About Us

Heidi Darrington

Project Manager

Joining the team in early 2022, Heidi brings a strong background in communication, food and agriculture to Look East. Her experience includes brand marketing, sales support, digital marketing, corporate communications, event management and project management.

Heidi has deep roots in the agriculture industry and is proud to be Iowa-born and farm fed, raised on a cow-calf and row crop farm in southwest Iowa, where her family still farms today. She attended Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!) and received her bachelor’s degree in agriculture and life sciences education, communication, and a minor in event management.

Prior to joining the Look East team, Heidi spent her professional career on the corporate side, building her comms acumen and agency appreciation from the client perspective. To her core, she is a critical thinker and problem solver who is constantly working to move projects to completion to take advantage of the next opportunity or project.

Outside of working hours, Heidi likes to explore Kansas City in search of the city’s best margarita, relax with a book, spend quality time with family and friends, and soak up sunshine.

Charlie Arnot

CEO

Charlie started this whole thing back in 2004. A member of NAMA and PRSA, Charlie is recognized as an industry leader on food and agriculture issues and is a thought-provoking writer and speaker. His incredible leadership skills and knack for forming genuine connections mean he’s met practically everyone there is to know in food and agriculture. Chances are, you’re already connected.

Winner of an Associated Press award for Best Radio News Reporting, Charlie began his career in journalism and worked in film and video production prior to working in public relations and corporate communications. Today, he provides innovative strategic insight and helps leading companies and associations find new solutions to persistent challenges regarding issues management, communications and public affairs.

Growing up in rural Nebraska, his family always had horses, cattle, chickens and a couple of pigs every now and then. His first paying job (besides putting up hay) was working in a restaurant, and he loves to cook. Try his pulled pork sometime—it’s the best.

Amy te Plate-Church

Vice President

Not only does Amy enjoy working with people, but she’s a joy to work with. Her positive energy, enthusiasm and knack for bringing others together to collaborate toward a common cause.

On a day to day basis, she works with agribusinesses and farm groups to create and carry out trust-building communication strategies. Each organization she works with has different and changing needs, which makes for a challenge she really enjoys.

Amy is well-regarded as a speaker, writer, public relations pro, educator and facilitator. Before joining us, she spent 20 years with a dairy and livestock cooperative, where she led public relations, marketing and business development projects.

Amy loves to cook, and when she has time, she likes to pick a new recipe and completely concentrate on the ingredients and process. Her family then votes if it’s a “keeper” or not.

Roxi Beck

President

Roxi focuses on consumers nearly 100% of the time. That means digging into research on consumer perspectives, building programs that put research findings into action to connect with consumers, and ultimately working directly with consumers by giving them unique, interactive, hands-on experiences to engage fully and transparently with those in the food industry.

A strategic PR pro and truly passionate person, Roxi joined us back in 2007 because she wanted the opportunity to apply strategy in new ways, help solve challenges for folks in the food industry, and work with a team that laughed in the face of “business as usual.”

Roxi believes that having genuine motives, a straightforward approach and solid communication skills can move mountains (this applies to clients, adversaries, kids, life partners…pretty much anyone).

Randa Niederhauser

Business Manager

Randa does everything not PR. She manages accounting, HR, IT and facilities, and she’s got a knack for staying calm under pressure.

Previously, Randa worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in financial planning and budget and cost analysis. The dynamics of agriculture fit very well with Randa’s interest in economics. The concepts of opportunity cost, supply and demand and markets have always interested her.

A recovering soccer mom and hopeless Francophile, she is active in her church’s music program and The Mission Project, an organization that enables capable adults with developmental or cognitive disabilities to live independently and safely in community with minimal support.

Terry Fleck

Vice President

Terry leads and directs our association management division. If you need help with a not-for-profit, he’s your guy. He enjoys association work because it’s about people, principle and improving the common good. He enjoys serving others while building trust and making a difference that lasts over time.

Terry brings to Look East a wealth of experience from local, state, national and international levels in public relations, sales, international development/diplomacy, association leadership and policy. He worked international market development positions in Washington, D.C., and Vienna, Austria, before spending nearly 16 years working with the Indiana Pork Industry.

He’s been awarded a Meritorious Service Award from the Indiana Pork Industry, as well as Sagamore of the Wabash—the state of Indiana’s highest award for service to its citizens.

Susan Wallace

Content Manager

Susan is a writer of articles, news releases, blog posts, Best Food Facts and just about anything else with words on it. To her, writing is like working a puzzle, where she takes facts, figures and pieces of information and fits them together to create a picture.

She brings extensive journalism and writing experience to Look East, having served as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers for more than a dozen years. As an agriculture preparedness specialist, she developed a 15-county agriculture emergency response plan. She has also served as communications director for an agriculture non-profit and is a member of the local University Extension Council.

Susan grew up in a big family on a small farm in rural Missouri. Lessons learned on hot summer days in the hay field—teamwork, doing a job right the first time and sticking with a chore until it’s done—have proven valuable. Even though she lives in town, she grows a garden and visits the farm whenever she gets a chance.

Melanie Fitzpatrick

Vice President of Operations

Melanie brings decades of experience and leadership in agriculture to Look East as a former client. Fitzpatrick helped The Center of Food Integrity launch the animal ag committee when she served as U.S. Utilization Director for the United Soybean Board. Fitzpatrick most recently served as senior director of marketing and communications for The Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Corn Growers Association.

