It didn't take long for me to realize that I could turn daydreaming into a full-time job.
Soroka (sah-row-kah) is a Russian name meaning little bird. It’s what they call the magpie in most of Eastern Europe. These little birds are active, crazy and very attracted to shiny things. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that I was born with this namesake.
I grew up in the suburbs of Annapolis, Maryland. My dad, born in Long Island, is a graduate of the Naval Academy and was the drummer in his high school garage band. My mom is a former teacher and folk-singer from Baltimore. Together, they did a great job raising three kids through humor, self-expression and creativity. Living in a house of entertainers, it was only natural that my brother, sister and I got into acting at a young age. Starting with dinner theatre and eventually making it to the small screen, my personal claim to fame was a hoagie commercial for Domino's Pizza and a few semi-lame low-budget industrial videos.
Graduating from the Virginia Tech School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Graphic Design, I have since been living with my wife, Alina (she’s an interior designer) and working in the advertising, design and interactive industries in the Roanoke, Virginia area. I call the digital advertising powerhouse Modea home, where we create interactive campaigns for international clients like HTC, Graco, Lenox and Advance Auto Parts.
A little toot.
You might not care about awards, but some people do, so I figured it’s worth mentioning a few recent accolades. Since joining Inprint, I collaboratively helped them win numerous ADDY Awards, including two consecutive years of Best in Public Service and more recently Best in Show.
I served two years as president of Ad 2 Roanoke, a local young professional chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) where I brought the club out of the red and into winning multiple ADDY awards and the AAF Sid Bernstein National Communications Award. I also served as National Ad 2 Communications Chair and resided on the Third District AAF Executive Committee. I’ve devoted much volunteer time to running the Student ADDYs, guest lecturing at local colleges, judging ADDYs and serving on the Portfolio Review board for Virginia Tech. I’ve also had the honor AAF Roanoke naming me the Advertising Person of the Year.
Not too bad for a guy who used to think that starring in an air filtration demo video was "making it big".
Conceptual, unusual and creative thinking.
With a focus on all things creative, I try to push ideas in new directions through a youthful, energetic and always clever perspective. By trade, I am an art director and designer, but I love writing and conceptual thinking and enjoy being part of the entire creative process. Really, I just love creativity and being around people who inspire me and are inspired by all that this crazy world has to offer.
