What’s the ideal training ground for an ad agency president?   If you answered, “being a marching band instructor”, you’re either a master of unconventional thinking, or you’ve spent some time with  Scott Lawrence, the President and CEO of Lawrence and Schiller.

This year’s SDAF Silver Medal Winner has spent the past twenty-five years applying the same principles he used to lead award-winning marching bands in Marion and Wakonda to dramatically impact the fields of marketing and community service.  Scott has the unique ability to bring together a diverse group of people, define roles and expectations, and then drive their performance to excellence through the force of his high-energy personality. 

He eventually worked his way to Director of Account Service at L&S; and in 2002, Scott became the agency’s President and CEO.   He led the charge in reorganizing the agency into Directed Teams to generate higher levels of creative performance and client service.  And today, he plays a strategic role on nearly every agency account and maintains key relationships with business and community leaders throughout the upper Midwest.

He has also utilized his gift for making connections to contribute to our community.  Scott has held many leadership positions over the years with the Lincoln High School Booster Club and Festival of Bands activities.  He’s led numerous committees in his church, and has coached his children’s sports teams to many tournament and league championships.  He’s served as president of the South Dakota Symphony.  And this year, as Campaign Chairman of the Sioux Empire United Way, he helped our community reach a record for fundraising in a year when only 15% of the United Way chapters in the nation met their goals.

Scott’s boundless passion, unflagging enthusiasm and talent for communication have made a dramatic difference everywhere he’s focused his efforts.  The leader of the band has proven to be a first-rate leader in every sense of the word.