Greg Guse, President

With over 30 years of agricultural marketing experience, Greg Guse is the architect and engineer of Paulsen’s award-winning agriculture and rural lifestyle expertise. He leads our agency with tireless dedication to the ongoing education, research and “road time” needed to stay at the forefront of today’s agrimarketing industry.

Greg’s track record of achievement includes over 30 years of hands-on marketing, advertising, media, market research and public relations experience. He served as account executive at GTA Feeds and Lawrence & Schiller Advertising in Sioux Falls, as well as at Martin Williams Advertising in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Additionally, Greg owned his own advertising and marketing organization — Gregory Scott Communications — before joining Paulsen in 1995.

Greg holds a bachelor’s degree from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, and has completed professional development coursework at Purdue University Center for Agricultural Business. He is a long-standing member of the National AgriMarketers Association, and recipient of the prestigious Silver Award from the South Dakota Advertising Federation.

Mike Dowling
Vice President, Creative Services

Mike leads Paulsen’s creative department, with more than 30 years experience in the advertising and design fields. Since joining Paulsen Marketing in 1991, Mike continues to create attention-grabbing, effective and award-winning campaigns — including the high-profile work for Kubota Tractor Corporation.

An especially talented illustrator, Mike’s creative portfolio includes editorial cartoons for Outdoor Life magazine, award-winning illustrations for WildBlue Communications and illustrations for SC Johnson’s Raid® products. He helped design animated characters for an animated TV pilot and designed a popular logo for national extreme-candy brand Mega Warheads.

Jane Harms
Vice President, Finance/HR

Jane oversees all of Paulsen’s financial management, human resources and office operations.

During her 25-year accounting and office management career, Jane has developed a reputation for no-nonsense organization and unflinching attention to detail. As you might expect, those qualities spill over into her personal time, too. Jane is a gifted pool player — we might even go so far as to call her a pool shark — with two South Dakota state tournament titles. She won for both the 8-ball and 9-ball tournaments. (Not bad for a bean counter.)

Thane Paulsen, CEO

Thane joined Paulsen Marketing in 1979, working side-by-side with his father, the firm’s founder, until his father's death in 1987. At that time he became company president — a position he held until handing over the reins to Greg Guse in November 2008.

Thane continues to work with the Paulsen management team and oversees staff recruitment and development. His proven ability to build and maintain a strong, growing, profitable business through acquisitions and key staff hires; strong earnings consistently in the top quartile of net profit for marketing agencies across the country; and hundreds of national and state awards for excellence and achievement continues to drive the company forward.

Thane graduated with highest honors from South Dakota State University with a major in advertising and journalism and a minor in economics. He is also the co-founder and former director of BrightPlanet® Corporation — the leader in deep Web research and the development of innovative ways to efficiently search, monitor and manage all Internet and internal content. BrightPlanet clients include NATO, Delta Faucet, American Family Insurance and RJ Reynolds.

Mark Smither
Vice President, Strategic Director

Mark is one of the driving forces behind Paulsen’s strategic planning and marketing capabilities. His extensive background in both writing and management gives him a unique edge in the creative advertising arena.

Mark has worked in a creative capacity for more than 25 years, with 15 of those writing and producing ag-related creative at Paulsen Marketing. He has been honored with numerous awards for his work, particularity in copywriting and broadcast production. Mark is a graduate of the University of South Dakota.

Sara Steever
Vice President, Digital Strategies

Sara Steever, an 18-year veteran of Paulsen Marketing, is a leader in the continuously expanding and developing world of digital media. She’s responsible for the customer experience of all Internet initiatives, including digital product vision and strategy, new product development, personalization tools and social media features, user research and usability, interface design and development, and the development of innovative digital marketing and ad sales products.

Together with her team of on-site programmers and project management specialists, Sara works to build brands online — through information architecture, search engine marketing and optimization, and user-focused designs. Her work spans from large (enormous, high-profile Web sites, custom e-commerce solutions and Web applications) to small (simple banner ads and landing pages) — all with the same innovative thinking and attention to detail.

Sara was raised on a row-crop and livestock farm in rural South Dakota, and is a graduate of the University of South Dakota.

Bryan Bjerke
Public Relations Director

Bryan brings 30 years of professional experience in media, communications and public relations, with an emphasis in agriculture and politics.

He began his career as a reporter, anchor, assignment editor and news director at KELO-TV and KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls, and was an assignment editor and segment producer for CBS News Northeast Bureau in New York. Upon returning to South Dakota, he served as press secretary for Congressman Tom Daschle’s election campaign in 1982 — then as statewide staff director for the Congressman, setting up statewide field offices and managing the in-state efforts for Representative Daschle.

Prior to joining Paulsen, Bryan owned his own business, Bryan Bjerke Communications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Augustana College in Sioux Falls and is a member in good standing of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Kristi Moss
Media Director

Kristi Moss is one of the nation’s most experienced agricultural media buyers, maintaining long-term relationships with every major agricultural publication and many of the minor publications.

With the latest research and technology, it’s her job to uncover the most effective communication channels for reaching sales goals and target markets for any budget — and do it with speed, effectiveness and flexibility. Kristi oversees Paulsen’s media department and is responsible for managing all media buying and planning needs.

Through her 14-year employment with Paulsen Marketing, she continually proves herself to be an expert planner, strategist and negotiator throughout agricultural media. Raised on a farm in rural South Dakota, Kristi holds a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University.