At BIGEYE, we stress the importance of building genuine relationships throughout the industry. We are extremely loyal, honest, & simply want to help our partners succeed.
Damon Smith
CEOAt the conclusion of the 1999 college baseball season, Damon was in search of his first “real” job when he met Mike Calder as a guest on his offshore fishing boat in Ocean City Md. Intrigued by the fishing community, he asked Mike what he did for a living to support the exciting sportfishing lifestyle. Knowing most people have little understanding of Direct Mail, Mike jokingly replied, “we make junk mail” to which Damon quickly responded, “I’m not completely sure what that is, but if I get to go fishing with you all summer long, I could really use a job!” Mike took a chance and agreed to hire him in a sales role at NCS Direct. He sold Direct Mail production services for NCS from 1999 to 2007 when NCS was abruptly sold. Uninspired by the new ownership, he decided to leave NCS and go out on his own. In 2008, he founded BIGEYE DIRECT. Damon currently resides in Vienna, VA with his wife, Julie Smith, and their 3 teenage children. When away from BIGEYE, he enjoys coaching baseball, watching his girls compete on the lacrosse field, playing “old” man soccer, and traveling as much as possible. An avid big mountain skier, he has a passion for chasing large storms in search of deep powder. He hopes to one day make his way back to the ocean to reengage in the sport fishing community where his Direct Mail journey began.
Jake Brown
PresidentJake graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2009. Shortly after graduation, he was hired by his now business partner, Damon Smith. He started in a business development role and helped grow the business for the next decade. Jake is now the president at BIGEYE DIRECT and accountable for the day-to-day leadership of operations, people management and partner development. He comes from a family of thirteen brothers and sisters. He has a wife, four amazing children and his dog, Link! He is passionate about his CrossFit community, golf and traveling with his family.
Alan Burroughs
Plant ManagerAlan Burroughs has been in the direct mail business for over 30 years. As BIGEYE DIRECT’s Plant Manager, Alan expertly navigates the manufacturing processes within all production departments as well as the warehouse and shipping/receiving. He prioritizes schedules to meet client’s expectations and delegates work assignments. Alan works continually on quality control, policy creation, training/development and problem resolution to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency. Outside of BIGEYE DIRECT, Alan loves spending time with his wife, son, their two labs, family and friends. He enjoys all things outdoors and watching his son play baseball.
Jennifer Wisniewski
Vice President of OperationsJen has over 10+ years of experience in strategic operational planning and management that helped build success and enable sustainable business growth. As VP of Operations, Ms. Wisniewski has worked in multiple business units spanning account management, finance, human resources, inventory management, software implementation, logistics and project management. Working closely with the Production team to help coordinate workflow to become more efficient. Ms. Wisniewski is also a full-time high school field hockey coach leading her team to back to back state playoff appearances.
Kim Kendrick
CFOKim has more than 25 years of Accounting and Tax Consulting experience with particular expertise in real estate, investment partnerships, specialty farming and integrated data processing/mail shop services. As the Chief Financial Officer at BIGEYE DIRECT for the past 8 years, Ms. Kendrick oversees the company’s financial activities and risk management. Prior to BIGEYE DIRECT, Ms. Kendrick held the same role at Advanced Mailing Services, LLC. Previously, Ms. Kendrick worked for the large regional accounting firm of Beers & Cutler, PLLC (Baker Tilly). Ms. Kendrick earned her bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Virginia Tech and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.
Leah Lutchman
HR DirectorLeah has over 20 years of experience in designing, implementing, managing, and administering HR, Payroll, and Benefits. Over the past two decades, she has held various operational, management, and leadership roles in both the Hospitality and IT industries. Leah joined BIGEYE DIRECT in 2021. She oversees the Human Resources, Payroll, and Administrative logistics for the company. As her primary role of Director of Human Resources, she is committed to the success and well-being of every associate, as well as achieving the company’s goals. She has a degree in Social Psychology. Leah lives in the Tysons Corner area with her husband, son, and fur babies. Her passion is traveling. I love learning and immersing myself in different cultures, which is a huge reason why she loves her job!