The Team
HighRock is powered by people that possess a wide array of expertise and skills that can rise to the challenges of diverse markets. It’s all about the right breadth of experience—and the willingness to climb the mountain together.
Rich Daughtridge
Founder & CEO
Rich Daughtridge
Founder & CEO
In 2005 Rich Daughtridge partnered with friend and graphic designer Dave Schleigh launch a new marketing firm, HighRock Studios. Together, they assembled a talented team of creatives, marketers, and problem-solvers to work as an extension of our client’s team. As a storyteller and entrepreneur at heart, Rich saw HighRock’s success in launching brands for our clients as a unique opportunity to continue launching new companies, all connected by the marketing, technology, and entertainment industries. In the following years, Rich co-founded several ventures including Warehouse Cinemas, Warehouse Tap Room, Leitersburg Cinemas, Waynesboro Theatre, and LeftBrain Technology. With each new venture, Rich leveraged emerging technologies as the catalyst for success, all with HighRock's foundation in marketing and brand strategy.
While his hometown is Hagerstown, Maryland, his home team will always be the Baltimore Blast, where he played professional soccer for five years, winning three national championships with the team.
Dave Schleigh
Founder & President
Dave Schleigh
Founder & President
Dave is a graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), with a degree in Physical Geography and minor in writing. After college, he went to work for the City of Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) where he was the Art Director. In 2005, Dave partnered with friend and entrepreneur Rich Daughtridge to launch a new marketing firm, HighRock Studios. Together, they assembled a talented team of creatives, marketers, and problem-solvers to work as an extension of our client’s team. In the following years, Dave co-founded several ventures including Warehouse Cinemas, Warehouse Tap Room, Leitersburg Cinemas, Waynesboro Theatre, and LeftBrain Technology.
Now president of HighRock, Dave still enjoys helping to craft creative and innovative solutions that elevate our customers businesses, as well as ensuring that HighRock is as a great place to work for employees. Dave resides in Howard County, Maryland with his wife Jaci and daughter Evelyn.
Jeremy Bohner
Creative Director & Partner
Jeremy Bohner
Creative Director & Partner
Jeremy joined the HighRock team as our Creative Director shortly after HighRock was founded in 2005, and became a partner in the business soon after. He enjoys using his creative talent to build new brands, and promote those brands with his award-winning logo, print, web, and specialty designs. He graduated from Frostburg State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and Design with a focus in Graphic Design and a Minor in Art History. Before joining the HighRock team, Jeremy worked as a graphic designer/creative director for a firm in the region and pursued personal business ventures. He currently resides in Pennsylvania with his wife Jess and their four children.
Len Sullivan
Vice President
Len Sullivan
Vice President
From marketing and strategy to 3D computer software and video game design, Len's extensive experience in leading business strategy, content marketing, and strategic marketing is vital to HighRock’s consultative approach. As co-founder of Pylot Studios with our Director of 3D Technology, Yavuz Goncu, Len has made a career out of using innovative techniques to drive engaging marketing solutions and brought this experience to HighRock when they joined our team in 2014. Today, Len lends his experience and skill set to create marketing strategies for our clients. In his spare time, Len maintains a large stack of books he wants to read but never manages to get around to actually reading.
Yavuz Goncu
Director of 3D Technology
Yavuz Goncu
Director of 3D Technology
With a degree in architecture from Carnegie Mellon University, Yavuz has spent over ten years leading multiple award-winning design teams as an architect, graphic artist, and creative director. He's the driving force behind our 3D technology team and strives to bring innovative solutions to our clients through 3D, VR, and other emerging technologies. Since joining HighRock in 2014, Yavuz has partnered with our clients to create stunning virtual renderings and animations that bring an idea to life. An accomplished artist, cook, traveler, technology guru, and athlete, Yavuz is truly our "renaissance man."
Mary Heizer
Director of Finance
Mary Heizer
Director of Finance
Mary’s education and experience have focused on numbers. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in accounting, she went on to work in all sectors of the accounting field – public, private, government, and manufacturing. As our Director of Finance, she is involved with all things finance and human resources for the companies under the HighRock Group umbrella. Outside the office, Mary and her husband raise Angus cattle at Cool Pines Farm. Mary enjoys staying active outdoors, and volunteering for several nonprofits in the community.
Josh Youngbar
Video Director
Josh Youngbar
Video Director
Our Emmy-winning Video Director, Josh Youngbar, has been with HighRock almost since the beginning. From initial concept through all aspects of a client’s video, he oversees our video department to create TV spots, animations, corporate videos, and anything in between. Josh is passionate about telling stories through motion and loves the challenge of creativity and technology that video production brings. With a background in graphic design and computer technology, Josh brings over ten years of video directing experience to HighRock. When he’s not holding a camera Josh can be found spending time with his wife Robin and five children.
