Richmond Top Workplaces Program Recognizes WCG for Second Year
West Cary Group Honored with Top 20 Spot in Richmond Top Workplaces Program
We’re thrilled to share that West Cary Group (WCG) was recognized as a Richmond Top Workplace winner for 2022! The announcement came during a special ceremony hosted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and employee engagement technology partner Energage on May 26, 2022. This is the second consecutive Top Workplaces award for our agency. Last year, we placed number 23 in the small business category.
“To earn recognition as one of the best places to work in Greater Richmond is an honor. To improve upon our standing is even more gratifying,” said Moses Foster, WCG President and CEO. “We fuel winning creative for our clients through constant optimization and refinement, so it’s great when we can apply those same principles to our organization. This shows that we’re staying true to our values of diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and we’re cultivating a space where all our team members know their contributions matter – even during a period of explosive growth.”
WCG has 94 employees, more than half of whom have been hired in the past year. Last month, our agency held a 15th anniversary event to celebrate our progress and evolution.
Recognition for Top Workplaces is based solely on employee feedback gathered by a third-party survey administered by Energage. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization. This year, WCG was one of only 87 area companies to be honored.
“Our team members span the country – from Ohio to New Jersey to our home state of Virginia,” said WCG Human Resources Business Partner Krystal Baldwin. “Before our anniversary celebration last month when we transported everyone who could travel to Richmond, many of us had never met each other in person. So, I think it’s amazing that we’re able to build this strong bond and nurture a culture of belonging across the miles.”
This year, we were awarded the number 15 spot.
“When you feel your best, you’re able to produce your best. Together, we’re looking forward to furthering our story, delivering innovative strategies, and driving ROI for our clients.”
Dan Baker, WCG Chief Analytics Officer
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Love our company culture? Searching for a new, more fulfilling career? We’re always looking for new team members to take our strategies to the next level. Check out WCG’s Careers page and submit your resume today.
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
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
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Interested in becoming a member of the WCG Team? Visit our careers page to see what positions are currently available.
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
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Our work in the public sector includes RiverRenew, where we actually got the Alexandria community to care about wastewater. Take a look.