Meet Our Team
See the experience, feel the joy
Michelle Metter
Partner and Owner
In 2004, Michelle and Ken broke open a bottle of Ken’s good wine and settled into his dining room ready to solve the world’s problems. Instead, a few hours later, Fast Forward made its official launch. As a passionate event and PR pro, Michelle had dedicated her career to the industry and knew there was an opportunity to create an agency where heart mattered as much as results, making JOY central to the Fast Forward ethos. With 20 years of experience in event production, event launch, experiential activations, sponsorship sales, marketing and public relations, Michelle’s leadership, vision, and focus on growth and new business development have since led the agency to become one of the most widely respected in the industry. Michelle is often recruited as a speaker at industry conferences and quoted throughout event and public relations trade publications.
WHAT BRINGS ME JOY:
My family, my team, travel, martinis, yoga, hiking, running, stinky cheese, our clients, coffee, scuba diving
Ken Loyst
Partner and Owner
As Partner at Fast Forward, Loyst brings 27 years experience in event production, operations, and event launch experience to the agency. As a former producer of one of the country’s top 200 tradeshows, Loyst is the agency’s operations guru and launch strategist, directing all vendor relationships and managing contract negotiations. With almost three decades in event management experience, Loyst spearheads the agency’s Operations & Logistics division and also plays a vital role in the creative development of new events produced by Fast Forward.
WHAT BRINGS ME JOY:
San Diego Bay, 3 dogs (poor Pearl)
Karen Mrvich
Vice President, Finance & Human Resources
As Director of Finance & Human Resources, Karen is a member of the senior leadership team at Fast Forward, guiding the agency’s financial management as well as helping to shape the company’s workplace and culture. It does not hurt that her husband is an Internet YouTube sensation and grill master which, of course, fits right in with our foodie obsessed office.
WHAT BRINGS ME JOY:
Family, friends, food, wine, beach
Kristin Martinez
Event Manager
Kristin adds 15-years of event management experience to the Fast Forward team. She is a creative, collaboration-loving, logistics master who brings infectious energy and positivity to everything she does. As an event manager, Kristin orchestrates every detail from booking the greatest talent, to attendee and sponsor support, to making sure there’s enough shade and trash cans. If the devil is in the details, Kristin will find him and straighten him out.
WHAT BRINGS ME JOY:
Traveling, date nights, girls’ trips, a tough workout, great wine, dinners that last WAY too long, great shoes, fancy coffee, literally ANYTHING coconut!
Casey Clements
Marketing Director
Casey’s love for objective driven communication paired with her passion for digital innovation and data lead her to create strategic stories that sell. As a content creator, Casey drives marketing strategies forward through creative, value-driven campaigns that spark conversations and move the needle. From blogs to podcasts, email newsletters and influencer partnerships, Casey is a tech-savvy communications pro that blends traditional and non-traditional public relations for truly modern and impactful content strategies.
WHAT BRINGS ME JOY:
My fur babies (Stella + Rose), ice cream, the beach, and friends
Michael Nesbit
Sponsorship Director
From golf to spirits, electronics to healthcare, Mike’s background in building impactful experiential programs on behalf of a variety of brands in multiple industry sectors makes him an essential part of the Fast Forward team. He brings a dry sense of humor alongside 10+ years of experience and can be caught on the weekends in San Diego’s North County somewhere beachside.
WHAT BRINGS ME JOY:
My wife and family, craft beer, San Diego weather and sports
Stephanie Waterman
Brand Discovery Manager
With 15 years of experience in sales and sales management in the professional beauty industry and more than a decade working in tradeshow logistics, Stephanie joins Fast Forward’s business development team to secure and manage brand partnerships, serving as a strategic leader for the growth and development of the company’s launches. For the record, if Stephanie makes you a cake, it will literally change your life.
WHAT BRINGS ME JOY:
Family, green pets (plants), DIY projects, yoga, Peloton rides, sunset walks on the beach, and anything sweet
Jesse Rodriguez
Strategic Director, Wine + Spirits
An Advanced Sommelier with numerous awards to his credit, Jesse serves as Strategic Director of Fast Forward Public Relations’ Wine + Spirits division overseeing client direction and creating engaging campaigns for consumer and trade audiences alike. With over 19 years in the food and beverage industry, Jesse has worked at many of the best hotels and restaurants in California, Arizona, Nevada and South Carolina. In addition, he has also received many accolades from Food & Wine and Wine & Spirits magazines including Best New Sommelier, Wine Spectator’s Grand Award Recipient, and a James Beard nomination for Outstanding Wine Program.
WHAT BRINGS ME JOY:
Tiffany, Pep, Pearl, cooking, Being a part of teams bigger than myself
Megan Glucroft
Marketing Coordinator
Megan is a San Diego State University graduate with a degree in Communication and passion for storytelling.
WHAT BRINGS ME JOY:
Her dog Roxy, amazing food (the cheesier the better), when the sun sets late in the day, friends and family
Think you’re one of us?
From Wellness Wednesdays to our Field Research Program, Floyd our Flying Pig, catered taco lunches, furry team members Annabelle and Pearl, life at Fast Forward is anything but ordinary. Take a look… we may be hiring!
Think you’re one of us?
From Wellness Wednesdays to our Field Research Program, Floyd our Flying Pig, catered taco lunches, furry team members Annabelle and Pearl, life at Fast Forward is anything but ordinary. Take a look… we may be hiring!