Woodpile Studios is a full-service graphic design firm located in Northern Virginia within the Washington DC Metro Area, specializing in graphic design for marketing, communications, corporate identity and branding. Originally established in 1994 by Pete Buttecali, Woodpile has grown into full-service, 10-member virtual design firm providing award-winning creative to government and commercial organizations of all sizes. From small family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 giants, Woodpile can deliver the necessary results with tailored solutions to custom problems.
The inspiration behind the Woodpile name came from Pete’s idea that our collective creative capability is an organic fuel for changing room temperature, for shedding light on the defining details of our client uniqueness, and for releasing the energy of their possibilities for growth. We're stacked here on the ground for a short while, we have the opportunity to change the face of things, and we'd prefer to burn bright.
Our company and strategic partners bring dense experience in the areas of design for world-class logo and brand identity, corporate collateral, packaging, trade show and event exhibit and display, and the highest level of competence in complex web development and interactive animation and multimedia. Having produced literally hundreds of successful brand marks and all varieties of communication vehicles, Woodpile Studios brings the necessary discipline and adeptness for servicing all in need, regardless of their industry.
Not only will you receive the direct personal attention of experienced and seasoned personnel, you will also enjoy our straightforward client service and collaborative attitude toward image creation and messaging delivery utterly critical in encountering the market. Our team provides its deliverables with enthusiasm and unbending dedication and accountability to schedules, tasks, and costs, while being flexible to any changes in requirements or deliverables. We're not here just to score, but to exceed the goal, and to offer alternatives that translate into reduced costs, time savings and increased target impact. With the combined years of collective experience possessed by our staff, we are qualified for the tasks involved in your project both creatively and professionally. We're all adults here. We work fervently, investing the time and effort it takes to achieve perfection, often providing innovative design solutions when confronted with existing graphic standards challenges. We love the challenges and seek the potential. We’re driven to repeat the wonderful process that occurs between studio and client. We want the best to come out.
Pete Buttecali
+ President + Creative Director
Pete began his design career in the late 80s, and has established a solid reputation as a top-tier branding design specialist. His commitment to high-level marketing design in a variety of mediums has resulted in numerous awards and international recognition in several prestigious publications including five different Graphis design books.
| FAVORITE COLOR | Reflex Blue |
| FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC | Neko Case |
| FAVORITE MOVIE | The New World |
| FAVORITE TV SHOW | The Daily Show |
| FAVORITE REALITY TV SHOW | CNN |
| FAVORITE FOOD | Chinese |
| MY INNER ROCK STAR | M. Ward |
| OTHER DREAM JOB | David Lynch's Driver |
| # OF CHILDREN | 2 of the best |
| # OF PETS | One, Rocket, good dog |
| FAVORITE CAR | The X5 I traded in for my pickup. Baby come back! |
| FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM | Whatever little league team my son plays for |
| FAVORITE PASTIME | Living it up and living it down |
| FAVORITE VACATION SPOT | wherever |
| FAVORITE QUOTE | "You never want to be more than happy"- George Carlin |
| FAVORITE CELEBRITY | Rip Tom |
| CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT | Subtext |
| EDUCATION | Old School |
| A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME | I've been doing this for over 20 years. That's a long time to learn how to appropriately serve clients while producing good work. I'm happy when I hit the mark. |
| IN A WORD | steady |
| peter@woodpilestudios.com |
Jean Buttecali
+ Chief Financial Officer
Jean has over ten years experience in marketing and managing client relations. Her background also enables her to assist in the many aspects of keeping the business running efficiently, and provides a vital link between the day-to-day activities of the creatives, clients and vendors.
