19th & Park Expands Strategy and Client Services Leadership Team

Above: Elisa Peebles, Leslie Alexander & Markia Erickson

Creative marketing agency 19th & Park is excited to announce big changes to its team to keep pace with business. The company has added Elisa Peebles as head of strategy, and has promoted both Markia Erickson to VP, client services, and Leslie Alexander to associate VP, client services.

“As 19th & Park continues to grow and expand our services as a full-service agency focused on creating advertising solutions for those that are not of the majority, our commitment to our clients and staff remains top of mind,” said Whitney Headen, 19th & Park co-founder & CEO. “By bringing and advancing key leadership roles, we are able to continue providing the white glove customer service we’re known for while still being able to push the envelope with our innovative creative, first-to-market strategies, and expanded client services. These three women have not only shown exemplary leadership across all of those categories but they’ve also proven that the future of advertising and workplace development lies in the hands of its leaders. We’re honoured to have them as we continue to push the industry forward.”

Elisa is an award-winning creative strategist with a proven track record of working with international brands including Nike, Fenty Beauty, Beats by Dre, JBL, Levi’s, Audible, American Express, and Ad Council. She is also a noted artist and activist, originally hailing from Buffalo, New York, and was awarded a NYC Council Citation by then-Councilman and current New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams for her work with Brooklyn’s LGBTQ+ community.

In her work as a creative strategist, Elisa strives to push impact and consumer empowerment in the era of connectivity, winning Clio Sports Gold awards in Product Innovation and Partnerships & Collaborations for her work developing the Nike NBA Connected Jersey.

“In all of my work, my core goal is to ask, ‘how do we inject a sense of connectivity and magic into this product or campaign?’” said Elisa. “At 19th & Park, I’m most interested in mentorship and development, and helping to build a place that can incubate diverse talent and the future thinkers and makers of this industry.”

Elisa arrives most recently from creative digital agency Barbarian, where in her role as group strategy director, she helped win and oversaw campaigns for Northwestern Mutual and Fenty Beauty, and provided interim leadership for the company’s entire strategy department after the departure of its previous CSO. Prior to that, she held roles at I&CO and AKQA.

“I’m a storyteller at heart; the format just changes,” noted Elisa. “I always try to connect back to that original nugget of me at 21 years old, wanting to tell stories that usually wouldn’t get to be heard, and seeing great promise in the intersection of art, technology and commerce to provide new stages.”

Markia “Kia” Erickson is a passionate, business-minded advertising and marketing professional who has worked on award-winning campaigns for brands including Starbucks, HBO, Pepsi, Revlon, Skechers, Avon, and Lucky Brand Jeans. Originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Markia evolved her early interest in fashion magazines into a passion for advertising, quickly making a name for herself at Havas (formerly Euro RSCG Worldwide), BBDO, and ELA Advertising. As part of Agency ETA, she created paradigm-shifting, award-winning marketing campaigns within local government.

In her three years at 19th & Park, Markia was instrumental in building client services into the streamlined department that she will now oversee as VP.

“Internally, I’m known for setting and managing expectations,” noted Markia. “I believe the ability to say ‘no’ is an asset. It’s about being responsible and accountable to our clients and team, and knowing how to add value. 19th does its best work when it serves as a creative partner versus being a vendor. Our ability to embody and incorporate our authentic selves into our work only increases the quality of said work. Authenticity is championed here.”

Markia resides in Long Beach, California with her husband, Shelby, and daughters, Zuri and Marlo. In addition to being an engaged member of her community, Markia is currently working towards becoming a registered behavioural therapist.

Leslie Alexander is a seasoned advertising professional who has built a career working across several leading advertising agencies as well as in-house for telecommunications and luxury retail brands. Hailing from New York City, she is an award-winning advertising professional who has delivered a series of impressive campaigns with Saks OFF 5TH, AT&T, Mailchimp, Gillette, Chase, Verizon, CNBC, and many others.

Leslie started her project management career in the multicultural space, working with Verizon to spearhead its Essence Festival activation. From there, she went to Droga5, where her team’s work on Mailchimp netted the Cannes Lions Cyber Grand Prix. Later, working as Team Lead for Omni Marketing at Saks OFF 5TH, Leslie helped manage the brand’s massive integration of former competitor Barney’s in its infancy stages. At Saks, she also co-founded the Black Employee Resource Group, aiding in the implementation of diverse and inclusive spaces within the organisation culminating in the recognition and ongoing celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month and more.

Since joining 19th & Park, Leslie has played a critical role in shaping the project management operations into the current client services department.

“The needs of the business have changed, and we’re integral assets in spearheading that evolution,” noted Leslie. “Through my tenure, I have seen the shift from an isolated Project Management department to the collaborative dynamic that is now in place. Consolidating the operation makes it much easier for the whole team to coordinate, which allows us to better serve the client.”