Our Team
The Awarding You team is poised to make life easier for the admins and the organizers of the corporate world, and we've been doing just that since 1993.
Tell us about your award needs, and we’ll do everything in our power to help make your gift planning easy and your award presentations run smoothly. It's written throughout our daily goals; we will always put you first. Read about us and our goals here.
Your Sales Team
brenda.gortowski@awardingyou.com
Brenda leads the sales team on their handling of both new and existing customer orders. Prior to Awarding You, Brenda was in the bridal industry for many years and has tons of great memories from those days but is happy to not be working nights and weekends any longer. Brenda's favorite pastimes include photography, reading, and spending time with her grandchildren. Her favorite quote is from the infamous Scarlet O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, "After all, tomorrow is another day." Brenda's main goal is to take on every challenge and use it as an opportunity to learn so that she can best manage the sales team and order processes.
jan.lescher@awardingyou.com
Jan Lescher is both resident baker at Awarding You and an Account Manager for the Northeast and Southeast regions. She sums up her work history by stating every position has always been in customer service of some type. Before coming onboard, she worked in the same territories, selling steel to be used in tools and casting molds. Jan's favorite pastimes include baking (of which we are all huge fans!) and spending time with her husband, kids, beautiful grandkids and (just a little surprisingly) playing the trombone in a 20-piece big band. Jan's favorite quote is, "Well-behaved women rarely make history", by the great Eleanor Roosevelt. Jan feels her day is complete when she has helped a customer solve a problem or helped them to find the perfect award for a special event.
katie.totheroh@awardingyou.com
Katie Totheroh has been an Account Manager for the Southwest and West Coast regions since 2018. Prior to that, Katie, worked in both Logistics and Customer Service and as an elementary school Administrative Assistant in Indiana for 11 years. Katie enjoys being outdoors as much as possible in the spring, summer and fall months. During the winter, she loves watching Hallmark Christmas movies while snuggled under a blanket (she doesn't enjoy Illinois winters!). Katie's favorite quote is from Mahatma Gandhi, "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." Her goal at Awarding You is to go above and beyond customer expectations by providing creative award solutions and by meeting or exceeding deadlines.
bob.barista@awardingyou.com
Bob manages key accounts and dealer relationships for Awarding You, and lends his experience to new product and company store development. His team has also put him in charge of changing out water bottles in the water cooler. Bob has been in sales since his college days and feels fortunate to have been trained and certified by industry greats, such as Google. Bob's favorite pastime is keeping up with his two children in Los Angeles and Iowa and having fun with friends and family. Always the humorist, Bob's favorite quote is "You'll be ok, just rub some dirt on it." Bob's goal at Awarding You is to assist in continual growth and make people laugh and smile occasionally while he learns from his very smart peers and shares some of his own experiences.
michelle.jefferson@awardingyou.com
Michelle wears many hats at Awarding You. She is an Account Manager, who also helps with website administration, special order processing, and designs for custom donor wall projects. Before coming to Awarding You, Michelle held office jobs and spent time as a retail associate and manager at a fabric shop, her first job was as a swim instructor and lifeguard for the YMCA. Michelle's favorite hobbies include sewing, reading, gardening (although not always a green thumb!), watching and learning from renovation shows so that she can apply what she's learned to her own house, and most especially raising her two sons. A favorite quote is, "The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all", from the Disney movie, Mulan. Michelle's daily goal is to deliver her best contribution each day by providing great customer service and learning about new products, new processes, and ways to enhance her knowledge.
As a Key Account Manager with Awarding You, Greg brings a wealth of experience and a passion for helping companies find the perfect employee reward. With a background in the restaurant industry, Greg has honed his customer service skills and understands the importance of providing personalized and tailored solutions to each client's unique needs. He takes great pride in his work and strives to go above and beyond to exceed his clients' expectations. When he's not working, Greg enjoys spending time outdoors, pursuing his hobbies of fishing and gardening, and cooking up a storm in the kitchen. He also cherishes spending quality time with his son and creating lasting memories together. Greg's diverse interests and experiences make him a well-rounded and valuable member of the Awarding You team. Greg's favorite quote stems from his culinary background, "Good service can save a bad meal, but there is no level of food that can save bad service." – Alton Brown
Mitch's background involves ten-plus years in Customer Service, including roles in management, coaching, and recruitment in various industries such as retail, education, and finance. Mitch says he enjoys helping people "though the process" whether they're looking for new work, new shoes, coaching, or now, awards. When not working, Mitch prefers outdoor activities such as running, swimming, biking, and entertaining his two young children. Mitch's favorite quote is from Walt Disney, "Happiness is a state of mind. It’s just according to the way you look at things." He takes this quote to heart each day as he sets out with a goal to remain flexible with any curveballs thrown his way in order to fulfill the needs of his customers. These daily wins help him, one step at a time, to work toward his own success.
Nicole earned her marketing and sales degree from Illinois State University and quickly entered the sales force, representing the fitness industry and in sales and operations for a logistics company for several years. She discovered her passion is helping others by providing services and products that she believes in and knows will benefit her customers. When not helping Awarding You clientele, Nicole loves spending time with her family and friends in the outdoors, and listening to her favorite band, Coldplay. Nicole is a firm believer in Aristotle's famous quote, "Everything happens for a reason", and her goal each day is to help others while spreading kindness and positivity.
Susan hails from a service background, helping customers in the mortgage industry. Her roles included loan servicing, project management, loan processing and a short stint as a loan officer. When Susan isn't helping her award customers, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and traveling. She also loves to volunteer her time and services locally when she can. Mother Theresa provides Susan with her favorite quote, "It's not about how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts." She uses that quote daily, with a goal to start each morning with positive energy, as she creates and tackles her "to do" list.