The Team

bill cross
+ president and ceo

Bill’s 40-year career in media and marketing has taken him from the radio studio to the corner office. From kerning type with an Exacto® knife to guiding the marketing for a major regional bank for nearly a decade and then building a reputable agency over the past 18+ years, his mantra remains that good things happen when you’re surrounded by good people (and C+A has some of the best).

He is a graduate of Louisburg College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Radio-Television and Motion Pictures (and a die-hard UNC fan). He serves on the boards of several non-profits including Louisburg College (the oldest junior college in the US), where he chairs the Advancement Committee. He is also past president of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) - Raleigh Durham, and is active in his downtown Raleigh church, where he holds various leadership positions.

Contact him at bcross@cross-a.com.

favorite quote
“When everyone is thinking alike, someone isn’t thinking.” Gen. George Patton

favorite food
The Ultimate Hamburger!

most unforgettable memory
A two-week trip to Alaska

favorite place to be when not at work
The beach! (Now that was an easy one!)

juana gustin-quick
+ vice president, strategic development

Juana boasts a rich background of 30+ years in marketing that includes such notable names as Neiman Marcus, Aetna and General Electric. She has worked for the past 15 years specializing in healthcare marketing, helping hospitals grow market share. Based in C+A’s Columbia, SC office, Juana is an active member of healthcare marketing and PR associations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, and is immediate past president of the Virginia association.

Juana is also past president of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the American Advertising Federation (AAF) of the Midlands (where she holds the title of Chairperson Emeritus!), a Red Dress Ambassador for the American Heart Association, and past president + board member of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners). She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from East Carolina University.

Contact her at jquick@cross-a.com.

board positions/memberships
VSHMPR, President; AAF of the Midlands, Chairman Emeritus: Red Dress Ambassador; CHPRMS, member; GSHMPR, board member; PRSA, former president; NAWBO, former president

most unforgettable memory
The birth of my grandchildren.

describe the perfect day
Having NOTHING scheduled on my calendar.

favorite sport
Does bicycling count? Otherwise, it’s football… I mean foosball!

jamie holmes
+ senior media director

Jamie is a long time veteran of advertising media having worked in the business for more than 25 years. She has implemented mass media campaigns on a local, regional and national basis for companies such as Embassy Suites hotels, the Alexandria Virginia Convention and Visitors Association, BB&T, Hardees, Golden Corral, North Carolina State University and the College Foundation of North Carolina.

She is responsible for development of all traditional media plans and the supervision of all media buys. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Jamie has been an active member of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) - Raleigh/Durham chapter, for five years, serving in various leadership capacities.

Contact her at jholmes@cross-a.com.

experience
A total of 25 years in the business, 18 in media.

describe the perfect day
A good book, a cold drink, a pair of sunglasses, a chair and the whole beach spread out in front of me.

favorite sport
Whatever my kids are playing at the time.

favorite movie
“The Sound of Music” or “The Wizard of Oz”

suzanne magnus
+ senior account executive

Suzanne brings more than 25 years of marketing experience (20 in healthcare) to Cross + Associates. She began her career with an AMEX-listed Florida real estate Builder/Developer, ultimately serving as the company's Marketing Director. After moving to North Carolina, she spent seven years as Director of Public Affairs at Wesley Long Community Hospital in Greensboro before joining the Rex Hospital/Rex Healthcare system in Raleigh in 1995. After serving for 10+ years as Marketing Director at Rex, she joined a Raleigh advertising agency, where she served as Director of Public Relations and Account Manager Team Leader working primarily with real estate developers and builders.

At Cross + Associates, she directs and leads the account service team through strategy, planning and implementation. Originally from the New York and New Jersey area, Ms. Magnus is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Arkansas — Go Hogs!

Contact her at smagnus@cross-a.com.

favorite movies
Forrest Gump, The Hangover, The Sound of Music and The Shawshank Redemption.

favorite childhood memory
When I was 10, I spent the summer living in Germany with my relatives. I also vacationed with them in Switzerland and Italy.

favorite activities
Snow skiing, traveling, spending time with my children, going to the gym/running (okay, I really don’t like it but I do it), reading, sports, listening to music, attending concerts, shows and musicals, relaxing at the beach….the usual stuff.

little know fact
She's a Licensed Real Estate Broker, Florida and North Carolina.

john lucas
+ copywriter

John has been in advertising and communications since the Coolidge administration (okay, that might be a slight exaggeration) with experience on both the client and agency side. His educational career was interrupted by his military career when he dropped out of college to enlist in the U.S. Army. The timing was somewhat inauspicious due to an unfortunate conflict in Southeast Asia. However, John was awarded the Bronze Star medal for being on time for the war every single day.

