WCG Celebrates 15 Years of Growth, Talent, and Innovation
West Cary Group Honors People, Clients, and Community with 15th Anniversary Celebration
The West Cary Group (WCG) offices in Richmond’s Monroe Ward neighborhood echoed with laughter and conversation as employees from around the country gathered to celebrate our 15th anniversary. It was a joyful reunion for our team and a day well spent sharing fellowship, food, and favorite memories from over the years.
“For someone who’s been through all 15 years, there’s just so much to be proud of – from how we’ve grown, to the different personalities and people that we’ve had, to the work itself and the talent that we’ve assembled,” said Moses Foster, WCG President and CEO. “I’ve found five-year marks are great points to sit back and reflect. Our 10th anniversary seems like it was yesterday, but when you look at the difference in this agency from that point, you realize just how much we are moving forward.”
Moses kicked off the festivities by reflecting on the company’s journey since 2007, from a team of two to one of the largest minority-owned advertising and marketing agencies in the Richmond area. He reminisced about early missteps that taught important lessons and successful partnerships with foundational clients, including Capital One, Dominion Energy, and the Henrico Economic Development Authority.
One by one, that list of clients steadily grew to include local, regional, and national brands like Altria, Atlantic Union Bank, PayPal, Target Optical, and Fannie Mae. It grew because West Cary Group’s approach continued to evolve with the shifting marketing landscape. Today, we merge data, tech, and creative to solve the right problems for clients. And, as clients have increasingly sought solutions to digital challenges, we’ve expanded our engineering capabilities accordingly.
WCG has also deepened our commitment to our community. Public-sector work has become an important part of our business as we’ve worked with partners like the City of Richmond, PlanRVA, and Alexandria Renew Enterprises to most effectively engage the community on initiatives that impact our region.
Today, WCG has established a reputation that marries award-winning creative with world-class analytics and innovative technology. Moses attributed that success to one factor.
“People, quite simply. We have great talent. We’ve got people that really buy into the mission of what we do. We hire individuals that fit our culture in a way that is powerful as well,” he said. “And I think we have a value system that people appreciate. In good times and bad, we treat people with respect, and that’s paramount.”
The celebration continued with a WCG anniversary tradition – inducting a new class into the West Cary Group Hall of Fame. This year’s honorees included former VP and Head of Innovation Camille Blanchard, board member Caribou Honig, and Cruller Technologies’ Alan Bittman.
As WCG’s third employee, Blanchard played a formative role in helping grow and mentor our account team, while Honig has been an integral member of the WCG Board since 2007. Bittman, who passed away earlier this year, was remembered not only for helping WCG set up and maintain a reliable technical network but also for the steadiness, selflessness, and kindness he shared as a beloved presence around the office.
From start to finish, the 15th anniversary was a celebration of our people – employees new and old, past and present. And it was a time made even more special by celebrating our local community and sharing unforgettable meals at a handful of Richmond’s finest restaurants, including Alewife, Edo’s Squid, Lillie Pearl, Brenner Pass, and Shagbark.
We’re thankful for the people who made the last 15 years possible and look forward to the next 15 years with a continued commitment to being good to each other, our clients, and our community. As Moses said, “15 years in, we’re just getting started.”
“We have people that always bring their A-game, and while we’re creating wonderful experiences for our clients, we remember to be good to each other. It’s such a joy every day to work with such a smart, talented team.”
Debra Fitzgerald, WCG Managing Vice President and Executive Creative Director
PlanRVA COVID-19 Fundraising Site Honored by United Way for Raising $6.4M
Togetheroneregion.org Honored by United Way for Raising Millions for Virginia Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
We’re thrilled to share that Togetheroneregion.org, a local COVID-19 emergency relief fund launched by PlanRVA alongside its partners Emergency Management Alliance of Central Virginia and Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond, has raised $6.4 million to assist Central Virginia businesses affected by the pandemic. West Cary Group designed and coded the site and implemented the technology needed to get the fund live and ready to accept donations in just 48 hours. The site launched on April 3, 2020.
Due to its far-reaching community impact, the fund was recently recognized by United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg with a 2021 Steps to Success Award. The honor is given to an outstanding partner, group or organization that demonstrates commitment to improving the Central Virginia region, empowering individuals and driving change.
“I’m proud to say that even a year from launch, we’re still working with the Fund Advisory Committee and awarding grants,” says Martha Heeter, PlanRVA Executive Director. “It’s been pretty amazing to see the deep generosity of our community and how much impact we’ve been able to help generate.”
Though supporters have the option of contributing via in-kind donations or volunteerism, much of the money raised has been in the form of grants. Organizations that have benefited include project: HOMES, Urban Baby Beginnings, Petersburg Schools, and many more.
“This means a lot to us,” says Rachal Krance, West Cary Group Senior Account Director. “It’s been a trying year and a half for everyone, but to know that our team played a role in helping our community succeed through the challenges of COVID-19 makes our jobs even more meaningful.”
