Toby Lucich - principal, Herder-in-Chief

In twenty years working with startups to Fortune 50 organizations, he’s become obsessed with inspiring teams to dig in, build deeper commitments, and produce work to be proud of. His sky-is-the-limit thinking allows him to see untapped potential and is the inspiration behind the Leverage model.

Return Leverage was founded to help effective leaders recapture capacity in their day, delegating blocking and tackling tasks to self-starters who win on their behalf, so they focus where they’re effective, challenged, and can realize their full capacity. 

Alexis bennett - Sr. Communications Manager

She got her start in business pedaling homemade calendars to her neighbors, and has been “bulldogging” people ever since, pursuing problems others aren't eager to solve.

Her experience in publishing, contributing as an on-staff editor and freelance writer for Web and print publications, and consumer brands, allows her to help clients improve communication across teams, departments, and organizations. 

Kellie Gordon - Communications Consultant

Kellie’s love of language began as a kid with memorizing parts of speech to the catchy Schoolhouse Rock tune – “Conjunction Junction, what’ s your function?” A staple of her Saturday morning cartoon lineup.

Kellie first put her English degree to work for her in broadcasting, sharpening her writing chops composing succinct  copy that’s as friendly in print as it is to the ear. Since then, she’s been putting words on paper, packaging, screens and more – on the agency side as well as the business side, with expertise in helping healthcare organizations share their stories of service and care.

Mackenzie koch - Visual Communications specialist

Mackenzie’s passion for visual/digital content began when she discovered the creative side of technology. She started developing her skills in videography and video editing in 2010 and has since expanded into photography, fine arts, 3D modeling, and social media platforms. She graduated from Washington State University Vancouver to strengthen her knowledge of the digital world and has had wonderful experiences working with The Historic Trust as their Co-Team Leader of the Content Development Team for their AR experience and North County Community Food Bank as their digital designer of their new website.

Her love for how the creative side of technology and people can develop together drives her forward in helping businesses portraying their beliefs and concepts to their current or future clients.

Annelise Bunch - Marketing Manager

Give Annelise any task, and she will get it done! A natural born communicator, Annelise will keep you informed along the way of your campaign deliverables. You can count on her for no last-minute surprises and seeing your project through from start to finish.

Outside of work, Annelise enjoys traveling internationally, hiking, downhill skiing and spending time with family and friends in the beautiful PNW.

Sam Sather, RL COllaborator - Marketing & Communication Expert

Sam is a jack-of-all trades communication and marketing lead. Her start in the ad-agency world, first as a media planner and then in account services, took a sharp left into non-profit leadership where she honed her MarCom chops and soup-to-nuts understanding of business. She’s served as a working manager with organizations, such as the American Red Cross, private foundations, and for-profit companies. She’s also an accomplished writer who's crafted public-facing materials to support business event and operational needs, has published with several print titles, and has student loans to prove that she can explain the difference between picture and image when talking design.

Her skill planning and facilitating integrated marketing, communications, PR, development, and advertising programs enable her to catapult RL clients to unanticipated levels of maturity. Her get-in-the-weeds-with-you management style makes her a champion and a collaborator leaders count on.

Sydney Butler, RL Collaborator - Communications specialist

Born with the gift of gab, it's her personal mission to help others grow, develop, and gain confidence in their communication ability. She's a graduate of Boise State University, and furthered her understanding of public communication through years as a rodeo queen, and as a communications intern with St. Luke's Health Systems.

Sydney's attention to detail and commitment to helping others allows her to refine organization's message and marketing approach as a member of the Return Leverage team.

dylan Pedersen, RL Collaborator - technical project management

When not wearing the hat of IT Director & Co-Founder of Touchstone Claim Solutions or Co-Founder & CTO of Ataraxis, Inc.., he helps clients use technology to further their business goals. He played for 10 years at Hewlett Packard supporting Helpdesk implementations, business development, and technical implementations for Fortune 500s and 100s. 

He's a do-gooder who does right by clients without batting an eye; giving them what they need, and no more. It’s the reason we’re his biggest fans (well, with the exception maybe of his wife and kids). 

Rhea Hefner, RL Collaborator - project & Meeting management extraordinaire 

A professional watcher-doer, she's honed her ability to facilitate tough conversations and set clear expectations through contributions and as a leader at Fortune 500s, such as GE Capital, Starbucks, Washington Mutual, among others. 

Her analytical approach and natural leadership abilities allows her to seamlessly lead as the expert of our blended-model project teams and to support effective business leaders. She applies tact and rigor to all circumstances, and like all Return Leverage collaborators, knows that clear communication, which includes listening to understand, achieves the greatest outcomes. 

Mark Brogna, RL Collaborator - Portfolio and Project Management

Mark is a technology-focused project- and portfolio-management expert who partners with clients to dissect process and data issues and formalize systems that streamline business. With over 20 years’ experience as a business and IT consultant, Mark is fluent in system-design best practices, proven analytical and implementation methodologies, and has broad process knowledge to aid organizations in solving complex IT challenges that impede business outcomes.

Mark has delivered solutions around project and idea ingestion, resource and capacity planning, and workflows that drive process, in addition to enterprise data planning for clients, such as The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Department of Energy, AARP, State Farm Insurance, and Molina Healthcare.