THE NINETY NINE
UNITED ADWORKERS AWARD SHOW
Meet The Judges
Jason Gnewikow
FOUNDING PARTNER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ATHLETICS, BROOKLYN
A maker in the fields of design, architecture, sound, and scent, Jason’s practice aims at creating stimulating multi-sensory experiences. Beginning his career as a professional musician, Jason toured with indie stalwart The Promise Ring while designing music packaging for a range of performing acts. Jason went on to open Public Studio, an independent design practice headquartered in Chicago. In 2004, Jason co-founded Athletics, bringing his energetic aesthetic and creative curiosity to a new scale of clientele, including Google, MoMA, Hubble, and others. Jason has pioneered many of Athletics’ studio-initiated projects, leading ventures such as Carlen Parfums and The Graham & Co.
Elizabeth Morrow McKenzie
PARTNER + EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Râ‘ŠWEST, PORTLAND
As a partner at R\West for more than 15 years, Elizabeth has touched a wide range of consumer verticals, food, beverage, financial, lifestyle and tech. Some of her favorite client partnerships include SOREL Footwear, Bonne Maman, Chickencock Whiskey, and DeMarini baseball bats.
​
A unique combination of Creative and business savvy, she enjoys partnering with brands and teams to create work that is a source of pride, results, and collaboration.
Don Nelson
VICE PRESIDENT/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
TOM, DICK & HARRY CREATIVE CO., CHICAGO
Don Nelson began his agency career as a junior copywriter in Milwaukee before moving back to his native Chicago, where he has worked for a number of shops, some of which remain in business and only one of which gave him the shingles. Don, whose work has appeared in Communication Arts and The One Show, is currently a vice president/creative director at Tom, Dick & Harry Creative.
April Rutherford
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR - ADVERTISING ANTHOLOGY
A FINN PARTNERS COMPANY, HONOLULU
As Senior VP and Executive Creative Director for the Anthology Advertising Group, April excels at inspiring, developing, and honing ideas that are both innovative and finely targeted.
Her passion for getting to the heart and soul of a brand leads to advertising that is striking, memorable, and always relevant. She has won numerous local and national awards for her work and has been named Hawaii Advertising Federation’s Ad Woman of the Year. Serving on the American Advertising Federation-Hawaii board for six years with three of those as President, she currently serves as the Lt. Governor of AAF District 13 and is on the National
American Advertising Awards Committee.
With the belief that advertising can help build a better world, April has also devoted time to pro bono work and small businesses, creating campaigns and collateral work for the Hawaiian Humane Society, Honolulu International Film Festival, Cat Friends, Shidler College of Business, Junior Achievement of Hawaii, and Hawaii Mental Health.
Nancy Vaznonis
GLOBAL GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR
OGILVY, CHICAGO
Nancy was born and raised in Chicago, graduated from Boston University’s School of Communications, and started her advertising career at Arnold Worldwide in Boston. After six years at Arnold, Nancy moved back to Chicago and bounced around from FCB to Digitas to Razorfish and ultimately landed at Ogilvy Chicago, where she happily remained for more than eleven years before moving her life across the pond to Ogilvy London. She spent two years there overseeing all the work for Dove Masterbrand, Dove Deodorant, and Dove Men+Care, globally. She returned home to Ogilvy Chicago in 2020.
Throughout the span of her 26-year career, she’s been privileged to build brands for clients that include Dove, Corona Light, Sargento, Kotex, Suave, Glade, CDW, Royal Caribbean, McDonald’s, Oreo, and Planters. She’s even managed to win some awards and produce a couple of Super Bowl commercials along the way. But most notably, Nancy’s been blessed by the Pope and bitten by a squirrel.
When she’s not traveling the world for work, Nancy’s traveling it for fun. She firmly believes it’s the best inspiration and teacher out there.