Our Team
People often refer to us as “the storytellers,” but in truth it is our clients who have the stories to tell. It’s our job simply to help give those stories a voice, an audience or a face. Our team is an uncommon blend of uniquely talented individuals with decades of experience in public and media relations, video production, broadcast news and direct marketing.
Ed Heil
Owner, StoryTeller Media & Communications
Birthplace: Seoul, Korea
Hometown: Birmingham, MI
Spouse: Kathy
Kids: 3
Favorite food: Athen’s Coney Island
Favorite place: Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Favorite sports team: Anything Michigan State
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Coming out of Michigan State University in 1987, I had one main career objective: Find a job that doesn’t require me to wear a suit! I failed in my first attempt and got a job selling telephone equipment. That lasted six years until I decided to follow a dream and venture into the world of television news. Twelve years and three cities later we ended up in the Twin Cities where I worked at WCCO-TV for nearly five years.
On March 11, 2005 I signed off for good and hung a shingle for what was then StoryTeller Productions, the following Monday.
Kathy Heil
Partner, StoryTeller Media & Communications
Hometown: Grosse Pointe, MI
Family: I’ve been married to Ed for almost 20 years and we have three awesome kids!
Favorite Hobbies: Cooking, working out, photography, golf
Places I Can’t Wait to Visit: Italy, France, Greece, Spain
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As a Michigan State graduate, I left the University not only with a degree in business, but with a husband. The next 20 years I spent in Corporate America (Xerox and RR Donnelley) learning all I could about sales and marketing. I am excited to join Ed in helping to create a new chapter at StoryTeller.
Heidi Ruen
Hometown: Fergus Falls, Minn.
Favorite Food: Pasta
You may be surprised to know: I am an aunt to four nieces, three nephews, four great nieces and one great nephew.
Favorite Holiday: Christmas
Favorite Band: U2
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In 1988, at the age of nine, I watched the movie Big Business. From that point on, this small town girl knew she wanted to live in the big city. It took me another decade or so, but I eventually made my way to the nearest “big city” of Minneapolis.
I graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in Mass Communications - Broadcast Journalism in the spring of 2002. A couple of months before that I began working as a production assistant with WCCO-TV. Over the next seven years I worked my way up the chain, first becoming a writer and finally a newscast producer. What I came to love most about my job was finding new and creative ways to share people’s stories and how those stories in turn can affect others.
Recently, I decided to expand my horizons and take all that I’ve learned from working in news media and apply it to other areas of communications. So I’ve landed here at StoryTeller and I’m so thrilled to be a part of this team.
I look forward to meeting you and finding fresh and creative ways to tell the stories you have to share.
Chad Whisnant
Hometown: Minnetonka, Minn.
Family: Wife and 2 kids
Favorite cities (other than Minneapolis): Chicago, IL and London, UK
Favorite sports teams: University of Iowa Hawkeyes, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Twins
Favorite Music: Green Day, Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake
Hobbies: Golf and spending time with my kids
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You may be surprised to know: I have been to over 85 different football, baseball and hockey stadiums and arenas.
When I was 12 years old my parents got a video camera, and I’ve been behind the viewfinder ever since. My brother and I used to make all sorts of home movies, from horror flicks to 80’s-style music videos.
I am always looking for new ways to bring the viewer ‘in’ to the story, through shooting and editing, to make them feel ‘as if they were there.’
After 13 years in the television news business, I decided to bring my storytelling skills into the public relations arena, where I can help clients tell their stories.
Amy Schneider
Hometown: New Ulm, MN
Favorite Music: Eric Hutchinson, Maroon 5, Adele, Brandi Carlile
Weaknesses: Reality T.V. and Diet Coke
Places I would like to travel to: Germany, Australia, and Egypt
My bucket list includes: Skydiving and successfully flipping a house
Some call me nosey, some persistent, while others just say I’m inquisitive. But no matter how you phrase it, I just like to know what people are talking about and why. Perhaps this is why I was so drawn to public relations and social media. At StoryTeller, I get to put my well-meaning meddling to good use, monitoring and engaging on various social media platforms, while also working with traditional media to get people the stories they want to hear.
Before joining StoryTeller, I worked for a marketing and communications agency in Des Moines, Iowa after graduating from Drake University in 2009. I am happy to now be back in my home state, and am excited to share my skills and passions with everyone here!
Erin Anzalone
Birthplace: Stoughton, MA
Hometown: Eau Claire, WI
Spouse: PJ
Kids: one on the way!
Favorite food: Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse, NY and good Italian
Favorite hobbies: Movies, watching baseball, cooking, reading, wine
Favorite sports teams: Boston Red Sox and Syracuse Orange
Not-so-secret obsessions: Pandas and team mascots
Favorite places: Minnesota’s North Shore and the Finger Lakes region in NY
Places I want to visit: Italy, Ireland, CA wine region and go back to Hawaii
