We are fueled by passion, good stories and fire puns.

Mike Grice

Co-Founder
Chief Fire Officer

Mike is our Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer. He has overseen Wildfire’s creative direction across a wide range of brands since inception in 2002.

Over his career, Mike has created award-winning ideas for brands big and small. His work as Wildfire’s Creative Officer has been recognized by Communication Arts, Clio Awards, Addy’s Awards, Print Regional, Archive-World 200 Best Packaging, The Dieline, and HOW Magazine. Prior to co-founding Wildfire, Mike worked at agencies in Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Louis.

In his spare time, Mike enjoys fitness, golf and time with his two children, Colsen and Emery.

Brad Bennett

Co-Founder
Chief Fire Starter

Brad is our Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer. His focus is new business and developing relationships with world-class clients — some of which have been going strong for all 18 years of Wildfire’s existence. Additionally, he helps guide the administrative functions of the agency.

A proud UNC-Chapel Hill Tarheel, Brad began his career in fundraising working first on the local, state and national level for the American Heart Association and then for his alma mater. He jumped to agency life, joining Long Haymes Carr (now MullenLowe MediaHub WS) where he served in many roles during his 7 years, including Chief Marketing Officer.

Brad is a proud Winston-Salem native, an avid fiction reader, a fitness freak, loves to cook and, more than anything, a husband to wife Paula, a dad to their two children Abbi and Beau, and a dedicated volunteer at their school.

Tory Gillett

Firebrand

Tory graduated from the University of Virginia and did post-graduate work at New York University. At this point, she’s got 20+ years of experience in marketing communications, having worked at LongHaymesCarr, Oasis International, and Mullen/Frank About Women prior to joining Wildfire in 2006. Over the course of her career, she has guided strategic brand development and marketing communications planning for numerous brands across a multitude of categories, including Toyota, Wachovia, T.J. Maxx, Thomasville Furniture, Kimberly-Clark, Lennox, and GMAC Insurance. And then there was that brief stint running marketing at the United Way, when she attempted to save the world—or at least the county!

She is now a key member of the agency’s senior leadership team, heading up the Strategic Planning and Account Management disciplines. Tory believes that creativity and creative problem solving are the responsibility of everyone at Wildfire, not just those in the so called “creative” department.

Tory is active in the local non-profit community and volunteers globally with Habitat for Humanity International. Travel is a passion. A few years ago, she took a six-month sabbatical to explore the world and experience different cultures—hitting 5 continents and 11 countries.

Traci Naff

Graphic Arsonist

Traci is the Creative Director for the Richmond creative team. During her near decade in the field, she has produced uniquely creative concepts for a wide range of clients, from passionate startups to established global brands.

A big picture thinker with an eye for details, Traci has produced award-winning work for brands like Wake Forest University, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Hanesbrands, Lowes Foods, BB&T, and Red Hat, just to name a few.

Outside of the office, Traci is a part-time wanderer, avid DIY’er, amateur baker, and aspiring plant supermom.

Bryan Flynn

Ignition Agent

As Creative Director, Bryan enjoys working with national brands and local businesses alike to help them tell their stories, forge connections and achieve success.

In this office, he considers himself fortunate to work on teams of folks with admirable dedication toward producing thoughtful work – regardless of industry or medium – that happens to be award-winning.

Outside the office, his world stays immersed in creativity. Between personal projects, exploring ideas and destinations with his wife, Bobbi, an elementary art teacher, and fostering the imaginations of their two daughters, Bryan strives to enjoy the colors each day offers.

Katherine White

Bonfire

Katherine is a Group Account Director and business strategist with deep experience in the financial, fashion, beauty, restaurant and hospitality industries. An anthropologist at heart, she loves to talk to, shop, and dig into the minds of consumers to identify new insights and opportunities for brands. She’d love to talk to you about value-minded consumers, generational differences, macro trends affecting brands, and her latest e-commerce find.

Originally from Raleigh, Katherine has been dedicated to the Winston-Salem community since 1999 and loves to travel both near and far. She is a short order cook, an “expert” shopper, and a mom to four girls who are learning about retail therapy by example.

Brenda Swain

Fire Ant

Brenda is a native of Winston Salem. After 29 years with HBI, Brenda retired and joined Wildfire in Oct. 2005 as Office Manager/Office Mom. She enjoys volunteering for Senior Services and NC Food Bank/Empty Bowls. Brenda’s motto: Life is too short to drink bad wine!

Matt Rowland

Flame Thrower

Matt came to Wildfire in 2012 by way of Southwest Virginia where he graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Graphic Design.  He now calls Winston-Salem home, along with his wife Lauren, daughter Abigail, and son William.

Matt has a diverse background in design and development and has worked in the online space since 1998. Matt embraces the latest web trends and leads the development team deliver world-class interactive experiences.

Jonathan Reed

Pyro

Jonathan is an award-winning ACD Art Director with over 20 years of experience and is a graduate of ArtCenter College of Design – Pasadena CA. Jonathan’s motto is “leave a mark.” And over the course of 20+ years, he’s done just that with both big and small agencies alike.

As a creative, Jonathan has overseen integrated advertising campaigns and led rebranding and design efforts for many regional and national brands. In working directly with clients, he has developed strong relationships to deliver strategic and emotionally-resonant creative that also successfully achieve business goals.

In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and friends, as well as being herded around by his two German Shepherd dogs.

Alex Liddle

Incandescence

Alex is a multidisciplinary designer that lives for illustration, lettering and all things paper. Even her hobbies revolve around creating – printmaking, baking, and gardening.. and she hates talking about herself in third person.