| FAVORITE COLOR | Chartreuse |
| FAVORITE FOOD | Melted cheese |
| FAVORTIE VACATION SPOT | Somewhere else with sand and sun |
| MY INNER ROCK STAR IS | Steven Tyler |
| FAVORITE GIRL SCOUT COOKIE | Tie between Do-Si-Dos + Trefoils |
| CAR I DROVE IN HIGH SCHOOL | 1978 Pontiac LeMans |
| IF I WERE A SHOE I WOULD BE | A sandal |
| SOMETHING I USED TO HATE BUT NOW LOVE |
Olives |
| FIRST CELEBRITY CRUSH | Sean Cassidy |
| PUNCTUATION MARK THAT MOST CLOSELY MATCHES MY PERSONALITY | !!!! |
| MOST EMBARRASSING SONG YOU'LL FIND ON MY IPOD | Pick any of the EIGHT George Thorogood songs I have |
| THE GREATEST CEREAL OF ALL TIME IS |
Reese's Puffs |
| A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME | I am full of questions, questions and more questions. I'd rather know all about you, than tell you about me. As a left-brainer I love spending my days being wowed by my right-brained cohorts. |
| jean@woodpilestudios.com |
Janna Matherly
+ Marketing Manager
Janna holds a BS in Marketing Management from the Pamplin School of Business at Virginia Tech. As a seasoned Account Manager, she brings solid experience and innovative strategies to our group for both new business development and continual client service.
| FAVORITE COLOR | Black (it's the most flattering) |
| FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC | Anything BUT Headbanger's Ball! |
| FAVORITE MOVIE | Breakfast at Tiffany's |
| FAVORITE TV SHOW | Absolutely Fabulous (BBC) or FoxNews |
| FAVORITE REALITY TV SHOW | Flipping Out, The Hills, Real Housewives of Orange County, Real Housewives of New York, Anything on Bravo (I love them all too much to pick just one) |
| FAVORITE FOOD | Thai & Seafood |
| SIGN | Aries |
| OTHER DREAM JOB | Fashion Designer or Interior Designer |
| # OF CHILDREN | Two beautiful girls! Ashton Skye & Bankes Elisabeth. |
| # OF PETS | Bermese Mountain Dog and French Bulldog |
| FAVORITE CAR | Audi Q7 |
| OTHER DREAM SPOUSE | I will stick with Adam! |
| FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM | Virginia Tech Hokies, of course! |
| FAVORITE PASTIME | Spending time with my family and shopping! Luckily my family likes to shop! |
| FAVORITE VACATION SPOT | Anywhere warm! |
| FAVORITE QUOTE/SAYING | You reap what you sow |
| FAVORITE CELEBRITY | Audrey Hepburn- the epitome of grace and style. |
| CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT | My family! |
| EDUCATION | Virginia Tech, 1999 B.S. in Business Management (degree in Marketing) |
| janna@woodpilestudios.com |
Marti Davila
+ Senior Art Director
Marti holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design, graduating with honors from the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, DC. She has an extensive background in book and exhibition catalogue design, and has been a key member of the studio since 2000.
| FAVORITE COLOR | Tangerine |
| FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC | House/chillout/downtempo |
| FAVORITE MOVIE | Some Kind Of Wonderful |
| FAVORITE TV SHOW | Law & Order |
| FAVORITE REALITY TV SHOW | The Amazing Race |
| FAVORITE FOOD | Sushi |
| SIGN | On the dotted line |
| OTHER DREAM JOB | Fashion designer or fashion mag creative director |
| # OF PETS | 4 dogs and a hubby |
| FAVORITE CAR | MINI Cooper |
| FAVORITE BREAKFAST CEREAL | Post Cranberry Almond Crunch |
| FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM | The Spanish national soccer team |
| FAVORITE PASTTIME | Online shopping |
| FAVORITE VACATION SPOT | Paris |
| FAVORITE QUOTE/SAYING | "Go sell crazy somewhere else; we're all stocked up here" |
| CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT | The Internet |
| EDUCATION | Corcoran College of Art + Design, 1998 BFA Graphic Design |
| A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME | I can most likely fulfill your need for music with my extensive iTunes library. In my spare time, if I'm not shopping, then most likely I'm napping. :) |
| marti@woodpilestudios.com |
Richard Friend
+ Senior Art Director
