Who We Are

For more than three decades, Steven Seghers, co-founder of Hooray Agency, has remained focused on a single guiding principle: ensuring that marketing and technology act as a bridge to people—not a barrier. His work consistently balances sharp business performance with a creative drive to connect with audiences on a deeply human level.

A consultant first, this perspective shapes his entire approach—solving complex business challenges through a blend of creativity, marketing expertise, and brand insight. Over the course of his career, he has partnered with leading hospitality, healthcare, and technology brands, including Salamander Collection, St. Regis, Pfizer, Thales Avionics, Sony, Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, Genting Worldwide, Kwame Onwuachi Restaurants, Starwood/Marriott International, and Providence Healthcare.

Steven’s perspective is shaped by a unique blend of roots. His Dutch-Indonesian heritage and deep family ties to New Orleans have taught him a great deal about resilience and the art of storytelling. These influences allow him to navigate global markets with a grounded, authentic approach. To Steven, brand building isn't just about meeting the technical demands of the modern world; it’s an exercise in integrity and the timeless necessity of soulful, one-to-one communication.

Outside of the office, being a father of daughters truly sharpens Steven’s focus on the future. It is a role that reinforces his commitment to building a principled marketplace where people actually come first. He has always believed that while data moves the needle, the human heartbeat moves the world—a conviction that continues to drive his leadership and the enduring success of Hooray.  

As Executive Vice President of Hooray Agency, Randy has been integral to the agency’s growth and development. In his role, Randy facilitates operations for the agency, working to anticipate what’s to come and driving a continually refined and redefined process.

Previous to his EVP role, Randy led Hooray's account services and marketing efforts for over a decade, having launched its integrated marketing campaigns for Preferred Hotel Group, Historic Hotels Worldwide, Starwood Hotels & Resorts – Hawaii, Salamander Hotels & Resorts, Commune Hotels & Resorts, and Destination Hotels & Resorts, just to name a few.

A resident of Orange County, Randy relishes his role as husband and father of two sons, while patiently waiting for the as-yet-unmaterialized opportunity to pick up his guitar and jam while watching a late-night Angels game with the volume muted.

Katelyn Raman is the Senior Vice President of Client Services at Hooray Agency, where she leads the agency’s client services team and guides direction across the portfolio. Known for her strategic thinking, direct approach, and strong communication style, Katelyn serves as a trusted advisor to clients and a collaborative leader within the agency.

Prior to joining Hooray, Katelyn worked with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and later served as an independent marketing consultant. With more than fifteen years in hospitality marketing, she has led brand and marketing initiatives for some of the industry’s most respected brands, a career shaped by her genuine passion for hotel marketing.

Originally from the East Coast, Katelyn traded seasons for sunshine and now calls Orange County home. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, traveling with her family, and keeping up with her oversized goldendoodle, Comet, who is firmly convinced he runs the house.   

Alyssa Welfringer is the Head of Product + Marketing* at Hooray Agency, a role that comes with an asterisk because in addition to internal projects, she also leads our brand & social teams while fulfilling her duties as a personality hire. When storytelling is on the table, Alyssa is ready with a presentation.

Prior to joining Hooray, Alyssa’s agency background started out of college as a Copywriter. Since her time with us, she has worn many hats, but always finds a way to keep writing. Fun Fact: Alyssa worked at two different resorts in Orange County during college and has a special place in her heart for hospitality brands.

As a Southern California native, Alyssa remains based just 5 minutes from the beach where you can find her walking with her dog, Marshall. She also enjoys performing improv, hosting game nights with her husband, and keeping her creative side alive with writing, water color, or exploring new places.  

With more than 30 years of luxury hospitality experience, Mr. Johnson is responsible for key account management for some of the firm's premiere hospitality accounts in addition to account brand and strategic initiatives, brand and target hotel/resort account development.

Jeff was also the Vice President, Sales and Marketing for the historic and legendary Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs prior to joining Hooray. 

Mr. Johnson launched Montage Hotels & Resorts and for 11 years oversaw the company’s hotel, resort sales and marketing and luxury residential branding efforts in Laguna Beach, Beverly Hills, Deer Valley and the incipient stages of Healdsburg and Palmetto Bluff. This included brand development and positioning strategies and new property launch planning, including advertising, online, electronic and partner marketing, promotions, leisure sales and public relations, and communication strategies.  

Michael Mustafa serves as Vice President of Sales and Strategic Services, leading new business development and overseeing client-facing support, consulting, and full-service marketing initiatives. He is a seasoned sales and marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience working with global hospitality brands and five-star resorts. In recent years, he has led the development of strategic brand, leisure, and group campaigns for some of the world’s largest hotel companies.

Before joining Hooray Agency, Michael served as Director of Sales & Marketing at Hilton Anaheim—one of the largest non-gaming hotels in the U.S., with more than 1,500 guest rooms and 140,000 square feet of meeting space. During his tenure, he led high-impact revenue and demand-generation initiatives, driving sustained growth through integrated marketing strategies, strategic pricing, and strong corporate group sales performance.

Earlier in his career, he played a key role in the turnaround of the St. Regis Monarch Beach, a Mobil Five-Star resort. There, he led the development of a hybrid brand and independent marketing platform that expanded leisure demand while establishing a strong new foundation for corporate group business. 

As HR Manager at Hooray Agency, Eve supports the team through onboarding, employee operations, and day-to-day HR initiatives that help keep the agency running smoothly behind the scenes. She is passionate about creating a positive and supportive experience for employees, bringing a balance of reliability, empathy, and positive energy to her role.

Outside of work, Eve enjoys dancing, cooking with her husband and little one, and spending time with their dog. 

