Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame

The 2020 Induction Class:

Jim Stuart (Deceased) & Randy Bacon, Fort Worth:
For 15 years, Jim Stuart was chief executive officer and Randy Bacon was president/chief operating officer of StuartBacon Advertising-Public Relations, based in Fort Worth.  Founded in 1987, their agency served a variety of local, regional, national and international clients with full-service advertising and public relations capabilities. Besides generating successful campaigns for clients, the agency was a frequent winner of awards and accolades, including Employer of the Year, Small Business of the Year and Professional Ethics Awards.  StuartBacon strongly supported the local advertising community, encouraging employees to participate in trade organizations such as the American Advertising Federation and the Public Relations Society of America, as well as volunteering for non-profit organizations. In 2012, the partners closed their business but stayed involved with the arts and advertising world.

Dennis D’Amico, Dallas:
Dennis D’Amico, a graduate of the University of Missouri, started his career as an advertising assistant in Springfield, MO before becoming an account executive and copywriter in St. Louis. In the 70’s he moved to Dallas to become marketing director for an insurance company.  From 1976 until 1984 he operated D’Amico & Associates. Before he founded the Growth Strategies Group in 1996, he served as General Manager of the Dallas office of Houston-based Fogarty Klein & Partners. Dennis’s industry, charitable and non-profit contributions are many. Over the years, Dennis has served multiple organizations and sits on a variety of boards, continuing to chair projects. He has also been the Executive Director of the 4A’s (American Association of Advertising Agencies) North Texas and Oklahoma Council since 2005.

Michael R. Levy, Austin:
Mike Levy founded Texas Monthly magazine in 1973, and was its publisher for 35 years, during which time the magazine had a total readership of 2,500,000 and was considered one of the best in the country. A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and from the University of Texas School of Law, Mike changed the media landscape in Texas with the creation of his magazine.  It has become the “gold standard” for regional publications. He led the fight against advertising taxation in Texas as chairman of the Texas Council of Advertising & Magazine Publishing. Mike has received numerous awards from around the country, including his industry’s highest honor.  He has served on numerous local and regional boards and contributed his time and talents to many more charitable and civic organizations.

Mark McGarrah & Bryan Jessee, Austin:
One of the hottest agency, not just in Texas but nationally, is McGarrah Jessee, based out of Austin, TX. They built their business by doing things differently. The agency’s holistic brand thinking has fostered loyal clients, with an average tenure of nine years. Putting people ahead of profit has been a theme preached by both Mark and Bryan. They’ve set high standards and stood by their principles and represent some of the biggest brands in the country. They are the type of agency that makes award-winning creative and treats clients like partners. The partners have also contributed to their community, helping to found Job Propulsion Labs.  They also support non profits like the E4 Youth Program, which helps underserved creatives cultivate real workplace skills.

Brad Snyder, Corpus Christi:
For over 30 years Brad Snyder has served clients at the local, state, national and international level.  His agency, Snyder + Associates has a well-deserved reputation for conceptualizing, designing and producing effective and award-winning marketing campaigns. Keeping clients for decades shows his loyalty and the ability to grow with those clients.  Brad’s love for this industry goes much deeper than just his professional work.  His contributions to the American Advertising Federation are numerous and his long service to the Tenth District is filled with honors. Brad’s devoted patronage of the arts helps bring incredible exhibitions to Corpus Christi.  His passion for connecting his community with arts and culture is evident when you see him supporting galas, fundraisers, grand openings and other ceremonies.

Mary Ann Stutts, San Antonio:
Mary Ann Stutts has been a leader and innovator in developing and nurturing the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition.  Her peers recognize her as being a driving force in the competition’s rise to prominence, known as the “Super Bowl” of college advertising.  As a professor of marketing at Texas State University and a brilliant strategist, her system of teaching the AAF competition campaign courses has proven to be very successful.  Teams under her guidance have advanced to national competition nine times since 1990, and they have won two national championships. Mary Ann has won numerous personal awards, including the highest educator award presented by the AAF. The knowledge she has passed on to her students has enabled dozens to land jobs with many agencies.

Adan Trevino, Houston:
Founded on August 2, 1984 by J. Adán Treviño and a business partner, KXLN became the first Spanish-language television station in the Houston market when it first signed on the air on September 18, 1987. Adan is considered the “father of Spanish language television” in Houston. He was President/CEO of Pueblo Broadcasting Company and ran KXLN-TV Channel 45 for several years, until they sold it to the Univision Network. He grew the station to 24-hour broadcasts, founded the first 5:00 and 10:00 PM newscasts and became one of the largest billing stations in the entire Univision system. Adan is one of the founders of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and was chairman of the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers, served on multiple boards and foundations.