About Us

Kelly Leighton

Vice President

Kelly is an accomplished communications, marketing and business development executive, driven by a passion for connecting brands and people through meaningful experiences and purposeful engagements. She is part of Look East’s association management team where she leads growth and development for The Center for Food Integrity.

Kelly spent her formative years on her grandparent’s farm and canning operation in Georgia, where she had a front-row seat to the process of how the vegetables are grown on the family farm, then harvested, canned and sold on grocery shelves under the Margaret Holmes brand name (her great-grandmother).

From that early age, Kelly developed an interest in and passion for how our food is grown, processed, packaged, marketed and ultimately consumed.  Kelly turned that curiosity around the “how”, into a career articulating the “why” and the “how-to” – a career steeped in the importance of honest communication and humanizing brands through storytelling.

With 20 years of leadership experience, Kelly has created communications and marketing strategies for organizations including The Coca-Cola Company, Turner Broadcasting, Cargill, the NBA and a number of emerging CPG brands. At The Center for Food Integrity, she leads member development, facilitates stakeholder engagement and helps organizations across the food/ag value chain build trust in today’s food system.

Kelly earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!), while competing as a middle-distance runner on the UGA track team.  She and her family now make their home in Minneapolis, where Kelly continues to enjoy running around Lake Minnetonka or exploring the great outdoors with her children.

Grace Graham

Project Manager

Detail-oriented with a knack for organization, Grace keeps our clients and team on track to ensure success across projects.

Born and raised in rural Nebraska, she moved to Kansas City after graduating from Northwest Missouri State with a bachelor’s in communication: public relations and a minor in business. Grace has extensive experience on the agency scene as a project and content manager, event coordinator and public relations professional. Now, she is delighted to be living back in Nebraska where roots on her family’s farm run deep and working at Look East using her skills to help clients build trust in today’s food system.

When she’s not managing timelines, wrangling budgets or strategizing new projects, Grace can be found on the farm tending her garden, cooking up a new recipe, traveling or coordinating a wedding.

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).

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.

Michael Whitmer

Vice President

Michael brings over two decades of strategic marketing communications expertise to Look East, specializing in crafting compelling narratives that build strong bridges between brands and diverse audiences. With a proven track record of integrated marketing strategies that deliver tangible results, Michael excels at discovering the unique message of a brand and creating the right connections that build trust.

A seasoned leader, Michael has held pivotal roles such as Group Account Director at a leading communication agency and Director of Marketing Communications for a prominent farmer commodity organization. His ability to forge strong connections between brands and stakeholders has been instrumental in driving success across diverse industries. His passion lies in utilizing strategic communication to boost knowledge, increase sales, and contribute to sustainable practices in the food and agribusiness sector.

When not revolutionizing marketing strategies, Michael enjoys family life in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife and four children. He holds an MBA from Webster University, where he also served as an Adjunct Professor.

Jana McGuire

Senior Account Director

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.

Donna Moenning

Senior Account Director

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 values 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.

Susan Wallace

Content Manager

Susan thinks of writing as working a puzzle and she enjoys taking facts, figures and pieces of information and fitting them together to create a picture. As content manager, she works with Look East clients to develop and deploy digital communication strategies including websites, newsletters, news releases, webinars and thought leadership.

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. She has also served as communications director for an agriculture non-profit and was 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. She and her husband recently bought a small acreage and are enjoying life where the roads are paved with gravel.

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.