Mariana Rodriguez

Design Lead

Mariana graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Advertising Design and a minor in Photography. For nearly a decade, she has been an invaluable part of the Third Rail team, bringing her positivity, talent, and passion for design.

Now living in Portland with her husband and two little ones, Mariana enjoys staying active through fitness classes and long walks. She also loves outdoor activities like hiking, paddle boarding, and landscape photography.

Bryan Branam

Partner + Head of Accounts & Strategy

Bryan made his way to Austin from Houston and never looked back. He is a proud University of Texas alum who started his advertising career at GSD&M. After working in media buying and account service on Wal-Mart and AT&T, he shifted his career to focus on the digital space with Third Rail and driving growth for our cornerstone client - Charles Schwab.

Bryan balances work with DIY projects around the house and staying active with his 8-year old son and wife - distance running and cross-training mostly.

Chris Sandoval

Associate Creative Director

Chris has spent the last three years of his decade-long career crafting copy at Third Rail. From emails to websites to employee bios, he does it all.

When he’s not writing for work, he’s writing for pleasure. He also enjoys swimming and biking in the great outdoors as well as drumming and watching movies in the great indoors.

Mark Scholes

Partner + Executive Creative Director

After graduating from the University of Texas, Mark started at The Richards Group working on national accounts including The Home Depot and Chick-fil-A. Moving back to Austin to be with his soon-to-be wife, he started Third Rail Creative building relationships with local clients as well as a few Fortune 500 clients.

Mark and his wife, Anissa, have 4 children, and when he’s not stepping on Legos, you can find him on the pickleball court, golf course, or with Anissa at the Paramount Movie Theater watching the classics.

Abbey Dandy

Sr. Designer

We’re excited to welcome Abbey and her passion for web design and typography to our creative team as our new Interactive Designer. Drawing inspiration from contemporary and classic fashion and graphic design, she has always used art to express herself. Outside of designing, you can catch her riding her bike, collaging, and relaxing with family and friends.

Mason Posch

Front End Developer

Mason is a Developer at Third Rail Creative with a background in a variety of agency roles. Mason enjoys the chance to work on projects that use modern technologies and getting to build new user experiences from the ground up. In his spare time, he enjoys playing drums in as many musical projects as he possibly can, working on DIY projects around the house, and spending time with his wife, son, and 3 pets.

Hanna Holt

Designer

Hanna is a graphic designer with a background in fine art and illustration. As a native Austinite, she graduated from Austin Community College and has experience working as a freelance designer for local musicians.

She enjoys trying out new crafts, hobbies, listening to local bands, and hanging out with her cat in her free time.

Cara Clear

Group Account Director

Cara is a University of Texas at Austin alum with over 7 years of experience in advertising and public relations. She started her career as Publicist at the Frank Erwin Center, then switched gears after 2 years to advertising as an Account Executive at a local agency.

Born and raised in Austin, Cara is a fan of all things Longhorns (Hook 'em!). She also enjoys playing golf, watching movies, going to open houses, board games, and of course, playing with her adorable son, Liam.

Nguyen Pham

Design Lead

Nguyen is a multi-disciplinary designer with a focus in print design and production. Her experience working with various print and design software enables her to work behind-the-scenes to ensure all files are ready for the next stage.

Outside of the office, Nguyen enjoys finding the best karaoke places to belt out some classics, going to local breweries and shows, and embroidering on a quiet evening.

Marissa Chumbley

Account Supervisor

Marissa has been with the Third Rail team for the last two years on the account management side. She primarily focuses on managing Schwab Trading Services client marketing, Schwab Retail and optionsXpress. After receiving her MA in Advertising, she spent time at a local ad shop honing her digital marketing skills focusing on email, web, and social channels.

In her spare time, Marissa enjoys being outdoors on the trail or at the lake with her husband and two pups, Ava and Max. She loves traveling, concerts and a good cocktail. You’ll also find her cheering throughout the season for the Cowboys, Spurs and her alma mater, the Longhorns.

JJ Livesley

Head of Design & Interactive

JJ joined Third Rail with over 12 years of experience in the design industry. He supervised a team of 12 designers as Art Director at the largest publishing company in Europe and since moving to Austin, has worked for countless local and national clients.

When he is not in front of his computer, you can usually find him relaxing with his lovely wife and black pug, playing video games or watching movies with a good stout or scotch.

Annie Blalock

Account Executive

Annie joins the Third Rail Creative team as one of our new Account Coordinators. Born and Raised in Nashville, TN, she moved to Austin, TX from Oxford, MS where she attended The University of Mississippi (Hotty Toddy!) While in Oxford, Annie earned her B.B.A. in Marketing and her M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications. In her free time, you can find Annie adding to her garden, paddle boarding on Lady Bird, trying out new restaurants, and going on walks with her dog, Bella.

Bud Hennekes

Sr. Copywriter

Bud is a copywriter and content marketer by trade who resides in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, two dogs, and two cats. He loves tech and the startup world and judging the copywriting on billboard ads in the middle of nowhere.

Outside of work, you can find him traveling, going down the rabbit hole of random topics, partaking in 30-day challenges, and spending time with his family.

Lauren Busche

Sr. Account Executive

Lauren is a University of Texas Alumna with a passion for advertising. After four years in Washington DC, Lauren made her way back to her hometown of Austin, Texas and couldn’t be happier to join the Third Rail team as an Account Executive.

In her free time you can find Lauren swimming or breaking in her hiking boots, curating a playlist for every occasion or planning an elaborately themed dinner party.

High-voltage creativity with purpose.

Our People

The Agency

Desiray Davis

Irene Monokandilos

Jill Bailey