Our Team
Founded by Tommy Richards and Sandra Castro, 1797 Creative is a house united.
Here you won’t have to choose between a strong creative team or a great media team, sacrificing quality and strength in the other half of your agency.
Sandra Castro
CEO/Media Director
Sandra Castro-Richards has a rich history of agency experience working on many types of industries, including extensive public entity experience. She brings to 1797 Creative an in-depth knowledge of brand marketing research and media strategy. As CEO and Media Director, Sandra oversees the agency direction and working on brand and marketing strategies for clients. With a strong background in consumer research, she delivers efficient and research-driven media purchasing plans that meet and exceed campaign goals.
Sandra would love to learn to sew. She tried once. It didn’t go well, but she’s no quitter! Maybe she’ll make outfits for Jennifer’s dogs!
Sandra would love to learn to sew. She tried once. It didn’t go well, but she’s no quitter! Maybe she’ll make outfits for Jennifer’s dogs!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Tommy Richards
President/Creative Director
1797 Creative’s President and Creative Director Tommy Richards has over 30 years of experience in advertising and graphic design creating and designing logos, print ads, radio and television spots, internet banner ads, outdoor ads and more for a large range of clients and industries. Tommy is a true artist, bringing his talent to all creative marketing projects. Along with numerous prestigious awards, Tommy has earned Addys at the local, district and national levels. He founded our agency to offer clients a more streamlined, comprehensive, agile and effective choice for our clients.
Tommy admires honesty and humility in his circle of friends. He’s also well down the path of being an oenophile, so you can count on him to bring a bottle he didn’t choose by the graphics on the label.
Tommy admires honesty and humility in his circle of friends. He’s also well down the path of being an oenophile, so you can count on him to bring a bottle he didn’t choose by the graphics on the label.
Simplicity and repose are the qualities that measure the true value of any work of art.
Our Founders' Legacy
Sandra Castro and Tommy Richards have decades of marketing experience between them. Before founding 1797 Creative, they’ve been trusted to manage some of the biggest, most recognizable brands.
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Jennifer Smith
Social Media Director
Jennifer Smith is the Social Media Director for 1797 Creative. With the rising importance of social media in today’s marketing and communication, Jennifer’s role fulfills an integral part of every client’s campaign. We live in an age of cord cutting and receiving news and messaging on mobile devices; having an expert with her finger on the pulse of the latest trend is critical!
Jennifer is a UTSA graduate and has experience in the education field. She is married and has two beautiful daughters. Jennifer enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, going on vacations, and reading a good book.
Though she be but little, she is fierce.
Julie Graham
Writer
Julie Graham is our staff writer and contributes text for everything from social media to campaign speeches to press releases. She has a degree in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations and over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications for state associations and business across several industries.
Julie’s favorite indulgence is cross-stitching under a blanket and a pile of dogs during a thunderstorm. It’s her Nerdvana. Her daughter is a ninja (a combat martial arts black belt) and small enough to pack in Jacqueline’s suitcase.
Julie’s favorite indulgence is cross-stitching under a blanket and a pile of dogs during a thunderstorm. It’s her Nerdvana. Her daughter is a ninja (a combat martial arts black belt) and small enough to pack in Jacqueline’s suitcase.
There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.
Kyler Herrera
Creative
Kyler Herrera is a San Antonio native and student at the University of the Incarnate Word studying graphic design. He previously earned an Associate of Arts and Sciences degree in digital communications and media/multimedia from Northwest Vista College in 2017. He has a passion for aesthetic web and graphic design with skill in Adobe Creative Suite. Kyler believes that a business’s website should be the perfect employee – always working, always efficient, and always saying the right thing.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his dachshund Zoey, photography, and drawing.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his dachshund Zoey, photography, and drawing.
What stands in the way becomes the way.
Lilia Castillo Jones
Business Development Director
Lilia is a native of Seguin, Texas, and has spent her career working as advertising director for Dallas Morning News & Gannett Newspapers. She has a passion for animals and was Executive Director of Harlingen Humane Society. Lilia is the quintessential people person, everyone loves to be around her bigger than life personality and passion. She brings that personality and passion to 1797 Creative as Business Development Director.
Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That's the problem.
Cynthia Castro
HR and Accounting Director
Cindy has worked in banking for over 25 years and was also an educator who taught physics and biology. Cindy is dedicated to perfecting the billing process and loves to go around the group with her funny stories. Cindy’s favorite pastime is finding things of great value by shopping estate sales, thrift stores, and antique stores and she is quite successful doing it. She once paid $10 for a brand new Louis Vuitton at a garage sale for $10 and it had the authenticated papers inside. Value: $2,500. These types of treasures seem to fall in her lap, and so every weekend she’s on the hunt for that treasure to top the last hunt!
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Alfredo Valverde
Business Development/Contract Specialist
Spent most of his career as a prosecutor with the Tarrant County DA department, but now loves to craft up new business contracts and work with our new clients at 1797 Creative.
Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out alive!