Detroit-based Van Dyke Horn has announced the opening of a new office in Lansing. Formerly known as Berg Muirhead and Associates, Van Dyke Horn has doubled its revenue and staff since 2016, currently with a 14-member team across two offices.
Co-owners Peter Van Dyke, CEO, and Marilyn Horn, president and CFO, acquired the company in 2016 from founders Bob Berg and Georgella Muirhead. Van Dyke Horn recently hired Kaye Byrd, former deputy communications director for Wayne County and communication director for its public works department.
“Since our founding, our firm has been dedicated to being present wherever our clients need us,” says Van Dyke. “There has been consistent demand for Van Dyke Horn to service clients in Lansing. With our strong history of award-winning services in public affairs complemented by our diverse array of communication services, we are thrilled to meet this demand and expand within the Lansing market.”
With the expansion, Van Dyke Horn has hired Lansing communications veteran Maureen McNulty Saxton to lead its Lansing office. For the past 10 years, Saxton has owned the communications consulting firm PR Edge, with clients ranging from those in the energy sector to early childhood education. Her past experience includes heading the communications/press offices of the state of Michigan’s departments of treasury, management and budget, history, arts and libraries, and a statewide gubernatorial campaign. She was also a reporter at the Erie Daily Times in Erie, Pa., the Grosse Pointe News, and the Detroit Free Press.
“Maureen comes to Van Dyke Horn with a strong portfolio of clients, further establishing our foundation in Lansing,” says Horn. “She is an excellent addition to the team, and we are thrilled that she will be helping steward our expansion.”
A key element defining Van Dyke Horn’s brand is having a diverse team.
“Van Dyke Horn strongly believes in having a team that reflects the clients and communities we serve,” says Van Dyke. “While we are proud of our deep bench strength of professional expertise, we also recognize how important it is to have a diverse team of consultants in gender, culture, race, and age. In a nutshell: we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk.”
