THIS IS OUR TEAM.

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    Wendy Puffer, MFA, NCIDQ

    Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

    Wendy brings 41 years of experience leading teams and 21 years teaching undergraduate students. Since the launch of MDC in 2016, she leverages her experience bringing the design process to her clients so they’re empowered to make empathetic decisions for their clients. With an MA in Interior Design and an MFA in Design Thinking, her work with clients has ranged from residential and commercial interior design placemaking projects to strategic design thinking sessions for a range of businesses, organizations, and communities.

    As a native born of Korean descent, raised in an adoptive American culture, she understands the experience of being perceived one way while living in a culture of another. It’s through this lens that her value for authentic stories has flourished.

    Wendy’s greatest joy is seeing people come together to work toward grand initiatives who otherwise might not have considered being partners. She welcomes the challenge to bring people of opposing views together and has seen successful collaboration on a national and local level.

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    Willie Smith

    Chief Design Officer

    Willie brings years of experience working with clients conducting all things human-centered design! He studied Alternative Process Photography and Design at Indiana Wesleyan and has his coaching certification through Lark’s Song. He’s worked in creative teams at non-profits and creative agencies. His work has been focused on storytelling and the visual arts, creative direction, brand solutions, design systems, and video production. His entrepreneurial spirit led to a passion for helping businesses use storytelling to connect with their audiences.

    He loves spending time with his wife and kids on their small homestead, playing with his band, reading philosophy and fiction, plotting the arcs of movie storylines, and film photography.

  • Black and white professional portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length hair, wearing a dark turtleneck sweater, a blazer, and a necklace, against a plain background.

    Colleen Cavanaugh

    Financial Manager

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    Emily Troutner

    Design Advisor

    Emily has a BA in Visual Communication Design and a minor in Marketing from Grace College, her design work with clients has ranged from branding initiatives and marketing campaigns to custom illustrations and publication designs for a variety of businesses and nonprofit organizations.

    Born and raised in Goshen, Indiana, she moved to Marion in 2022 after marrying her husband, Peter Troutner. Emily is passionate about using her creative voice as an advocate to visually share the stories of others as a way to bring people together, inspire positive change, and turn the dreams of passionate people into reality.

    Good design starts with being a good listener so she takes the time to understand what makes each client unique and goes the extra mile to ensure no detail is overlooked. Whether through graphic design, branding, or illustration, every work is a unique reflection of the story behind it.

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    Peter Troutner

    Design Advisor

    Peter Troutner started as an intern in 2017. He studied Graphic Design and Honors Humanities at Indiana Wesleyan and in addition to his work with MDC is the lead designer at IWU. With a love of branding, creative writing, and typography he loves to find connections, think deeply, and design creatively the stories he encounters.

    Although he grew up in Columbus Ohio his time as an intern at Marion Design Co made him fall in love with Marion and see the influence a single person can have on a community. Ultimately he decided to stay and lives in Marion with his wife, Emily.

    Peter describes himself as designer, collage artist, and liturgical poet - all of which require taking various sometimes seemingly unrelated things and finding the connections, beauty, and truth beneath ideas, concepts, pieces of paper, or biblical stories.

Join Our Team

Are you a bold thinker who believes in the power of design for community?

There are no additional openings at this time. Feel free to submit your resume, we will review on a regular basis and consider when openings are available.

Regardless of the position, we expect:
You must have experience working in your field for 2+ years and we prefer an undergraduate degree completed in a related field.

Good communication skills are critical to ensuring the design process is empathetic.

You must be living in Grant County or be willing to move to Grant County soon after being hired.

Please send a cover letter and resume to hello@mariondesign.co

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Four people sitting at a table in a modern office, smiling and laughing, with laptops, notebooks, and water bottles on the table.
A group of six diverse young adults, five women and one man, walking and smiling on an urban sidewalk near a building with classical columns on a sunny day.

THESE ARE COHORTS 2016-2025.

2025

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Wendy Puffer
Co-Founder & CEO

Willie Smith
Chief Design Officer

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A young woman with long hair and a big smile standing in an office or classroom, with a large logo and text on the wall behind her. The logo appears to be a stylized number 2, and the text reads "Take a Part, Sign a Contract."
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A smiling woman with long wavy hair standing against a brick wall outdoors in black and white.
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Janelle Lamsa
Marketing Strategist and Business Assistant

Jake Fiore
Graphic Designer

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Emily Troutner
Design Advisor

Peter Troutner
Design Advisor

Isabelle Lucas
Communications Intern

Misty Fox
Gallery & Hospitality Coordinator

Colleen Cavanaugh
Financial Manager

Tony Myers
Admin Assistant

Savannah Byars
Graphic Design Intern

2024

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Wendy Puffer
Co-Founder & CEO

