Your Team
Matt Resch
President and Owner
After more than a decade leading communications teams in state government, corporate America and a PR agency, Matt Resch founded Resch Strategies in 2009 at a desk in his spare bedroom.
Time flies and Resch Strategies has never looked back.
Now headquartered just two blocks from the Michigan Capitol building, Resch leads the successful and growing firm with a low-drama, high-expectations approach, helping a diverse list of clients tell their stories better.
Matt began his communications and public relations career in the Michigan governor's office. From there he directed public and media relations efforts on behalf of two state Speakers of the House, a fortune 30 company, a state legislative caucus, a statewide ballot effort, a presidential campaign and another public relations and political consulting firm.
A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Matt now calls Lansing, Michigan, home, where he lives with his wife, Brenda and sons, Owen and Cooper. He is a graduate of Hillsdale College.
Nick De Leeuw
Vice President
Nick De Leeuw has been helping people tell their stories for more than a decade.
From successfully directing communications for numerous high profile ballot proposal committees, serving as the press secretary for a gubernatorial campaign, helping lead the press shop for Michigan’s Attorney General, and launching and developing one of the state’s most prominent new media homes for political news and commentary, he’s honed a reputation for working hard and working smart.
Nick joined Resch Strategies in 2010, fresh off the campaign trail and after years spent consulting statewide on ways new and social media can help people, candidates and organizations share their visions and effectively communicate their stories.
A proud Grand Rapids native and graduate of Grand Valley State University, Nick began his career in 2003 at the Michigan Republican Party where he was responsible for statewide grassroots organization, as well as planning and executing large-scale events.
He lives in Fowlerville with his wife, Sarah, and sons Asher and Carter.
Stephanie Van Koevering
Vice President
Smart. Experienced. Practical. Determined.
When clients talk about Stephanie, they describe a professional who gets results. Look behind the scenes of many significant initiatives over the last three decades, and you’ll find her tirelessly producing strategies, assets, and valuable counsel for her clients.
After beginning her career in K–12 school finance, Stephanie went on to work in politics and state government. She spent four years in the executive office of the Michigan Department of Treasury before striking out on her own in 2001.
Stephanie has worked with clients in the public, private, non-profit, university, and K–12 sectors. Her breadth of experience ranges from supporting top executives in large multinational corporations to helping start tiny new organizations from scratch. In recent years, she’s spent her free time becoming a certified, experienced Michigan educator.
A Michigan native with two adult sons, Stephanie now lives in DeWitt with her husband, Dyck. She graduated from Hope College.
Anna Heaton
Vice President
From work on behemoth public policies at the federal level like the Affordable Care Act, to the state level helping shepherd through Detroit’s Grand Bargain, Anna has been helping navigate complex policy issues and turning mountains of research and stiff language into real-people speak for nearly two decades. A talent for quick thinking around media engagement strategy helps turn out speedy but effective results.
Anna began her career working on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and after too many summers spent missing the Great Lakes, returned in 2011 to help lead messaging efforts for the House Majority Caucus. In 2015, this work paved a path across the street to Governor Rick Snyder’s office, where Anna rose through the ranks to become Press Secretary until the end of his time in office.
Most recently, Anna served as Vice President of Communications and Marketing at Business Leaders for Michigan, the state’s business roundtable, leading multimedia efforts statewide for a board comprised of the executive leaders of Michigan’s largest employers and universities. Messaging major initiatives around talent and workforce investment, economic development and state budgeting practices through earned, paid and digital media honed Anna’s skills in sticking to a message and broadening its reach.
A native of Montague, Michigan, Anna now calls East Lansing home, where she resides with her diminutive bully mix, Indie. Anna loves to cook and try new foods, read actual hard copy books, and experience new travel destinations abroad. She’ll continue to cheer for the Detroit Lions no matter how soul-crushingly the season ends. She is also an advanced certified yoga teacher at Lovelight Collective in Lansing’s Old Town.
Joe Becsey
Multimedia Director
With an analytic-based background and a history of delivering on electoral, legislative, and issue advocacy campaigns, Joe brings a unique skillset and experience to the world of public relations.
