#ORIGIN STORY Optima's Origin Story
Optima was formed in 2011 by U.S. Army veteran and retired Alaska State Trooper Colonel Tom Anderson.
The mission for Optima is to guide the communications and branding for businesses and non-profits that are making a difference in our society. We provide media and public relations strategies for companies and organizations worthy of building reputation and exposure. We enjoy what we do because helping people in and of itself is empowering.
Optima has blossomed in the delivery of niche services like digital marketing and video/radio branding that produce data-driven, metric-based results. We help sell products and services with tenacity and creativity. We strengthen brands, build visibility, craft and deploy messaging to communities, and lift up businesses and non-profits.
Responsibility, responsiveness, and hard work are some of our core values. Most of our staff have earned college and trade school degrees. Many of our team members are military veterans, former law enforcement, or both. We are faith-based and proud to be Americans.
While partners Tom and his son Tom reside in Alaska, where Optima is headquartered, our national directors and contractors afford us satellite office coverage in Seattle, Las Vegas, Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte, and the state of New Hampshire.
We'd be honored to be part of your team. Let us help you make your message matter.
#TEAMWORK Meet Optima's Team
Tom R. Anderson
Founder
Tom grew up farming with his family in Cottonwood, Minnesota. His passion has always been the great outdoors, from hunting and fishing to camping, and that’s why he ultimately settled in Alaska. A U.S. Army veteran, former Seattle fireman, 22-year Alaska State Trooper (retiring as the Director/Colonel), and retired General Manager over Ogden Allied Alaska’s statewide facility contracts (e.g. Sullivan Arena, Egan Convention Center, Carlson Center), he founded Optima Public Relations in 2011 with an eye on providing comprehensive marketing and public relations services to Alaskan companies, government agencies and non-profits.
BECCA KOONCE
Chief Executive Officer
Becca came to Optima in the summer of 2022. A jack of all trades – capable in creative, media placements, advertising, PR, and event planning. She brings a stellar resume with past employers like MSI Communications, Resource Development Council, and Anchorage Daily News in sales management. Becca double-majored in Integrated Marketing Communications and Business Marketing at the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs and Lee Business School at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where she worked at a global marketing agency initially getting her start in the industry.
Sarah Paulus
Chief Operating Officer
A lifelong Alaskan with a deep love for design, technology, and the outdoors, Sarah Paulus brings a rare blend of creativity, discipline, and leadership to everything she does. With degrees in Graphic Design and Web Design & Interactive Media from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Sarah has spent over 15 years building digital platforms that are both visually compelling and strategically effective.
Her career spans senior roles in higher education and government, including serving as Senior Web Developer at Alaska Pacific University and Application Developer for the U.S. District Court of Alaska. Before co-leading Optima, she also served her country as a Security Forces member in the Alaska Air National Guard.
Today, Sarah is recognized as one of Alaska’s top experts in digital marketing and online advertising. Over the years, Sarah has partnered with a diverse range of clients to build standout digital platforms that unite thoughtful design with reliable performance.
Outside of work, she’s a proud mom of two, wife to a retired firefighter, and happiest on horseback or exploring Alaska’s backcountry. Sarah is the steady engine behind Optima’s operations—and a creative force behind its success.
Cecil Sanders
Director, Graphic and Creative Design
Cecil is addicted to the outdoors. He loves campaigning, hiking, trekking, and any adventure with his camera and wife Anne into nature. He and Anne owned and published Last Frontier Magazine from Palmer, Alaska for over seven years. Cecil earned a degree in Graphic Design and Desktop Publishing from Mat-Su College in 2005. He has designed hundreds of images, logos, brochures, annual reports, newsletters, websites, and a spectrum of artistic creativity for over 14 years. His niche expertise is design in the campaign and elections realm. As a professional photographer and layout expert, he is particularly talented in overseeing newsletters, reports, proposals, and educational material design and compilation.
Danika Olson
Director, Social Media
As Social Media Director at Optima Public Relations, Danika Olson manages our clients' social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram. With over eight years of social media experience and a personal Instagram following of 70,000 under the handle Girl in Alaska, she leverages her expertise to enhance Optima's digital strategies, showcasing Alaskan experiences and promoting local businesses.
Raised in Alaska, Danika graduated cum laude from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management. Her creative strategy, community engagement, and strong client relationships make her an invaluable asset to the Optima team.
Outside of work, Danika enjoys flying, fishing, and hiking with her husband, Sam, and their golden retriever, Tuuk. They are also in the process of building a home in Alaska.
Brad Jackson
Lead Filmmaker & Visual Content Strategist
Brad Jackson is a multi-talented filmmaker, actor, writer, and director with a passion for cinematic storytelling. From stage plays to award-winning films, he honed his craft through Meisner and Stanislavski training, musical theater, and live performance.
He directed Come Back Home (Cannes, 2014), won Best Actor at the Beverly Hills Film Festival for Proper Binge(2018), and earned Best Cinematography for ORK (Mammoth, 2022). His latest film BOTCH took home two awards at the 2024 Newark Independent Film Festival. His film CONTRA (Beverly Hills, 2025) is currently circuilately the film festivals now.