“Navigating through COVID-19 has been a challenge, but what this time apart made us realize is how much stronger we are together. At WCG, we’re committed to using our voices in whatever ways we can to effect the most positive change throughout the Richmond community.”
Tashi Scott, WCG Graphic Designer
Dive Deeper
On Valentine’s Day 2021, WCG deepened its commitment to the community by launching RVALoves as a love song Richmond. Discover more about how we’re working to spread a genuine message of love, hope and inclusivity.
2021 Top Workplaces Program Honors WCG
West Cary Group Honored as Top Workplace in Richmond Region
Yesterday, West Cary Group was recognized as one of the best places to work in the Richmond region. The announcement came during a special 2021 Top Workplaces program virtual ceremony hosted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. This honor comes on the heels of agency President and CEO Moses Foster’s induction into the Greater Richmond Business Hall of Fame last week.
“Since our founding in 2007, our firm has fiercely held to the belief that bringing together a collection of talented people with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences would deliver better outcomes,” said Moses Foster, West Cary Group President and CEO. “Fourteen years later, we still believe in creating an inclusive space where every team member feels valued so we can deliver the best contributions – both to our clients and our community. This recognition validates how we’ve built our company.”
The Richmond Times-Dispatch collaborated with Pennsylvania-based employee research firm Energage to recognize and celebrate the winners of the publication’s eighth annual Top Workplaces program. This year, they received anonymous survey responses from about 16,000 employees providing sentiment ratings on various aspects of workplace life, spanning from management, leadership, benefits and pay to community involvement and promoting diversity. Employers that scored the highest locally – and exceeded national benchmarks – made the list.
This was West Cary Group’s first entry in the small business category and its first win.
“This is a particularly exciting honor for us, especially given the challenges of the past year. In spite of working remotely, we found new ways to connect. Together, we even launched social justice initiatives to help support the Richmond community. And we’re thrilled to say that we’ve now grown our team to the largest size ever in our company’s history.”
Monica Dodd, WCG Senior Director of Human Resources
Dive Deeper
Interested in becoming a member of the WCG Team? Visit our careers page to see what positions are currently available.
WCG Launches RVA Loves as a Love Song to Richmond
West Cary Group Pens a Love Song for the People of RVA
Today, we’re excited to launch RVA Loves, a love song written by and for the people of Richmond, Virginia. The goal of this community project is to spread a genuine message of love, hope and inclusivity within the Richmond region while elevating local businesses and organizations and raising awareness of social issues.
This is the first initiative born out of West Cary Group’s Richmond Tapestry Project, a hopeful catalyst for change that aims to create awareness and a sense of pride in Richmond and our surrounding communities. Through our unique creativity, we know we can inspire a sense of pride in RVA and let the world know why it’s such an amazing place to be. And it starts today.
Want to know more about this initiative, including ways you can help spread the love? Follow RVA Loves on Instagram and join the Facebook community.
“The coolest part of the RVA Loves initiative is that it’s a duet. We’re inspiring local businesses, entrepreneurs, artists and incredible people to join us so that we can amplify our collective voices. We want to sing about community pride, social justice and unity in RVA so loudly that the nation can hear us.”
Andre Johnson, West Cary Group Art Director
WCG Thrilled to Hire Kim Scheeler, Former ChamberRVA CEO
Kim Scheeler, Former ChamberRVA CEO, Joins West Cary Group
West Cary Group has hired former ChamberRVA CEO Kim Scheeler as senior policy advisor. During his 11-year tenure at the Chamber, he steered it beyond a great place to network and toward an issue-driven organization devoted to the success of the entire Richmond region.
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“We care deeply about our region, and we’ve seen a specific problem too many times,” explains Moses Foster, president and CEO of West Cary Group. “The initiatives with the greatest impact sit at the intersection of government, the private sector and philanthropy, and if those parties don’t effectively engage the communities they serve, then great projects can die a quick death. I’ve worked with Kim for more than 12 years, and no one understands this better than he does. My hope is that, together, we can help get more projects – that benefit all Virginians – over the finish line.”
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Scheeler, who retired from the Chamber in December, will split his time between Richmond and Port Charlotte, Florida.
“Kim is an established changemaker, and we’re excited about how he’ll help us amplify campaigns for our growing public-sector roster including the Henrico Economic Development Authority, Richmond International Airport, Alexandria Renew Enterprises and more.”
Moses Foster, WCG CEO
“I’m happy to be joining the West Cary Group family,” said Scheeler. “They’ve always stood out to me as a communications firm because they’re deeply rooted in strategy. In addition to great communications capabilities, they also have world-class analytics and technology functions. Plus, Moses has been a leader in the community for a long time. This is going to be fun.”
— Kim Scheeler, WCG’s newly-appointed senior policy advisor
Dive Deeper
Our work in the public sector includes RiverRenew, where we actually got the Alexandria community to care about wastewater. Take a look.