Rich holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the Corcoran College of Art + Design, and has been active in the DC metropolitan design community since 1997. With an extensive knowledge of typography and grid structure, he has also served as in-house designer for the Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
| FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC | It all depends. On what, I have no idea |
| FAVORITE MOVIE | Back to the Future |
| FAVORITE TV SHOW | The Young and the Restless |
| I'VE NEVER... | Thrown a dwarf. Although I'd like to think I could get pretty good distance. |
| FAME OR FORTUNE | How about health and happiness first, and let's just go from there. |
| OTHER DREAM JOB | Historian. Or tattoo artist. |
| FAVORITE CAR | The 4 train to Brooklyn |
| IF I WERE A LOGO I'D BE | FedEx. Or something else in a nice sans serif. |
| FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM | New York Giants |
| IF I WAS A SHOE I'D BE | Vintage Adidas |
| FAVORITE QUOTE/SAYING | *CENSORED* |
| FIRST CELEBRITY CRUSH | Erin Gray |
| CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT | A really, really good cup of coffee. Three words: "toffee nut latte." |
| EDUCATION | Corcoran College of Art + Design, 1997 BFA Graphic Design |
| A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME | I'm a Forefather Member of the Swedish Colonial Society, my birthday is Dec. 24, and I collect stolen airline safety instruction cards. |
| rich@woodpilestudios.com |
Sarina Espejo
+ Art Director | Designer
With a BFA in Graphic Design from the Corcoran College of
Art + Design, Sarina has worked with organizations such as the National Geographic Society and Liz Claiborne in the design of promotions in a variety of media including print, web, signage and display.
| FAVORITE FOOD | Yes |
| SIGN | Capricorn |
| FAVORITE QUOTE/SAYING | Love many, trust few, harm none |
| PUNCTUATION MARK THAT MOST CLOSELY MATCHES MY PERSONALITY | . (the period). Always finish what I start. |
| CARTOON CHARACTER I'M MOST LIKE |
Garfield. Sometimes lazy, somtimes mischievous. |
| I AM DEATHLY AFRAID OF | Frogs |
| FAVORITE DESIGNER | Paul Rand |
| FAVORITE SPORTS CELEBRITY | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
| CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT | Animated movies and cartoons. I still love watching them. |
| I SECRETLY WISH | Technology didn't exist. I miss handwritten letters and good ol' face to face conversation. |
| EDUCATION | Corcoran College of Art + Design, 2000 BFA Graphic Design |
| A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME | Diplomat brat, DINK, loves to laugh. |
| sarina@woodpilestudios.com |
Anthony Hudson
+ Designer / Web Specialist
Anthony began his design career almost 25 years ago at The Art Institute of Philadelphia. With over 16 years working directly as a partner of a fortune 500 international management consulting company, Anthony knows how to meet the clients’ expectations. He counts NASA and the VA among his top clients.
| FAVORITE COLOR | All Colors |
| FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC | Gospel, Inspirational, Quiet Hymns |
| FAVORITE MOVIE | The Passion, Lord of the Reigns, Borne Identity |
| FAVORITE FOOD | Beef Lasagna ... I will eat this all day if I could! |
| OTHER DREAM JOB | Having my money work for me! |
| # OF CHILDREN | 3 |
| FAVORITE CAR | Jaguar |
| OTHER DREAM SPOUSE | None - I can't stop loving the one I've got! |
| FAVORITE VACATION SPOT | St. Croix |
| FAVORITE QUOTE/SAYING | Trust the Lord with all your heart; and lean not to your understanding, acknowledge Him in all your way, and He shall direct your path. (Proverbs 3:5-6) |
| EDUCATION | Art Institute of Philadelphia |
| A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME | I like sharing the gospel, wearing suits, and talking with and meeting all kinds of people. |
| anthony@woodpilestudios.com |
Rick Aleman
+ Designer / Web Specialist
Rick graduated cum laude from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Communication Arts and Design.
