The Team
Kelly McMurray
Founder and Creative Director
Kelly is a creative director with more than 20 years’ experience. She began her career as an editorial designer working on a range of magazines in the B-to-B and consumer marketplace. Publication design allowed her to foster her love of design systems and narrative visual concepts. She brings that sense of storytelling and system design to develop content-rich, visual communications.
She oversees the Design Internship Program at the College of Saint Rose and has taught at the Art Institute of Boston, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, and Metropolitan State College of Denver. She received an MFA with a focus on new media from Mass College of Art & Design.
Kelly has presented at CASE, UCDA, AIGA, and AM+P on the topic of design. Her work has received recognition for art direction and design from AIGA, AM+P, AAF, ASME, CASE, SPD, UCDA, Society of Illustrators, and Print magazine. She loves shopping for textiles when she travels and not-so-secretly wants to be a bag designer.
Chris St. Cyr
Creative Director
Chris is a creative director at 2communiqué. He began his career in book and custom magazine publishing and was an early adopter of interactive design. His work focuses on the usability of editorial content in digital media.
Chris has an MFA from Mass College of Art & Design and currently teaches interactive design courses at the College of Saint Rose. He has also taught at the Sage Colleges, Ringling College of Art & Design, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, the Art Institute of Boston, and the University of Denver. Chris has presented at UCDA and AIGA on the topic of interactive design. His work has received recognition from AIGA, AM+P, AAF, CASE, and UCDA.
J Walker
Design Manager
J is a designer at 2communiqué. An adventurous background in fine arts and non-profit design helps J bring a unique perspective to the team. She has a BFA from The College of Saint Rose where she further developed her passion for specialty packaging and editorial design. Her poetry book won first place for design in the juried Undergraduate Art Exhibition and her senior project received honorable mention at Albany Center Gallery’s OUTPUT show. J is an unabashed foodie, animal lover, and film buff. At home she loves to cook and dabbles in crafting natural, small-batch goods and body products.
Sarah Sampson
Junior Designer
Sarah is a junior designer at 2communiqué. She is a current senior at the College of Saint Rose, working towards a degree in graphic design (BFA) with a minor in photography. She received runner-up for best in show in the juried Undergraduate Art Exhibition her sophomore year, and recently had her work displayed in the “Photography in Iceland” exhibition at the College of Saint Rose. At home she cherishes the time she is able to spend with her dog, and loves to spend her time making jewelry, learning how to skateboard, or reading short stories.
Jackson St. Cyr
Junior Marketing Assistant
Jackson joined the studio as an intern and proved to be a valuable member of the team. His work focuses on digital media, including photography, video, and social. He likes to look beyond the surface to analyze data and strategies for effective social media marketing. He also brings a unique perspective to the studio as a representative of the target audience of the admission work we create for independent schools as well as higher education. When not tracking our social media he is researching best practices on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.
Karli Pawlak
Design Consultant
Samantha White Perret
Bookkeeper
Sam is much more than just the bookkeeper at 2communiqué. She helps out with all aspects of studio management and loves getting lost in spreadsheets. At home, you’ll find Sam experimenting with gluten-free ingredients, refinishing old furniture, and playing with her daughter.
Strategic Partners
Vicki Glembocki
Vicki Glembocki is an award-winning journalist and editorial consultant who brings a unique perspective on communications, having worked inside the ivory tower (as an editor at Penn State, Pitt, and Dartmouth) and in the commercial world—from city magazines with a circulation of 120,000 to national publications with 10.5 million subscribers worldwide. She specializes in crafting can’t-put-it-down stories and guiding others to get the most mileage out of their content. Vicki has partnered with us on numerous redesigns including the award-winning redesigns of Bowdoin and CJON.
Michelle Lansing
Michelle Lansing is a creative and content strategist with more than 20 years experience working in marketing and higher education. As vice president of creative strategy at Zone 5, she led creative efforts for a number of colleges and universities, including Algoma University, North Carolina A&T State University, and SUNY Plattsburgh. She also served as the enrollment management communications strategist at Siena College, and is the author of the children’s sticker storybook series, Finny and The Biff. Michelle has worked with our team on a number of projects including Science X Design and Alliance for Better Health.
Mark Sheehy
Mark Sheehy has 15 years’ experience as a writer and creative director, much of it spent with Lipman Hearne and mStoner. He has worked on a wide variety of projects for a diverse range of institutions including the University of Cincinnati, Brown University, and William & Mary College. He has a knack for sussing out the (sometimes little) things that make an institution unique and finding compelling ways to call attention to those distinctions. Mark was instrumental on the award-winning communications we developed for RPI and Noble and Greenough.
Cheryl Della Pietra
Cheryl has been a copy editor for 20 years. She has worked as a freelancer for Us Weekly, Elle, and LIFE magazines, and was the copy chief at Fast Company magazine. She has also worked on the websites for SmartMoney and IEEE Spectrum. She was an instructor for the Media Bistro organization for six years and currently teaches copy editing for UC-San Diego. Cheryl works with us on numerous projects, including the award-winning Nobles magazine.
Noah Friedman/Original Vessel
As a Capital Region native, Noah Friedman has always been immersed in sports, the outdoors, and the community. After attending Siena College for his undergraduate degree, he leads an active lifestyle, involved in many projects. With Noah’s keen eye for design and direction, his attention to detail and innovative style make each creation personal. Original Vessel’s focus is to provide promotional and commercial services, spotlight lifestyle and community projects, as well as showcase sporting and athletic events.
Igor Aronov/Far Creative
After graduating from School of Visual Arts in 1997, Igor had worked as a lead designer for a variety of companies, including About.com and Random House. In 2010, after spending a year on various freelance projects, Igor became a co-founder of FAR Creative, a NY-based development studio specializing in collaboration with various design companies in building custom, easy to update websites and applications.