Leader for the Anderson Center, a non-profit organization that provides management and leadership development services. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University in marketing.

A member of the AOE team since 2014, Lindsay helps clients develop content that communicates key messages to their target audiences. Her work includes attractive and attention-grabbing infographics, ads, videos, microsites and other design pieces. In addition to her graphics work, she also writes content for blogs, articles, social media and websites.

With more than 20 years in public relations, Laura has extensive experience in media and community outreach, social engagement, internal and external communications, and strategic planning. Laura specializes in writing and editing for industry publications, blogs and websites, and creating and managing content for clients on multiple social media platforms.

Janice helps the AOE staff with eblasts, video editing and creating attention grabbing graphics. With many years in the customer service field Janice is able to help the team create and cultivate relevant social media for clients and AOE.

With more than 17 years of experience in business-to-business publishing, Vikki knows how to craft the kind of article (or press release) that editors want to publish. Her specialties include delivering informative content to concrete, decorative and polishing contractors, as well as writing for public works officials at the state, county and local level.

With extensive experience in content creation and research, Katherine Merry joined the AOE team in 2022 as the leader of our content development service offering and software platforms. She has extensive experience with SEO, online panel management as well as all aspects of social media, surveys and data presentation. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology and journalism from North Carolina State University.

Emily joined the AOE team in early 2021 and has already made her mark as a talented marketing professional and DEI expert. During her tenure, she worked with AOE to help launch their DEI program. Her specific responsibilities include development of electronic and print marketing materials to include design of the website. She has also developed a deep expertise in the strategic programming of DEI planning.

Elec is responsible for execution of social media campaigns, website administration and other marketing administrative tasks.

With a degree focused on print journalism and 12 years of experience in the field—including working as an editor for construction and business trade magazines—Jessica brings deep journalistic expertise to the AOE team. Jessica specializes in writing, editing and technical writing for industry publications, blogs, websites, eBooks and white papers.

Kim is a great addition to the AOE DEI Practice Group. She has provided HR leadership to major corporations and non-profits for almost two decades. Her expertise has helped organizations shape all facets of their HR functions including DEI planning, talent management, executive coaching, as well as training and development. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Organization and Management from Capella University. She also has a Master of Business Administration in Digital Entrepreneurship from Strayer University, a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The Ohio State University.

William R. “Rusty” Owings III, AIA, serves as the Executive Director for the Great Lakes Cement Promotion Council and serves as Resource Center Manager for the American Concrete Institute (ACI). He received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kansas and is a licensed Architect and current member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Rusty has over 20 years of experience working in the design and construction industry, specifically with concrete related projects.

Anthony (Tony) Johnson, P.E., FACI currently serves as the Executive Director for the Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI), the foremost source for resources relating to the post-tensioning market and an association AOE manages. At PTI, he is tasked with implementing the Institute’s strategic plan for growing, evolving, and improving the organization, while enhancing the value proposition to both members of the institute and the Post-Tensioning industry at large.

Ryan has more than 20 years of experience in the graphic and web design world. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in graphic design from Central Michigan University. He has helped produce materials from the early copy edit stage through the final printed piece. Ryan manages a team of highly skilled and experienced editors and graphic designers who manage and produce periodicals, as well as printed and web collateral materials.

Building on experience as an Assistant Controller, Stacey brings more than 20 years of experience in full service accounting including accounts payable, accounts receivable, budgeting, payroll, financial statement preparation and taxes. In her role at AOE, Stacey and her team serve as an outsourced accounting team for customers. The staff combines accounting best practices and enterprise level software to provide clients a high level of confidence and transparency in their financial results.

Bryce Barker, CMP holds a bachelor’s degree in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management from Indiana University as well as the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential from the Events Industry Council. With over 6 years in the events industry, Bryce has extensive experience in planning and executing events to include site selection, contract negotiation, agenda development, catering and audio-visual coordination, speaker management, room blocks and more.

Kathy is a highly skilled Administrative Assistant and Laboratory Coordinator with more than 35 years of experience supporting the cement and concrete materials testing and consulting industry. She gained considerable knowledge of cement and concrete technologies during this time, including routine and complex quality assessment tests and material characterization protocols. Kathy combines her technical knowledge with unparalleled customer service skills, the ability to communicate effectively with customers, and a solid ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

Nick Brimley serves as the Director of Marketing for the Slag Cement Association (SCA). He has almost a decade of experience in marketing roles field including extensive knowledge in social media management, copywriting, external advertising and event promotion. Before joining SCA, Nick worked for another organization in the concrete industry. In his SCA role, Nick is responsible for the management of all Association activities including the operations, marketing and technical work identified by the Board of Directors to help promote the use of slag cement. He received his Bachelor of Science in Advertising from Central Michigan University