Ozarks Profile

President and chief executive officer of Schilling/Sellmeyer & Associates Inc., 1031 E. Battlefield, Springfield. Schilling/Sellmeyer & Associates is a full-service advertising and marketing agency servicing local, regional and national accounts. Local clients include Cox Health Systems, Willowbrook Foods, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Tracker Marine, City Utilities, Springfield ReManufacturing Corp., Oxford Health Care, and other businesses. Schilling/Sellmeyer & Associates was formed in 1992 with Matt Sellmeyer and two employees. The agency has grown to 15 people with clients in 18 states. Schilling is a past president and board member of the Springfield Advertising Association; a member of the American Advertising Federation, the Utility Marketing Association and is an associate member of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Schilling is also a member of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Twin Oaks Country Club, and he has served on several other local boards.

Age: 36.

No. of years in Springfield/area: Born in Springfield; raised near Rogersville.

Education: A graduate of Logan-Rogersville High School in 1980 and Southwest Missouri State University in 1985.

Early career: Started out working in grocery stores, from age 12 to 20; there he learned a lot about retail and people. He was managing editor of the campus newspaper at SMSU, and then partnered in an automotive magazine at age 21 and sold cars for a year. At 22, he was offered a job at a local advertising agency as an account executive. He worked for two other ad agencies before starting Schilling/Sellmeyer & Associates when he was 29. "I've learned a lot in my other agency experiences and have used that experience to position Schilling/Sellmeyer & Associates in this market. I've also learned a lot from some of my long-time clients, like Chuck Goforth (Oxford Health Care). He once told me 'If the people in charge of a company don't care enough about their advertising agency and marketing to listen to you, you're wasting your time.' He was right," Schilling said.

Current projects: "Many of our clients are experiencing expansion and change right now ... I spend a lot of time helping them stay ahead in their respective markets. We've intentionally worked to keep a diverse client base ... it helps keep us fresh, creative and always ready with new ideas," Schilling said.

Management philosophy: "We make a choice to go to work every day. Once you've made that choice, be happy with it. When we accept the responsibility for our own happiness and success, we prosper. It's also important that clients know how important they are to our company. I consider employees and clients my friends first ... and treat them as such. I hate the expression 'it's nothing personal; it's just business.' I take business very personally," Schilling said.

Spare-time pursuits: Spending weekends at a lake house on Table Rock Lake, bass fishing, golf, 4x4 off-roading, antiques, restoring furniture, rebuilding and customizing his classic Jeep. He also enjoys politics and reading.

Family data: Engaged to Barbara Dickenson. His parents, Les and Helen, live near Rogersville. His sister Debbie lives in Nixa; sister Diane lives in Rolla.

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