Emily Troutner
Chief Design Officer

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Angie Thompson
Chief Financial Officer

Brittany Long
Operations Facilitator

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Peter Troutner
Senior Graphic Designer

Willie Smith
Senior Graphic Designer

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Ben Tadevich
Graphic Designer

Jake Fiore
Graphic Designer

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Misty Fox
Art Gallery Intern

Janelle Lamsa
Business Intern

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Tabby Lo
Graphic Design Intern

Amaya Thompson
Business Intern

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Josie Schaurer
Graphic Design Intern

2023

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Emily Troutner
Senior Graphic Designer

Angie Thompson
Chief Financial Officer

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Anna McCreary
Graphic Design Intern

Danielle Hembrock
Interior Design Intern

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Emily Dexter
Copywriting Intern

Misty Fox
Art Gallery Intern

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Josie Schaurer
Graphic Design Intern

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A smiling woman with glasses, earrings, and a name tag that reads "Wendy Puffer," wearing a white coat.

Peter Troutner
Chief Creative Officer & Creative Director

Wendy Puffer
Co-Founder & Chief Design Officer

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Ben Tadevich
Graphic Designer

Brittany Long
Operations Facilitator

2022

Wendy Puffer
Co-Founder & Chief Design Officer

Peter Troutner
Chief Creative Officer & Creative Director

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Emily Troutner
Senior Graphic Designer

Jenna Beemer
Designer

A smiling woman with wavy hair, wearing earrings and a necklace, standing in front of a tiled wall.

Isabel Bostick
Copywriting Intern

Lexi Kirchner
Placemaking Intern

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Khesed Ritchie
Placemaking Intern

Jared Stand
Placemaking Intern

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Hannah Slota
Illustration Intern

Christina Russell
Videography Intern

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Audra Frieden
Design and Placemaking Intern

Mattea Fry
Design Intern

Hannah Gjertson
Copywriting and Design Intern

Anna Rodman
Videography Intern

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Landin Brown
Design Intern

Michelle Bonilla
Placemaking Intern

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Jared Strand
Placemaking Intern

Julia Evans
Design Intern

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Madison Lohr
Design Intern

Sydney Schmidt
Design Intern

2021

Our creative leaders and interns are the heartbeat of Marion Design Co. This year is one of immense growth for our downtown and for us. We have a fantastic team this Fall of four students and one designer, who are collaborating fiercely on community projects.

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Jessica Moore
Placemaking Design Intern

Jenna Beemer
Designer

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Black and white photo of a woman with glasses smiling, wearing a white jacket with a name tag that reads "Wendy Puffer".

Peter Troutner
Chief Creative Officer & Creative Director

Wendy Puffer
Co-Founder & Chief Design Officer

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Mark Fisk
Graphic Design Intern

Isabel Bostick
Copywriting Intern

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2020

Our creative leaders, fellows, and interns are the heartbeat of Marion Design Co. 2020 was a bit of a year for everyone, but we adjusted although it might a smaller cohort of students. Projects were still completed and good was still done here in Marion.

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Wendy Puffer
Co-Founder & Chief Placemaking Officer

Peter Troutner
Creative Director

Jenna Beemer
Teaching Assistant

Mark Fisk
Design Intern

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Black and white photo of a woman with shoulder-length hair, smiling and looking at the camera, outdoors in front of a blurred background.
A smiling woman with shoulder-length wavy hair, wearing a turtleneck sweater, standing outdoors in front of brick walls.
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Julia Evans
Design Intern

Michelle Bonilla
Placemaking Intern

2019

Our creative leaders, fellows, and interns are the heartbeat of Marion Design Co. Through their unique culture of collaboration and risk-taking, they foster both empathy and synergy to make a positive and lasting impact in Marion. With experience ranging in Social Impact Design, Place and Space Design, Graphic Design, Visual Art, Branding/Identity development, Strategic Communication, our interns are ready to take on the unknown. This group works hard and laughs harder while using their deep and wide variety of skills to serve the people of Marion.

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Jenna Beemer Design Intern

Grace Woodard
2019 Design Fellow

Jenna Beemer
Design Intern

Mark Fisk Design Intern
Sydney Schmidt Design Intern and Research Assistant
Hannah Gjertson Design Intern and Research Assistant
Angelica Oles Design Intern

Hannah Gjertson
Design Intern and Research Assistant

Angelica Oles
Design Intern

Julia Evans Design Intern
Elijah Salas Design Intern
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Herb Vincent Peterson
Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer

Luke Anspach
Co-Founder and Senior Digital Designer

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Henrik Soderstrom
Chief Ideation Designer and Making Coordinator

Wendy Puffer
Co-Founder & Chief Placemaking Officer

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Peter Troutner
Assistant Creative Director

Jizelle Miller
Assistant Creative Director

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Allie Lumpkin
2019 Design Fellow

