After years of successful collaboration, Bates Creative is excited to announce that Mark DeVito has joined Bates Creative Founder and CEO, Debbie Bates-Schrott, as partner and president of the agency. This significant addition is the first big move Bates Creative takes as it expands as a brand experience agency in the competitive Washington, D.C.landscape and beyond.

Mark will assist in the next evolution of Bates Creative alongside Debbie by establishing creative cohesion to the agency's 14-year old brand. As President, Mark brings a new depth of brand strategy and creative development to all Bates Creative clients with more than 20 years of experience leading brand-centric campaigns and creative content strategies.

"Debbie Bates-Schrott has built an impressive agency both from the client experience to the inner culture and I couldn't be happier to plan our next steps together," Mark said. "I can't imagine a better partner who understands and has embraced how strategy drives the creative process, and how new technology is changing the game every day for our industry. It's great to have forged a relationship with her and Bates Creative and even better to think about where our organization is headed."

Through the years leading up to Mark's new role as president, he has worked with Bates Creative on strategic initiatives for Booz Allen Hamilton, The American Marketing Association, McDonald's, The United States Army and many other cross-vertical clients. Mark and Debbie also currently sit on the Board of Directors for The American Marketing Association, Washington D.C. chapter, which is recognized as the country's third largest chapter with more than 900 members.

"Since founding Bates Creative in 2003, I have been working to continuously grow an agency that fosters creativity from within," Debbie said. "Mark's move to join our team comes at a pivotal time where the synergy of branding, digital and marketing sets the new standard for customized experiences. Having Mark on the team is just the beginning of what is yet to come."

With Mark on board, Bates Creative is undergoing a wave of momentum that is sure to make 2018 a year to remember.