Prior to joining Resch Strategies in 2016, Joe served as a Principal with American Strategic Analysis & Performance – a Houston-based public affairs firm. While at ASAP, Joe helped direct the efforts of two national non-profits dedicated to education, communication and issue advocacy on health care, tax reform and governance reform. In addition Joe provided project management, communications, and analysis services to ASAP clients including a chain of Ohio newspapers.
Joe was also a core member of the team behind the 2012 Campaign for Primary Accountability “Super PAC” dedicated to the defeating incumbent members of congress. The independent expenditure campaign successfully unseated three congressional incumbents in primary elections in the 2012 cycle.
Joe is a Michigan native and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.
Nikki O’Meara
Digital Marketing Director
Nikki O’Meara is a seasoned digital marketing leader with over 15 years of experience, specializing in developing and executing strategic communication initiatives across multiple channels.
From social media and digital advertising to SEO, content marketing, and web design, Nikki crafts integrated solutions that drive measurable results. Passionate about delivering impactful online experiences, she helps organizations enhance their digital presence and achieve their communication goals.
Prior to joining Resch Strategies, Nikki led the digital content, social media and communications efforts of Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences. She has also worked for Olivet College as Director of Content Strategy and TechSmith Corporation as a writer, digital advertiser and social media marketer.
Nikki earned her bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations and master’s degree in advertising from Michigan State University.
Nikki and her husband Robert live in East Lansing with their dog Piper.
Laura Biehl
Public Affairs Director
With more than 15 years of experience in government, corporate and agency public relations, Laura brings a track record of results to Resch Strategies. From writing and media relations to event planning and issue advocacy, Laura has done it all.
Laura came to Resch Strategies in 2019 from the Governor's office where she spent four years helping craft the administration's messaging and leading the Lt. Governor's communications initiatives. In the Executive Office, she also organized large-scale press conferences and events, served as a spokesperson and worked with statewide and national media outlets.
Laura also held communications roles with the Quicken Loans Family of Companies, the Michigan House of Representatives and the public affairs practice at Lambert, Edwards & Associates. One of her proudest accomplishments is working on the Campaign for Smokefree Air, which helped pass the law that made Michigan a smokefree state in 2010.
A Michigan native and two-time Michigan State University graduate, Laura lives in DeWitt with her husband, Jimmy, and kids Adalyn and Isaac.
Carly Buell
Digital Marketing Coordinator
Carly started at Resch Strategies during the fall of her senior year at Michigan State University as a Public Relations and Communications Intern.
After graduating with honors from MSU with her degree in advertising management with a double minor in public relations and leadership of organizations, she joined the team full time and has been learning ever since. Carly quickly discovered her passion for the digital side of the business and has honed those skills over the course of the first four years of her career.
From social media to graphic design, digital advertising to event planning, she’s willing to go the extra mile for her clients. In her time at Resch Strategies she has been promoted from Digital Marketing Specialist to Digital Marketing Coordinator and solidified her position as an integral part of the team.
She loves to read, hike, travel, and try new food. She was born and raised in the Kalamazoo area and now lives in Lansing with her fiancé Joe and their cat Mabel.
Sean Fitzgerald
Public Affairs Coordinator
Sean is driven by a passion for connecting people, ideas, and policies to inspire meaningful change. As Public Affairs Coordinator at Resch Strategies, Sean combines creativity, strategy, and purpose to deliver results that make an impact.
Before joining Resch Strategies, Sean built a reputation as a creative and strategic thinker during his time as a social media strategist at a Detroit-based advertising agency. There, he crafted and executed dynamic state and national paid social media campaigns, skillfully blending innovation with data insights to amplify client messages and achieve measurable success.
Sean’s knack for building connections was further honed during his role as Mission Team Leader for University Christian Outreach in Grand Rapids. Leading campus outreach initiatives, he fostered strong relationships and helped integrate new students into the organization. Sean also learned to effectively communicate a vision by leveraging relational capital, an approach he continues to value in his work today.
Sean’s journey into public affairs began with an internship in the Executive Office of Governor Rick Snyder. This experience gave him a front-row seat to state governance and public relations, sparking his dedication to crafting strategies that bridge the divide between policy and public engagement.
A proud graduate of Grand Valley State University, Sean lives in St. Clair Shores with his wife, Abi, and their daughter, Elsie.
