June 10, 2025 (RENO, Nev.) – KPS3, a full-service marketing and communications firm, is pleased to announce Bob Whitefield, chief operating officer, was named the American Advertising Federation of Reno (AAF Reno) 2025 Ad Person of the Year.
AAF Reno’s Ad Person of the Year award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advertising industry and their communities. The recipient must have achieved singular excellence in the advertising field during the last year, while demonstrating strong community involvement, both personally and professionally. The Ad Person of the Year awards event will be held on June 26, 2025.
Known for his strategic foresight and measurable business impact, Whitefield has redefined what it means to be a modern advertising leader—merging revenue strategy, digital marketing excellence and financial acumen in one role.
“Bob has always been able to see the forest through the data trees,” said Rob Gaedtke, CEO of KPS3. “But his true superpower is his ability to make lasting and genuine connections with our team, our clients and our partners. His leadership has been a driving force behind KPS3’s culture and vision. This recognition is a fitting tribute to the impact he’s had on our industry and the people in it.”
In the last year, Whitefield tackled several key initiatives. He successfully implemented a custom accounting platform—an enterprise-level system that delivers real-time financial and operational data for both clients and staff. Under his leadership of the growth marketing division, it expanded to a nine-person department that impacts more than a third of agency revenue and supports every major client engagement across branding, public relations, digital strategy, and campaign reporting. His forward-thinking adoption of AI in reporting and lead tracking has also enabled KPS3 to scale services.
Beyond the agency, Whitefield contributes to Nevada’s creative and civic communities. He serves on the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Liberal Arts Advisory Board and is treasurer of Brüka Theatre. As an agency partner, he helps support KPS3’s philanthropy for organizations such as The Children’s Cabinet, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern Nevada and more.
KPS3 acquired The Whitefield Group in 2014 and established Whitefield as director of search & analytics. Upon leading and evolving marketing automation, operations and sculpting full-fledged attribution models within enterprise MarTech stacks, Whitefield became partner in 2020, chief revenue officer in 2023 and was recently promoted to COO this year. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Nevada, Reno.
KPS3 has developed long-standing relationships with both clients and employees, earning a spot amongst northern Nevada’s Best Places to Work as a nine-time finalist. For more information about working with KPS3 as a client or an employee, please visit kps3.com.
About KPS3
We’re designers, developers, analysts and strategists. We aren’t the same, but we’re united in our cause—a cause that revolves around how wholeheartedly we care about our work. And we want to partner with people and brands who love what they do, too. Let’s connect at kps3.com or on LinkedIn.