Beyond filmmaking, Bradford has received multiple awards for leading video and digital marketing for the Alaska Army National Guard Recruiting & Retention Battalion.
His combined skills in filmmaking, videography, acting, hosting, and producing make him a dynamic force in the content creation world.
Ellie Doig
Social Media and Project Manager
Born and raised in Colorado, Ellie has always had a strong connection to the outdoors. She graduated summa cum laude in Business Marketing from the University of Colorado and now lives in Alaska, where she’s spent the past four summers commercial fishing in Bristol Bay, an experience that reflects her work ethic and love of challenge.
As a project manager, Ellie combines a solid foundation in marketing with a passion for the outdoors, leading brand strategy, client campaigns, and digital marketing. Outside of work, she enjoys backcountry skiing, hiking, fishing, and watching hockey.
Danny Rosauro
Senior Website Developer / Programmer
Since joining Optima’s website development team in 2021, Danny has become an integral part of our design-build process. With over eight years of experience as a developer-designer, programmer, and webmaster, Danny thrives on solving complex coding challenges that others tend to avoid. His ability to tackle technical hurdles head-on makes him an invaluable asset—especially on political campaigns and projects that require tight integration with digital marketing and fundraising platforms.
Danny works closely with Sarah Paulus, collaborating on everything from website creation and branding to user experience and functionality. His problem-solving mindset and eye for design help turn ideas into fully realized, high-performing websites.
When he’s not coding or building something new, Danny enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring nature, and relaxing with movie nights alongside his wife (also a web designer) and their two kids.
William Bradford
Audio Production Manager
William has been active in technology since he was a kid. He loved the field of audio/visual marketing enough to make it a career. And he’s amazing at it. William works with the latest audio production platforms for Optima. He is a gifted music enthusiast, songwriter, and creative design guru when it comes to unique, resounding radio and sound imaging. Winner of the prestigious “Pollie Gold Award” from the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) for Lesil McGuire for Lt. Governor’s “It’s Time” radio ad with national voice-over master Harry Chase, and also the coveted Reed Award from Campaigns & Elections magazine for Edie Grunwald for Lt. Governor radio ad with voiceover titan Sheldon Smith, and Bev Standing's voiceover for "Cut Above The Rest" supporting Mayor Glenda Ledford. William can assist with any and all sound, voiceover, special effects, and script support.
Grayson McGuire Anderson
Lead Researcher
Grayson was born and resides in Alaska and attends college full time to earn his B.S. Degree in Engineering. He’s a very talented 19-year-old who has mastered comprehensive online research including competitor and opposition assessments; website content comparisons, and tactical strategies for polling. He is a certified Wikipedia editor. He serves as his high school’s Model United Nations Secretary-General.
Mike Kocher
Director, Digital Marketing
If there is a national-level sophistication Optima offers clients, it’s digital media opportunities thanks to Mike Kocher and his firm Northwest Media Partners. Mike has been a regional manager overseeing digital platforms at companies like White Pages and Dstillery for almost a decade. He is an expert in full-scale digital media applications, from launch to metric measures, analytic reporting to detailed assessments. That’s why he launched his own firm in 2017. Mike is a critical asset to Optima, making our menu of services remarkably effective. He has managed numerous multi-million dollar budget campaigns nationwide for our firm. With Optima you also benefit from the expertise and magnitude of NWMP and Mike Kocher’s digital mastery.
Craig Paulus
Special Projects & Videography
A fervent devotee of the outdoors and accomplished videographer, Craig Paulus has a rich professional history spanning diverse fields. For two decades, he dutifully served the Municipality of Anchorage as a paramedic/firefighter and as part of the Swiftwater Rescue Team.
Originally from Alaska, Craig grew up surrounded by the natural beauty of Unalaska, where his family owned and operated a 56 ft purse seiner named the "Kittiwake." His Alaskan upbringing fueled his passion for nature and set the course for his educational path. Craig is a proud alumnus of the University of Wyoming where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science. His coursework focused on Parks and recreation, environmental policy and administration, and natural resource conservation. Complementing his primary field of study, he also pursued a minor in Geography.
Furthering his technical acumen, Craig attended the University of Colorado on a scholarship for three years, where he dove into the complexities of mechanical engineering. His multifaceted background equips him with unique insights, blending his enthusiasm for the outdoors with his extensive academic and practical knowledge to the benefit of Optima's clientele.
Legacy Leadership
Tom T. Anderson
Legacy - Managing Director
Tom Jr. was a lifelong Alaskan whose expertise lay in media/public relations and innovative messaging. He had a passion for advocacy, politics, and branding, and was motivated to deliver results. He earned a B.A. in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from UAA, as well as a Juris Doctorate from Hamline University School of Law in Minnesota, all by his early 30s. Active in government, he served as a state legislative aide for six years, was a member of Anchorage’s Zoning Board of Examiners & Appeals, Light & Power Commission, Parking Authority, and School Board, and was elected to two terms in the Alaska State Legislature in the House of Representatives from East Anchorage. Tom also worked as a freelance writer for numerous publications including Alaska Business Magazine, The Hill, and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) newsletter. He hosted a popular morning radio talk show and loved adventures, which he often enjoyed with his wife Laila and kids. Additionally, he was passionate about gardening, YouTube, and photography.