Rebecca Kleppinger
2019 Design Fellow

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Graham Terry
2019 Design Fellow

Ben Tadevich
2019 Design Fellow

Sydney Schmidt
Design Intern and Research Assistant

Mark Fisk
Design Intern

Elijah Salas
Design Intern

Julia Evans
Design Intern

2018

Our creative interns are the heartbeat of Marion Design Co. Through their unique culture of collaboration and risk-taking, they foster both empathy and synergy to make a positive and lasting impact in Marion. With experience ranging in Social Impact Design, Place and Space Design, Graphic Design, Visual Art, Branding/Identity development, Strategic Communication, our interns are ready to take on the unknown. This group works hard and laughs harder while using their deep and wide variety of skills to serve the people of Marion.

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Herb Vincent Peterson
Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer

Luke Anspach
Co-Founder and Senior Digital Designer

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Henrik Soderstrom
Chief Ideation Designer and Making Coordinator

Wendy Puffer
Co-Founder & Chief Placemaking Officer

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Grace Woodard
Visual Art and Graphic Design Intern

Yeabsera Tabb
Placemaking Intern

2017

Our creative interns are the heartbeat of Marion Design Co. With experience consisting in visual communication design, social impact and peacemaking design, digital design, photography, illustration, marketing, strategic communication, and business administration and finance, our interns pack a dynamic punch ready to take on all social problems; big and small. Get to know them, stop by and say hello!

Marion Design Co. Banner
Black and white portrait of a smiling young man with medium-length hair and a beard, wearing a checkered collared shirt.
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Caleb Baker
Business Admin: Finance Intern

Micayla Christensen
Marketing Intern

Lauren Dafoe
Visual Art Intern: Photography

Annie Garcia
Copy & Strat Com Intern

Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with blonde hair on a beach.

Dani Welty
Placemaking Design Intern

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Sophia Hawkins
Graphic Design Intern

Micah Hamsher
Graphic Design Intern

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Moriah McReynolds
Visual Art Intern: Illustration

Rebecca Hoskins
Graphic Design Intern

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Peter Troutner
Graphic Design Intern

Jalen Moore
Digital Design Intern

2016

Gabrielle SchulteTeam Lead, Social Designer@yo_gaba_gabster
Jalen MooreWeb and Media Designer@jalenmichaelm 

Gabrielle Schulte
Team Lead, Social Designer

Jalen Moore
Web and Media Designer
 

Madison MosherGraphic Design & Prototyping Directorinstagram.com/mad.z 
Summer FisherTeam Lead, Graphic Designersummerrfisher.com 

Madison Mosher
Graphic Design & Prototyping Director

 

Summer Fisher
Team Lead, Graphic Designer

 

Jessee Country Miller
Social Designer
 

Sarah Collicott
Graphic Designer

Taylor Hite
Graphic Designer and Illustrator
 

Judah Oechsle
Graphic Designer

Claire ToonGraphic Designerinstagram.com/clairetoon

Claire Toon
Graphic Designer

Hunter RazoCreative Lead, Photo and Designhunterrazo.com 
Miranda FuchsCreative Lead, Photo and Designmirandacoralyn.com

Hunter Razo
Creative Lead, Photo and Design
 

Miranda Fuchs
Creative Lead, Photo and Design

Michael OverbeckTeam Lead, Graphic Design and Videomjoverbeck.com@mjoverbeck
Jizelle MillerTeam Lead, Graphic Designerinstagram/jizellemiller 

Michael Overbeck
Team Lead, Graphic Design and Video

Jizelle Miller
Team Lead, Graphic Designer

 

Sarah CollicottGraphic Designerinstagram.com/sarah_collicott
Jessee Country MillerSocial Designer 
Graham McClanahanDesign Researcher and Strategistlinkedin.com/graham-mcclanahan
Grace HerndonGraphic Designerinstagram.com/foxxyg

Graham McClanahan
Design Researcher and Strategist

Grace Herndon
Graphic Designer

Judah OechsleGraphic Designerinstagram.com/trinidadjudah
Taylor HiteGraphic Designer and Illustratorbechance.net/taylorkayhite 

OUR FOUNDERS

  • Black and white portrait of a man with long curly hair, beard, glasses, and a slight smile, standing outdoors in front of a building with windows.

    Luke Anspach

    Co-Founder
    lukeanspach.com @lukeanspach

  • Black-and-white portrait of a man with short hair and glasses, wearing a black zip-up hoodie, looking at the camera.

    Herb Vincent Peterson

    Co-Founder

    herbpeterson.com @herbvincentp

  • A woman with shoulder-length dark hair and glasses, smiling in a black and white photo, sitting near a window in an indoor setting.

    Wendy Puffer

    Co-Founder & Chief Design Officer wendypuffer.com @wendypuffer