Darby Communications (Darby), the Asheville, North Carolina-based public relations and digital marketing agency for outdoor, hunting, fishing, and endurance brands, has shuffled its leadership and service ranks with the addition of a new director of Emerging Services role and two promotions on its client services team.
Stacy Kline, who has been with Darby will be promoted to director of Emerging Services, and Gordon Brown will be senior account executive within the agency’s Hunt/Fish division. These promotions are said to reflect Darby’s continued investment in developing talent from within the agency by building senior leadership around affiliate marketing and AI visibility services and adding account leadership depth to a growing roster of hunting, fishing, and conservation-focused clients.
“Stacy and Gordon are invaluable to this agency, and recognizing them with these promotions feels well deserved,” said Suzanne Hermann, VP of Client Services, Darby Communications. “Their leadership shows up everywhere—in the strategic guidance they give clients and the mentorship they offer their peers. These new titles reflect the difference they’ve already made and the impact yet to come.”
Stacy Kline, director of Emerging Services, (pictured right) first joined the Darby Communications team in February 2022 as an account coordinator. Since joining the agency, she has grown into a senior PR account executive and affiliate specialist. In her new role as director of Emerging Services, Kline will own Darby’s affiliate marketing and AI Visibility service standards agency-wide, setting strategy, methodology, and platform standards used across all client accounts, while continuing to serve as a senior client lead on several outdoor PR accounts.
Gordon Brown, senior account executive, Hunt/Fish division, has been with the Darby Communications team since 2024. Leveraging his experience as a hunter, recruiter, and assistant coach for Castleton University’s football team, he quickly rose from account coordinator to account manager and account executive roles within the agency’s Hunt/Fish division. Brown currently oversees public relations efforts for brands including Kuiu, Shimano North America Fishing, Old Town Watercraft, Strike Footwear, National Land Realty, and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
As senior account executive, Brown will serve as the strategic owner of his Hunt/Fish accounts, leading client strategy, managing account teams, and mentoring junior staff as the department continues to grow.
Images courtesy Darby Communications
