Judges

Mark Allen

Lecturer at SMU Temerlin Advertising Institute

Over the course of his career, Mark Allen has worked as an art director and designer for clients like the History Channel, the New York Yankees, Norton/Symantec, Martha Stewart, The Walking Dead, A&E, HBO, the U.S. National Parks Service and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. His work has been recognized for creative excellence in the Print Regional Design Annual and Applied Arts magazine, as well as by the Promotion Marketing Association, the Illustrators Society of Los Angeles and the Dallas Society of Visual Communications.

Allen joined the then-newly established Temerlin Advertising Institute at SMU in 2003 to help start and build a new creative program for aspiring art directors and copywriters. Work produced by Allen’s students has been consistently recognized by the advertising industry’s most respected publications and organizations: The One Club, Lürzer’s Archive, Adweek, The Art Directors Club, CMYK Magazine, The American Advertising Federation, the Dallas Society of Visual Communications and the Adobe Design Achievement Awards. His students’ work has also garnered the attention of media outlets beyond the industry-standard venues, including The Today Show, The Huffington Post, USA Today, Cosmopolitan, Elle and D Magazine, among others. Such honors have paved the way for his students to work for many of the world’s most recognized brands, advertising agencies and design studios.

In addition to his experience as an educator and creative professional, Allen has pursued graduate studies in both theology and philosophy, currently working toward his Ph.D. with a concentration in the philosophy of art and aesthetics at the University of Dallas. His primary area of interest centers on the parallels between formal design principles (e.g., unity, balance, symmetry, hierarchy, proximity) that guide the creative process of art-making and ethical principles that guide the formation of a well-lived life.

Troy Lott

Founder and Manager, Digital Vibe

Troy Lott is a forward-thinking manager, executive producer and visual story teller with 20+ years’ experience creating engaging video content and leading customers and creative teams through the process, from concept to delivery, working with global and national brands. Troy possess a proven track record of running the day-to-day operations of a successful multi-state company, devising and implementing effective strategies that grow revenues and build customer loyalty.

Troy previously served on the Executive Board and as Treasurer for AAF Dallas. Most recently, Troy led the club as President during the 2016-17 term and continues to be actively involved as Immediate Past President.

Although spending most of his life and professional career in Wichita, Kansas, Troy genuinely regards Dallas as home. As empty nesters, he and his wife, Tina, left suburban life and now enjoy living in the trendy Uptown, West Village area.

With two startup companies under his belt, Troy has launched his third venture, Digital Vibe, which specializes in digital / social / mobile video marketing.

Jerry

Strategist, Brand Narrator

A strategic advertising/marketing veteran who has lived and worked in NY, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin and Dallas, Jerry has proven he has the chops to create and harvest breakthrough strategies and ideas. He also has the know-how to make them relevant and put them into a contextualized narrative.

Having worked for some of the largest ad agencies in the world including Ogilvy & Mather, J. Walter Thompson and others, as well as being in-house Creative Director for the NFL, Jerry has helped propel amazing brands including Duracell, American Express, Hardees, International Paper, Food & Wine Magazine, NFL, Maxwell House coffee, Philip Morris, The LA Philharmonic and many, many others.

An experienced brand narrator who can strategically uncover the interesting, meaningful and the significant, then shape a brand’s story and narrative around them.

The first to admit he’s not young enough to know everything, he does know how to make the complex, difficult or even the mundane interesting and understandable. That ability stems from his many successes, and even more failures.

Julio Garcia

Creative Director, Success Partners

Julio Garcia currently holds the role of Creative Director for SUCCESS Partners, an esteemed publishing and media company. With over 10 years of experience in marketing, fine arts and various creative roles, Julio has been able to successfully lead the award-winning design team at SUCCESS. Design and creativity may have been the vehicle that drove him to this role, but being a strong servant leader is what he is most passionate about.

Upon graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, Julio relocated to Dallas to begin his professional career. He is currently responsible for spearheading creative projects for brands such as Young Living Essential Oils, Le-Vel, Ambit Energy, Isagenix and Nerium International. When not busy at work, Julio can be found traveling, painting, going to concerts or lounging on the couch watching Bob’s Burgers.

This is Julio’s first year participating in the AAF and he will be taking on the Education Co-Chair position. Increasing awareness about the possibilities and impact of Advertising, Marketing and Creativity is his reason behind joining the AAF Dallas Club. He is very honored to be elected into this position by his peers and is ready to have an impact on the community.