Roger Burns is Vice President of AI Strategy at Hooray Agency, where he brings a rare blend of hospitality marketing leadership, brand strategy, and emerging technology insight to help luxury hotels and resorts adapt to an AI-driven marketplace. With more than 20 years of hospitality sales and marketing experience, Roger has held senior leadership roles with Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott. His background spans strategic planning, business development, team leadership, revenue growth, digital marketing, client relationships, and market-specific sales strategy, giving him a deep understanding of how hospitality brands attract, convert, and retain high-value guests.  

David’s work centers on helping Hooray and its clients move into the AI era with clarity, confidence, and a people-first mindset. He believes AI can amplify teams while delivering economically sound ways to innovate and grow.  

Tracey McRae is an Account Director with extensive experience helping brands connect with their audiences in meaningful ways. She specializes in developing integrated marketing campaigns that deliver measurable results, bringing experience from business verticals spanning retail, healthcare, entertainment, gaming, and hospitality. Tracey values close collaboration with clients, partnering to understand their goals and delivering strategic solutions that drive success.  

Morgan is an Account Executive at Hooray Agency, where she works across media strategy, campaign planning, and digital marketing initiatives. With a background in both finance and marketing, she brings an analytical mindset to campaign performance while still embracing the creative side of modern media strategy.

Her passion for media comes from a deep interest in audience behavior and the evolving digital landscape, helping brands make smarter, more effective marketing decisions across channels. Morgan enjoys building thoughtful, results-oriented strategies that not only perform well, but genuinely connect with audiences in meaningful ways.

An Ohio native, Morgan still resides in her home state with her Cavapoo, Charlie, who keeps life entertaining outside the office. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, shopping, and exploring new destinations whenever she gets the chance. 

As Senior Account Executive at Hooray Agency, Shelby brings a relationship-driven approach focused on elevating performance through thoughtful collaboration and forward thinking. Prior to joining Hooray, she spent over seven years leading initiatives for nationally respected clients, shaping her passion for building meaningful partnerships and understanding audience behavior through a unique lens.

Originally from Orange County, Shelby’s journey has taken her across the country from Southern California to Oregon and now Kentucky, giving her a perspective shaped by diverse experiences and a multitude of destinations along the way. Outside of the office, she can be found on the golf course with her family or planning her next travel adventure.  

Valerie is an Account Executive at Hooray Agency, working across strategy, website, campaign, and media initiatives for hospitality, real estate, and lifestyle clients. With a background rooted in hospitality, from growing up in a hotelier family to working on-property at resorts, she brings a real-world understanding of the guest experience into marketing strategy.  

As a Social Media Manager and Account Executive, Meredith is hands-on in bringing your posts and projects to life from start to finish. She’s fully tapped into the wild west that is social media, blending strategy and creativity to help your brand stand out in the ever-changing algorithm.  

Andrea is a Creative Brand Manager & Photographer specializing in creative direction and content production for brands. She leads projects from concept through final edit, overseeing photography, video, and post-production to create cohesive, high-quality visual storytelling.  

Award-winning Brand Strategist and Head of Design with 29 years of experience in luxury hospitality, entertainment, healthcare, and tech. Proven ability to drive brand affinity and demand through innovative marketing strategies.  

Kathy Chang brings over 20 years of digital design experience with a strong focus on the hospitality, property management, and food and beverage industries. Throughout her career, she has dedicated her efforts to elevating brand identities in the digital space by combining refined visual aesthetics with thoughtfully executed UX/UI strategies. Her work centers on creating intuitive, engaging online experiences that not only reflect each brand’s unique voice but also enhance the way users interact with and connect to digital platforms. 

Ted Trautwein is a Creative Director and Writer at Hooray.

A grizzled veteran of Madison Avenue (as well as other playgrounds of the morally bankrupt such as L.A. and Las Vegas), Ted made a name for himself at a number of firms creating notable campaigns for M&M’s, Miller Brewing, Campbell’s Soup, British Airways, Sub-Zero Wolf, Fidelity Investments and Disney.

When not engaged in the business of branding, Ted spends time with his wife, four children, and four dogs. Preferably while skiing.

As Lead Front-End Developer, Velardo Dala is tasked with managing, as well as mentoring, a small team of developers. He also works closely with the creative team to execute their designs with a focus on usability and accessibility.

Velardo’s work experience began as a Web Designer in the entertainment industry at Hollywood.com followed by a longer stint at House of Blues in Hollywood. When he’s not at his desk you can find him strumming his guitar, catching a hockey game, or planning his next travel adventure.  

As Director of Media & Analytics, Brian oversees strategic media planning, analytics architecture, reporting frameworks, and campaign deployment for hospitality and lifestyle brands. Over the course of more than 12 years in agency leadership, he has played a key role in developing integrated marketing and measurement solutions for brands including Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Salamander Hotels & Resorts, Destination Hotels & Resorts, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts – Hawaii, among others.

His experience spans media strategy, analytics architecture, attribution modeling, and integrated campaign execution, with a focus on building scalable measurement ecosystems that connect marketing performance to business outcomes. From data strategy and platform selection to reporting design, deployment, and performance analysis, he works closely with brands to transform complex marketing data into actionable insights and smarter investment decisions.

Outside of work, he is an avid motorsports enthusiast who enjoys applying the same analytical mindset to chasing lap times, obsessing over data traces to uncover incremental performance gains behind the wheel. At home, he is equally committed to his role as caretaker to three exceptionally spoiled cats. 

As a Junior Project Manager, Nathan is hands-on in bringing projects and campaigns to life from start to finish. With a background in marketing and data analytics, he combines strategic thinking, organization, and problem-solving to keep teams aligned and projects moving forward. He works closely with teams to streamline workflows, manage timelines, and deliver impactful results that drive success for clients and the agency alike.