His professional design career has included positions at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Barbieri and Green, Inc., and Universal Communications.
| FAVORITE REALITY TV SHOW | The Soup (it’s a good buffer from actually having to watch reality TV) |
| FAVORITE FOOD | Yes |
| SIGN | Pisces |
| OTHER DREAM JOB | Musician |
| CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT | Music |
| BIGGEST FLIRT OR CLASS CLOWN? |
Flirty clown? |
| CAR I DROVE IN HIGH SCHOOL | Used 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (yeah, chick magnet) |
| CARTOON CHARACTER I'M MOST LIKE |
Scooby Doo |
| WHO WOULD PLAY ME IN A MOVIE | Tom Hanks (circa the ‘80s “Bachelor Party” or “Splash”) or Adam Sandler |
| MY FIRST CELEBRITY CRUSH | Either Carrie Fisher or Erin Gray top a pretty long list |
| THE GREATEST BEVERAGE EVER INVENTED |
Mojito |
| THE GREATEST CEREAL OF ALL TIME |
Crunch Berries |
| A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME | In my spare time I like to keep up with my love of music. However, I've traded in my drums for guitar (to the delight of the neighbors). And, I love spending time with my little boy! |
| rick@woodpilestudios.com |
Shown Horton
+ Legislative Communications Liaison
With a BS in Business Administration and an MA in Public Relations, Shown successfully executed corporate communications across through a variety of vehicles, across public and private
sectors for over 10 years. She has worked with sales, marketing, government program and project planning and public relations for profit, non-profit and government agencies.
| FAVORITE COLOR | Powder Blue |
| FAVORITE TV SHOW | Toss-up between 24 and Lost |
| SIGN | Pisces |
| CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT | My iPod |
| MY INNER ROCK STAR | Linkin Park |
| MOST EMBARRASSING SONG ON MY iPOD | Dancing Queen |
| FAVORITE GIRL SCOUT COOKIE | Tagalongs |
| WHO WOULD PLAY ME IN A MOVIE | Halle Berry (of course) |
| IF I WERE A SHOE, I'D BE A | Stiletto |
| GREATEST BEVERAGE EVER INVENTED | Coca-Cola |
| GREATEST CEREAL OF ALL TIME | Fruity Pebbles |
| STRANGEST THING ANYONE HAS EVER SAID TO ME | “Do you know you are really tall?” |
| A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME | A person who loves to laugh, participate in stimulating intellectual conversations, admire the world’s beauty and take in the positive spiritual forces that surrounds us, all while sipping a nice glass of wine or a cup of coffee w/ Baileys. |
| shown@woodpilestudios.com |
Tamar Valdman
+ Communications Manager
Tamar's extensive background in organizing, planning, project management and administration make her an invaluable member of the Woodpile team. Her accommodating customer service skills are top-notch, and her impeccable attention to detail are well-suited to our clients and our corporate culture.
| FAVORITE COLOR | Yellow |
| FAVORITE TV SHOW | Sex and the City |
| FAVORITE FOOD | Mediterranean |
| SIGN | Scorpio |
| OTHER DREAM JOB | Healing Princess Goddess |
| FAVORITE QUOTE/SAYING | This world is too beautiful for bad thoughts |
| A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME | I am a symbolic artist that loves to help people. I was born in Israel. I have always had an obsession with eyes. |
| PUNCTUATION MARK THAT MOST CLOSELY MATCHES MY PERSONALITY | * (asterisk) I aim to improve my character daily |
| CAR I DROVE IN HIGH SCHOOL | 1991 Subaru Legacy |
| CARTOON CHARACTER I'M MOST LIKE |
Wendy The Good Little Witch |
| SOMETHING I USED TO HATE BUT NOW LOVE |
Vegetables |
| SOMETHING I USED TO BE AFRAID OF AS A CHILD | Dark |
| MY FIRST CELEBRITY CRUSH | Jonathan Brandis |
| tamar@woodpilestudios.com |