Riley Hill

Incendium

Riley Hill is a graphic designer from Richmond, Virginia. He is passionate about generating strong creative solutions for clients and welcomes the unique challenges and perspectives of every new project.

Christine Zimmerman

Welder

Christine is a designer that specializes in all forms of media. With a background in event design, her knowledge has allowed her to work over multiple platforms. At Wildfire, she merges her love for powerful visuals with brand development.

Carlee Dempsey

Controlled Burn

Carlee hails from Greensboro, NC where she returned after graduating from UNC at Wilmington with a double major in Communication Studies and French Language. Before Wildfire, Carlee spent 5 years in the craft beer industry where she learned to market local businesses in a competitive landscape.

Greg Masters

The Human Torch

Greg loves the Wildfire environment and enjoys everyone he works with.  His passion is accuracy and efficiency and loves making sure the books are in proper order. You can “Count” on him to get the job done.

Kevin Brooks

Burninator

From the mountain tops of North Carolina, Kevin brings gifts of web and custom application development to Wildfire. A graduate of Appalachian State University, he is a husband and father (2 boys, 2 cats, 2 dogs). He claims Sparta, NC as his home, but Winston-Salem as his second.

Wanda Miller

Extinguisher

I have been in the accounting field for 39+ years. My hobbies are paper crafting and diamond painting. I have two beautiful granddaughters and love spending time with them.

Jeff O’Sullivan

Thermal Detonator

Jeff has more than 20 years of strategic marketing communications experience, from Fortune 500 to regional and local brands. Jeff merges inspiring creativity with analytics and customer-based insights to motivate audiences and transform the way they connect and engage with people. Jeff previously led Verizon’s transformation from a single-channel retail program to a fully-integrated content marketing program that was recognized as best-in-class by industry associations including the Content Marketing Institute. Before joining Wildfire, Jeff served at agencies such as McCann-Erickson New York and Mullen, leading integrated marketing communications strategy for brands including Sprint, CSX, Hewlett-Packard, CVS/Pharmacy, and Samuel Adams.

Originally from a tiny town in Massachusetts, Jeff enjoyed his time in both Boston and New York before calling Winston-Salem home in 2005. When not igniting marketing wildfires, he can usually be found on the ice, playing ice hockey on his local adult league team.  But his biggest passion in life is spending time with his wife and two young daughters, ages 12 and 10. Which means he’s often chasing them around swim pools, schools and soccer fields.

Anneli Grove

Contained Fire

Anneli has been working in Human Resources for over 20 years after receiving her HR Degree from Syracuse University. She has been with Wildfire since 2018. She has a wide range of experience in areas like talent development, recruitment and general HR management. Growing up in the UK and New Jersey, she is a proud “Jersey Girl”. Her proudest accomplishments are her 2 children, ages 17 and 20.

Eli Baker

Axon Ignitor

Eli works as a Web Application Developer. His most commonly used saying is “Google it”. His favorite midnight snack is a handful of Doritos. His favorite thinking spot is out in the woods. You will definitely find hot sauce in his refrigerator. His life theme song is “Nothing But Time” by Royal Fingerbowl.

Sarah Chandler

Firebird

Favorite midnight snack: Krispy Kreme Doughnut (Original glazed)

Who or what inspires me: My boys: Oliver, age 3.5 and Henry, age 1

In my desk drawer, you’d find: Lots of Pens! I’m always on the hunt for the perfect pen.

Obsession you can’t (or don’t want to) kick: Shopping – believer in retail therapy and shop-a-holic

Best place I’ve ever been: Florence, Italy

Wes Lawson

Illuminator

Favorite midnight snack: A bowl of Frosted Flakes w/ Bananas.

Best time of day: I’m a night owl.

In my fridge you’d find: Eggs. I eat at least 4 every morning.

Who would play me in the movie of my life: Ryan Reynolds

Best place I’ve ever been: Riviera Maya, Mexico

Alex Patton

Firework

Favorite midnight snack: Pasta! I am ashamed to admit how many times I have made pasta at 11 PM!

Strangest hobby: Paint by numbers

Movie I watch way too often: Hunger Games

Who would play me in the movie of my life: Bradley Cooper

Best place I’ve ever been: Sorrento, Italy

Daniel Oberti

Forest Fire

My motto: You make a commitment, you keep a commitment!

Favorite midnight snack: Cashews, Pickles, tomato soup, and Babybel Cheese!

Who or what inspires me: Maya Angelou, as she was one of the world’s leading ambassadors of empathy.

Favorite thinking spot: Pilot Mountain!

Obsession you can’t (or don’t want to) kick: Growing and buying plants.

Michelle Mead

Firebender

My motto: Do everything with passion and joy.

Best time of day: Sunrise

In my desk drawer, you’d find: Play-doh, tiny Rubik’s cube, confetti poppers, tiny finger hands, pictures of my favorite people, microwave popcorn, and other important office supplies.

Obsession you can’t (or don’t want to) kick: Over listening to Della Reese, I was in the top 0.5% of listeners on Spotify in 2021

The movie I watch way too often: Princess bride

Dan Deller

Barn Burner

My motto: Commit

Best time of day: Evening

In my fridge, you’d find: Steaks

Pets of choice: Dog

Movie I watch way too often: The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy

Sarah Pinnix

Firefly

My motto: “Integrity is when we say the same things publicly that we say privately.” – Simon Sinek

Favorite thinking spot: In a kayak on the New River

Best time of day: 9:00 – 11:00 am

Pets of choice: My two Goldendoodles (Josephine & Riggs) and Shih Tzu/Maltese (Boneaparte)

Obsession you can’t (or don’t want to) kick: Baking French Macarons