Orlando

Atlanta

Birmingham

What’s in a name?

Named for the Watauga River – from the heart of the South, Eastern Tennessee where folks honor traditional values, people know their neighbors, and a handshake is all the contract anybody needs.

pronounced ‘wo-taw-guh’

As we grow we need contracts and our client logos are more recognizable. But our name reminds us of our southern roots…to do smart work but stay humble while doing what we love, and serve our clients.

Our Team

Our directors and supervisors average 21+ years experience.

Chief Executive Officer

Leslie Osborne

Founder of Watauga Group, Leslie oversees all client and partner relationships. She began her media career at YPB&R where her passion for travel and tourism was discovered. Her experience over the years has led her to be one of our industry experts in the field, as well as expanding her expertise in industries such as Healthcare and Recruitment.

Chief Liaison Officer

Neil Romaine

With experience ranging from Senior Vice President & Media Director for 12-years to 10-years of direct response marketing while Director at Medical Hair Restoration, Neil exceeds expectations to achieve campaigns that are best of breed and deliver outstanding returns.

Chief Marketing Officer

Michelle Evans

Michelle has three decades of experience under her belt from managing multimillion dollar media budgets for The Home Depot and Nissan to working one on one to develop strategy and provide insight for Ruby Tuesday. She also formally led rebranding efforts of Georgia Tourism.

Chief Process Officer

Jenny Williams

Jenny keeps Watauga clients and partners up to speed on all things digital, breaking down platforms and processes so they are easy to understand. She has helped develop strategic media plans for clients across several industries, including Sports & Outdoors, Travel and Entertainment.

Chief Vision Officer

Charles Osborne

Charles drives the vision and growth of Watauga Group. Combining his many years of managerial experience in hospitality and restaurants with his degree in Electrical Engineering, Charles has the ability to see beyond today and focus on steps for tomorrow.

Melonie Sturm
Media Director
Melonie joined the Watauga Group in January, 2017 after 17 years on the media and account service teams at Luckie & Company. Prior to agency life, she spent eight years Read More
Melonie SturmMedia Director

Melonie joined the Watauga Group in January, 2017 after 17 years on the media and account service teams at Luckie & Company. Prior to agency life, she spent eight years working in the marketing and advertising departments of Alabama Power Company as the lead planner for Alabama Power. She continues that role 17 years later and has taken on a variety of other clients and industries over the years. Other current clients include planning and account supervision on Visit Panama City Beach, Somerby Senior Living, and Gulf Power.

Ryan Powers
Director of Programmatic Media
Ryan joined Watauga Group in May of 2014 and has more than 12-years of digital media and marketing experience. Ryan oversees our team of programmatic specialists, which includes managing all Read More
Ryan PowersDirector of Programmatic Media

Ryan joined Watauga Group in May of 2014 and has more than 12-years of digital media and marketing experience. Ryan oversees our team of programmatic specialists, which includes managing all paid search, social and display platforms. He has helped our team grow into a Google Premier Partner, the highest level partnership possible with Google, as well as continue to stay on top of the latest trends and technology in the ever-changing digital space. He oversees programmatic strategy on all accounts at the agency which include travel, recruitment, healthcare, CPG and several others.

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