PRINCIPAL

As Principal, Jill helps lead the agency, its clients and a team of talented creatives and strategists. Jill brings an honest, empathic, and ambitious perspective to every engagement. An award-winning writer and creator, Jill also oversees design at SteegeThomson, and typically focuses on large and complex client engagements.

Prior to joining SteegeThomson, Jill worked in healthcare marketing, where she honed her skills in bringing ideas to life. Today, she guides strategy, editorial and visuals to ensure that ideas can be realized across different channels and media to reach multiple audiences. Public awareness and advocacy campaigns are her sweet spot.

Her backgrounds in healthcare and higher education have helped drive insights for clients as diverse as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Yale Law School, the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, The Jackson Laboratory, Pre-K Counts, Bryn Mawr College, and Independence Blue Cross.

Jill graduated from Columbia University with a BA in History and received her PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania.

When she’s not pushing to expand the firm’s practice or try a new approach, her happy place is on a bike on a towpath or rail trail, or exploring the streets of a new town.

PRESIDENT EMERITA AND SENIOR CONSULTANT

A messaging maven, Pat has been a leading voice in development communications for decades. Her genius combines a deep understanding of inclusive case-making and a clear vision for how to do it. Dozens of organizations and institutions worldwide have turned to her for help articulating their visions and the compelling difference they make in the world.

As President of SteegeThomson, Pat deepened and extended the firm’s ability to bridge the gap between institutional brands and key moments in a constituent’s journey through integrated strategy, design and experiences.  As President Emerita, Pat continues to strengthen the firm’s vision, and to serve select clients. Perhaps most importantly, Pat sets the standard for the quality of our work and the tone for how we go about it. Her impressive body of work includes developing campaign cases and  brands for The Smithsonian Institution, The Library of Congress, The University of Pennsylvania, Girl Scouts USA, Volunteers of America, Auburn University, and many more.

A proud graduate of Temple University, Pat also holds an MS in Library Science from Drexel University. When not crafting your next unforgettable messages, Pat is deep in the latest 1,000-page historical biography or exploring a new corner of Europe with husband Arnie.

PRINCIPAL EMERITA AND SENIOR CONSULTANT

As a senior consultant, Denise helps lead client relationships, manages and mentors our team, and keeps an eye on SteegeThomson’s operations and growth. While Denise started her career as a reporter, she eventually found her way to the agency side, bringing a holistic understanding of what stories need to stick.

An award-winning writer and media strategist, Denise integrates the art and science of public relations to create unique, profile-raising visibility programs and to position clients as thought leaders, community builders, and conveners of important conversations. With perspective drawn from the newsroom, university, foundation, corporation, and agency settings, she has the flexibility to imagine solutions across traditional boundaries. Clients who have benefited from her extensive experience and personalized attention include the Stevens Initiative of the Aspen Institute, Penn Medicine, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, the American Neurological Association, Temple Health, and Pennsylvania Public Media.

Civically engaged, Denise sits on the boards of JEVS Human Services and Philadelphia’s WHYY, and is part of the team planning Philadelphia’s celebration of the 250^th anniversary of American independence.

Denise received her BA in History from Brown University.

Trying new things is Denise’s modus operandi. Outside of work, you’ll find her on stage at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center with the Kehillah of Old York Road Choir, rowing with fellow breast cancer survivors, or building her skills as an artist.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

Short stories with long tails: that is just one piece of the singular talent Luise brings to her work with our clients. A seasoned media relations expert, Luise manages to keep every engagement fresh and finely tuned to an institution or organization’s needs and goals.  Her approach is thorough, methodical and completely original.

Luise’s PR and visibility work taps the broader visual and creative skills of our team, and incudes out-of-the-box tactics such as illustrations, comic strips, and collaborations with popular authors. She has led stellar creative efforts for clients that include Newman’s Own Foundation, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Philadelphia City Fund, Ursinus College, The Agnes Irwin School, and Binghamton University.