Originally from Charlotte, he moved to Columbia more than 30 years ago as advertising manager of South Carolina’s largest bank. After his stint in the financial industry, John switched sides of the desk to an agency position when he discovered his real talent was writing. His experience includes work in the financial, healthcare, higher education, retail, real estate, and manufacturing industries. John has been recognized with Gold and Silver Addy awards (AAF) as well as awards from the Carolinas Healthcare Public Relations + Marketing Society (CHPRMS). He is a former president and board member of the Columbia Ad Club and Columbia Communicating Arts Society.

When away from the Columbia office (which isn’t often), John is a voracious reader and bibliophile, an occasional gardener and is trying to learn to cook. Oh, and he finally earned his degree from the University of North Carolina Charlotte.

Contact him at jlucas@cross-a.com.

biggest accomplishment
Surviving Vietnam as a very young and rather clueless Army officer.

most unforgettable memory
I’d love to tell, but I promised them I wouldn’t. Sorry.

favorite food
Yes. (Are you kidding…? Just look at me!)

favorite music
Classical (NOT opera), big band, bluegrass, anything by Ella or Frank, and some of the rock ‘n’ roll I grew up with.

chad martin
+ art director

Chad brings more than ten years of agency experience to Cross + Associates and his versatility and creative talent are great assets for us. He loves designing logos, has a keen sense of typography and considers Adobe a family member. His extensive creative+ design experience includes work in the automotive, home construction and healthcare fields including numerous projects for nationally known brands such as Centex Homes and BMW.

When he's not dreaming of the perfect page layout or scanning Pantone books for just the right shade of orange, he's probably reading up on the latest web technologies. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School and recently got married.

Contact him at cmartin@cross-a.com.

favorite quote
“You health is your wealth.”

what do you want to be when you grow up?
Backup point guard in the NBA. Still waiting on my tryout.

favorite food
Toss-up between hamburgers and cereal.

what gets you through the day?
My iPhone…I mean my wife.

kelly mcswain crisp
+ graphic designer + account coordinator

Kelly comes to Cross + Associates with a diverse background in art, which combined with her intimate knowledge of graphic design, make her an invaluable and flexible member of the team. Although Kelly may be relatively new to the advertising biz (Is three years still considered new these days?), she more than makes up for it with her smarts. We’re not talking about “street smarts,” but a natural strength and intuitive design sense that make her a huge asset to the creative team. Her fresh approach and keen eye are also a plus in developing creative concepts.

In addition to design, Kelly also contributes her talents to the account service side of the ledger. As an account coordinator, she provides quality account service that our clients appreciate. Oh, and she just got married — everyone is still getting used to her new name!

Contact her at kmcswain@cross-a.com.

board positions/memberships
The YMCA — does that count?

most unforgettable memory
Tailgating at NC State football games with friends and family.

favorite planet
Earth…duh.

biggest failure
I fail at nothing!

erica strother
+ public relations + social media coordinator

She got her start as a public relations intern and her acute attention to detail led her to a role in traffic and production coordination. Both roles prepared her well for her current position of Public Relations and Social Media Coordinator, where she oversees all public relations and social media activities for the agency and its clients — developing strategy and monitoring, maintaining, and tracking online engagement.

When she’s not tweeting, blogging or writing press releases, she loves to read blogs and attend local networking events and conferences to stay on top of the latest social media trends. In her spare time, Erica lends her social media expertise to Change the Triangle, serving on their executive committee. She earned her degree in Mass Communication with a Public Relations concentration from Campbell University.

Contact her at estrother@cross-a.com.

favorite quote
“Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.” Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens)

biggest accomplishment
Earning a $42,000 scholarship for college.

most unforgettable memory
Summers at the pool when I was a kid.

favorite food
Mashed potatoes — yum!