Fitzpatrick will leads and support Look East in operations, including finance and accounting, information systems, human resources and other related functions. Fitzpatrick received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and an MBA from Webster University.

Melanie and her husband live in St. Louis. When she’s not working from her remote office, spending time with her pups or riding her horse, she visits the Look East home office in Kansas City.

Jamie Rzewnicki

Senior Manager, Digital

Jamie works with clients to create social media and digital strategies that collaborate with marketing, public relations and advertising campaigns. To do so, she researches top influencers, competitors and trends in the food and agriculture industries. She loves engaging with communities and consumers no matter the medium, and it suits her perfectly in her role as senior digital manager.

Born and raised in Liberal, Kansas, she moved to Kansas City after graduating from Kansas State University with a BA in journalism and mass communications, as well as a minor in hospitality management.

Jamie is what we lovingly refer to as a “boomerang” – Jamie spent the first two years of her career at Look East, spent two years at a global PR agency in Kansas City, and is now back on the Look East team.

When she’s not working, you can find her visiting local breweries and eats, spending time with her friends and family, traveling to new places, binging Netflix shows or curling up with a good book.

Donna Moenning

Senior Account Manager

Donna is known for her insight on consumer confidence in food and agriculture, and her strategic and creative initiatives in communicating values to build trust.  From project management to video production, Donna has the ability to bring refreshing new ideas to the table that cut through the clutter to achieve the desired communication goals.

She joined our team in 2013 with three decades of leadership experience in public relations and issues/crisis management including seven years with the former National Live Stock and Meat Board, and nine years with the Midwest Dairy Association. Donna’s journey also includes a number of years behind the microphone as a broadcast journalist. She believes all effective communication begins with understanding your audience, which is why she value’s Look East’s consumer trust research.

Donna lives on a crop and livestock farm with her husband and three children in southeast Minnesota.  Her life experiences include (but are far from limited to) competing in a combine demolition derby, working with Julia Child and Baseball Hall of Famer, Nolan Ryan, and speaking to food system stakeholders in more than 35 states and Canada.

Jana McGuire

Senior Account Manager

Teased for being the Look East night owl, Jana prides herself on being a good steward of her client’s time and resources, even if it’s 2 a.m. But don’t worry—she won’t call you after midnight.

Jana dons many hats to help clients reach important audiences with the right messages. Whether that’s through writing, training, video production or creative strategy, she brings a broad range of skills to the job each day.

Before Look East, Jana was a radio and television reporter and worked in public relations at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before pursuing a freelance career as a writer, video producer and on-camera/voice-over talent. ABC and NBC news, “Extra” and “America’s Most Wanted” were among her clients. Billionaire Warren Buffett, rocker Tommy Lee and a woman who left her husband because he snored were some of her most memorable assignments.

Beginning at the age of 9, Jana played alongside Mom, Dad and her sisters in the family band for 21 years – and she still plays today. They were a bit like the Partridge Family – only, instead of a spacious bus they traveled in a white station wagon with wooden side panels.

Deb Arcoleo

Deb is a veteran of the CPG industry having spent time in new product innovation at Campbell Soup and The Hershey Company. Her role as Director of Product Transparency at Hershey and her leadership of the creation of the national SmartLabel program have given her a deep appreciation for the complexities of communicating with the public about how food is grown and produced. With a previous career in management consulting and organizational development, Deb is keenly aware of the organizational change challenges today’s businesses face.

Deb is passionate about building consumer trust in the food system and in helping companies with transparency strategy. In her off hours, you will find Deb cycling the hills of central PA, in a hot yoga class or lounging with her dog and a good book.

Karleen Lensing

Project Manager

Karleen first honed her skills for managing complex projects growing up on her family’s heritage farm in Iowa. She now uses those talents to serve Look East’s clients.

As project manager, Karleen provides day-to-day management and execution of all types of client programs, all while tracking goals and managing budgets. Karleen enjoys serving agriculture and food clients because it gives her the opportunity to collaborate on issues and topics that are important to her.

After graduating from the University of Northern Iowa, Karleen worked in the banking industry, then served at a full-service marketing agency before joining Look East.

When she is not keeping Look East organized, Karleen likes to do things with her three younger sisters – as long as they don’t have to pick rocks out the fields like they did growing up. She enjoys outdoor activities and exploring places in the world she’s never been before.

Vicki Landtiser

Administrative and Projects Assistant

Vicki is responsible for the day-to-day administrative support to our president and management teams, as well as the scheduling, logistics and execution of speaking engagements, events and meetings.  She is also known to do pretty much anything else that is handed to her.

With more than eight years of event management and over ten years of office management, Vicki is a pro at the logistics of handling speaker requests, planning events and helping the team get “stuff” done – whatever that may be.

If you drop by her house, you might find her practicing for the next solo she will be performing at church, cooking, absorbed in a good book or spoiling her cocker spaniel, Bella.

She will greet you with a smile and her philosophy at both work and home is that it is better to be kind than right.

Keely Coppess

Account Director

One generation removed from the family farm, account director Keely Coppess loves food and the people who produce it. She has spent the last 15 years helping food, agriculture, construction and manufacturing clients tell their stories.

From arranging product placements and hosting media events to navigating tough situations like the COVID-19-related meat processing plant shutdowns, Keely enjoys helping the ag community and building relationships along the way.

Keely is a native Iowan and has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Iowa State University and earned a master’s in communication degree from Drake University. She is an avid Iowa State Cyclones football fan, a recreational runner and enjoys traveling to explore new places.