Pieter Bickford
Marketing Executive
Pieter Bickford
Marketing Executive
As a HighRock Marketing Executive, Pieter works with our clients to identify solutions, enhance their brand, and align their business goals with a comprehensive marketing strategy. With a rich background in journalism, and close ties to community organizations, Pieter enjoys working with customers to tell a story that captures the essence of their brand. From his days in journalism to now, Pieter is inspired by interesting stories and exceeding client expectations. His favorite part of his job is getting to know the motivations of the people behind the brand.
Pieter’s involvement in the community is deep, having worked with a number of nonprofits throughout the years and currently serving on the Washington County Board of Education. He lives in Hagerstown, MD with his wife, Stephanie.
Bryan Chris Brown
3D/VR Artist
Bryan Chris Brown
3D/VR Artist
As HighRock’s resident VR specialist, Bryan (aka BCB) has a passion for creating virtual spaces. Bryan’s work using video-game technology, Unreal Engine, has enabled HighRock to create architectural experiences that allow the user to walk through a space in virtual reality. This technology has expanded the services we can offer and has resulted in some very cool marketing tools for our clients.
Bryan’s interest in architecture and technology developed during high school, where he focused on creating spaces through design and carpentry. Internships at GWWO Architects and ADW Architects allowed Bryan to sharpen his skills with modeling tools, design visualization, and problem-solving. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Environmental Design (BSAED) at Morgan State University before joining the HighRock team.
Nikoletta Gjoni
Project Manager
Nikoletta Gjoni
Project Manager
As a graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) with a degree in English Literature and Journalism, Niki's passion has always been storytelling and all the forms it can take. As such, her professional experience has ranged from working in cable news to holding communications and marketing director roles in the nonprofit sector. She enjoys connecting with audiences through strategic branding and marketing approaches and believes a good story will almost always win someone over for a new product or experience.
Outside of work, Niki is an award-nominated fiction and creative nonfiction writer, as well as a manuscript editor and creative writing coach for new and young writers. She enjoys traveling, eating good food, supporting indie bookstores, and combatting writer's block, among other things.
Shanna Mueller
Marketing & Brand Strategist
Shanna Mueller
Marketing & Brand Strategist
Shanna Mueller, Marketing and Brand Strategist, manages social media and digital marketing strategy and is the gatekeeper to all things related to brand integrity and development. A former creative brand strategist and news producer, she is a seasoned storyteller. She has a fine arts degree and brings over 15 years of managing and developing brands from small start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. She finds inspiration in art, music, and human psychology to help wield the power of authentic storytelling and genuine content creation. When she is not researching and nerd-ing out on the latest marketing, pop culture, and social trends, she spends her time moonlighting as a local philanthropist, amateur coffee critique, and photographer.
Kyle Petrie
IT & Web Support Coordinator
Kyle Petrie
IT & Web Support Coordinator
In his role as IT & Web Support Coordinator, Kyle Petrie works with our clients to develop websites that elevate their brand, and continues to work with them after launch for longterm support. A Waynesboro, PA native, Kyle has been part of the HighRock Group family for many years. Prior to joining the HighRock team, he worked for sister company Leitersburg Cinemas - even before it was Leitersburg Cinemas. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Shippensburg University, majoring in Management Information Systems, and joined HighRock’s technology team developing websites for our clients. Kyle lives in Hagerstown with his wife and daughter, and enjoys performing in local theatre and camping with family along the Potomac River.
Melissa Price
Admin & Accounting Coordinator
Melissa Price
Admin & Accounting Coordinator
Whether over the phone or at our front desk, Melissa is the first HighRocker that many of our clients will meet. At HighRock, she keeps our offices in top shape and works with clients and our marketing team to ensure accounts are running smoothly. With experience in front end office support, office management, scheduling, case management, and accounting (not to mention five years as a Correctional Officer), Melissa enjoys the many hats she wears. When she’s not keeping things (and us!) in line at HighRock, Melissa enjoys reading and spending time with her friends and family – which includes three adult children and her two amazingly athletic grandsons.
Alex Pritchard
Web Developer
Alex Pritchard
Web Developer
Alex’s interest in web development and technology began in online gaming, where she learned the basics of HTML and CSS. She studied web design and development at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, then continued her education as an intern in the HighRock University program. After joining the HighRock team full-time, she moved to Hagerstown, and in the rare moments she is offline, she enjoys watching reality tv, reading murder mystery and true crime novels, and spending time with her family.
Jacek Francuz
Senior Full-Stack Developer
Jacek Francuz
Senior Full-Stack Developer
Jacek has 14+ years of experience as a full-stack web developer with a keen focus on building scalable systems. He holds two degrees -- a bachelor of business administration and a master of science in information technology. A fan of continued growth and development, Jacek also enjoys reading about psychology and the importance of having strong soft-skills. Jacek lives in Poland with his family and when not online bringing new sites to life, he enjoys being outdoors to ski, run, mountaineer, play basketball, or doing Freeletics.
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Elevating Brands
“We cannot lower a mountain therefore; we must elevate ourselves”
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