About Us

Who We Are

The Sutter Group is a 23 year-old integrated marketing agency based just outside of Washington, DC. We believe that effective marketing is the inevitable result of the right combination of elements...and a little creative alchemy.

Comprised of highly successful branding and marketing services professionals, our expertise in each “element” of creative communications comes together to inform everything we do. We don't believe in offering cookie-cutter solutions. Instead, we analyze our clients' challenges from all angles, working collaboratively to create a multi-faceted, integrated approach that achieves the intended objective.

If you’re looking for a peek behind our curtain, we invite you to check out our “Elements of Creativity Blog,” or catch us on Twitter and Facebook. Otherwise, introductions to our key players follow below:

  • Karen Sutter | President  View Karen Sutter's LinkedIn profile Twitter

    Karen founded The Sutter Group in 1987 and has spent more than two decades guiding the evolution of the firm from a graphic design studio into the full-service powerhouse you see today. Hailing from Washington, DC, Karen currently resides in Bowie, Maryland with her husband George and pets Chip and Holly. They also have two children named Lynn and John. She is a graduate of the Corcoran School of Art with a degree in Graphic Design.

  • John Cassella | Creative Director  View John Cassella's LinkedIn profile

    With more than 20 years of hands-on experience John leads our creative team as they execute compelling creative solutions for our clients in multiple mediums. He specializes in branding, design, advertising, interactive development, packaging, corporate identity, exhibits and launch events. Originally from Bourne, Massachusetts, John currently resides in Bristow, Virginia with his wife Rosie and their two children, Will and Gio. John attended Miami International University of Art and Design/St Thomas University.

  • Garret Ohm | Marketing Director  View Garret Ohm's LinkedIn profile Twitter

    Garret joined The Sutter Group with over 6 years of experience building and communicating brands such as Atlantic Golf/The Brick Companies, Peace Corps, Maryland Film Festival, Rams Head Taverns, True Lemon/Grand Brands, The Maryland Association of Realtors, W.R. Grace and Rt. 11 Potato Chips. Originally from Laurel, Maryland he currently resides in Bowie, Maryland with his wife Colleen and dog, Layla. Garret currently serves on the board of directors for the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance and the Advertising Association of Baltimore and graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication.

  • Buzz Napper | Interactive Designer  View Buzz Napper's LinkedIn profile

    Buzz came to work at The Sutter Group in 1998 under the direction of John Cassella. Buzz has brought his strong Photoshop, typography and design skills to a professional setting. Buzz’s work here includes ­logo design, advertising design, annual reports, and web-design for clients ­including Georgetown University, Maryland Governor’s Workforce Investment Board, LifeBridge Health & Fitness Center, and the Association for the Advancement for Automotive Medicine. Buzz currently resides in Leesburg, Virginia with his wife Angela and pets Bailey, Petey, Callie and Isabelle. He attended East Carolina University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts.

  • Jeff Walker | Publications/HTML Specialist  View Jeff Walker's LinkedIn profile

    Jeff joined The Sutter Group in 1993 as a dedicated typesetter and quickly moved as the industry evolved to computer-based graphic programs like Pagemaker and Quark, and finally, in the new millennium, to HTML and CSS. Before joining Sutter, he started as proofreader, paste-up artist, and eventually typesetter for Type Foundry in Bethesda, Md. Hailing from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Jeff currently resides in Takoma Park, MD with his wife Susan and their son Kelsey. Jeff attended Montgomery College in Rockville, MD.

  • Marianne Kassabian | Traffic Coordinator

    Marianne has been with The Sutter Group since 2006. Prior to joining the team she spent nine years as a Training Coordinator/Administrator at Land Rover North America and before that was the Administrative Assistant/Desktop Publisher at the Association of Container Reconditioners. Originally from Melbourne, Florida and raised in Bowie, Maryland, she currently resides in Beltsville, Maryland. Marianne attended University of Maryland College Park earning a Bachelor of Science in Radio, Television, Film with a minor in English.