Luise came to SteegeThomson after working in communications roles at the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Ballet, so has a special affinity for crafting winning stories about education and the arts, but her expertise has also supported complex storytelling in health and medicine for clients such as National Board of Medical Examiners, Thomas Jefferson University and the Doris Duke Foundation.


Luise received her BA in Classical Studies and her Master of Liberal Arts from the University of Pennsylvania.


When not devising brilliant stories, Luise is beading beautiful earrings in her purple house in Philadelphia’s Fitler Square or spending time in her native Washington, D.C.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

For over three decades, Togo has been at the forefront of philanthropic communications. His experience working with development teams has given him unique perspectives on case-making, campaign launches, stewardship, and the role they play in building stronger institutions.

A gifted writer and creative, Togo maintains long and fruitful partnerships with clients. His sensibility and his team-building frequently enable him to chart a holistic approach that erases the boundary between fundraising and admission marketing. An independent school expert, Togo has worked with a long list of schools that includes Mercersburg Academy, William Penn Charter School and The Hotchkiss School. Clients such as the Anti-Defamation League, University of Pennsylvania School of Law, SUNY Westchester, Stonehill College, and Cornell Lab of Ornithology have benefited repeatedly from his campaign and stewardship expertise.

Togo received his BA in Classics from Swarthmore College, and began his career as a Latin teacher.

When not burning the midnight oil at the office, Togo can be found managing the Off the Wall gallery at Philadelphia’s legendary Dirty Frank’s.

BUSINESS MANAGER

An oasis of calm at the heart of our busy agency, John blends the focus and experience of a seasoned financial professional and CPA with the insights and empathy of a clinical social worker.

John’s unique blend of skills helps us be more intentional both internally and externally in all that we do. He has helped SteegeThomson transition to new operational platforms and boosted the benefits we are able to offer to our team.  Before joining SteegeThomson, John shared his financial and managerial acumen to major corporations and local non-profits.

John holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Social Service degree from Bryn Mawr College.

When he’s not holding down the fort at SteegeThomson, you can find John providing counsel as a therapist in private practice.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

As a designer, Anna works alongside our writers and strategists to develop and shape brands and bring ideas to life. For Anna, design is about more than merely creating something beautiful or eye-catching: it’s about problem-solving. Her favorite aspect of her work is providing solutions that capture both hearts and minds, leading to better understanding.

A strong systems thinker, Anna brings a multidisciplinary approach and a wealth of experience to the practice of design. Her diverse work has served clients in sectors as varied as retail, tech, fine art, and children’s publishing. Before joining SteegeThomson, she worked at the Seattle Art Museum, where she had a hand in everything from exhibition branding and environmental graphics to SAM’s member magazine. At SteegeThomson, Anna has worked with clients including the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Denison University, the Museum of Science, Temple Health, and the Philadelphia City Fund. She also plays a lead role in visualizing the SteegeThomson brand.

Anna holds a BA in Design with a minor in Art History from Western Washington University.

When she’s not visualizing your brand, you might find Anna hitting local farmers’ markets for fresh, seasonal produce.

ASSOCIATE

Quick on the uptake and rigorously organized, Julia offers our clients and our internal team a strong anchor for a variety of accounts. She loves the way telling a client’s story enables her to tap her wide variety of interests and step into other worlds and other roles, while at the same time achieving meaningful goals.

She’s passionate about work with community impact, and comes to SteegeThomson after stints at non-profit organizations where she “did it all,” from communications and fundraising to advocacy, events and operations. You can see this ability to pitch in on multiple fronts in her work with clients such as Independence Blue Cross, Temple Lung, and Living Beyond Breast Cancer. She also brings a keen understanding of data and statistics – as well as how to use them – to her work.

Julia received her BS in Psychology from Bryn Mawr College and earned her MPP with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management & Leadership from the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.

When she’s not telling a story with data, Julia’s finding inspiration in her extensive cookbook collection.