Noble West Announces Significant Growth with Nine New Hires, Including Director of Project Operations

May. 21, 2026

Noble West, the women-owned food and agriculture marketing agency, today announced nine new hires across the company’s Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Boise hubs. The additions create growth across every agency department, and they reflect a period of significant growth for Noble West. Since October, the agency has grown its team by 45% due to the increasing client demand and a deepening commitment to building the agency with top talent.

Ali Cox, Founder and CEO of Noble West said:

"Food and agriculture is a relationship business, and so is building an agency. The team we have been building is rooted in trust - in our clients, our work, and each other. We're growing with intention, and I couldn't be more proud of where we're headed."

 

Leading the new team members is Hailey Malepeai, who steps into the new role of People and Culture Lead, Noble West’s first. She’s stepping into a newly created role dedicated to employee engagement and organizational health. A seasoned nonprofit executive, Malepeai joins the agency after serving as Executive Director of the Expedition Inspiration Fund for Breast Cancer Research.

Julie Knox joins Noble West as Director of Project Operations, which will see her manage a group of director-level leaders responsible for carrying out the agency’s key business goals for the year.  Knox joins Noble West as Director of Project Operations, bringing over a decade of experience in agency operations and workforce management, most recently as Senior Director of Resource Management at dentsu, where she supported enterprise-wide resource planning across more than 3,000 employees. 

Claire Johnson, a recent UCLA Communication graduate with an associate's degree in Business Administration, has been appointed Executive Assistant to the CEO.

Crissie Hoskins has joined Noble West as Creative Director, bringing two decades of deep expertise in brand development, integrated campaigns, creative direction, and lifestyle photography, with a focus on helping brands emotionally connect with their audiences.

Mark Garcia joins Noble West as Art Director, bringing deep agriculture experience and a background in graphic design, photography and brand identity to the role, having spent over five years designing brand identities, websites, and campaigns at agencies.

Sal Cruz joins Noble West as Account Director to lead and grow client relationships, bringing nearly a decade of integrated marketing experience, most recently as Account Supervisor at Runyon Saltzman, Inc.

Samantha Henson joins Noble West as Social Media Manager to lead social media strategy and execution, bringing a background in content creation, artist promotion, and digital marketing.

Alexis Lea joins Noble West as Connections Performance Manager, where she will lead performance marketing within the Content and Connections department. She was previously a Marketing Consultant & Strategist at Driftwell Digital.

Madelaine Kilroy joins Noble West as Account Executive, bringing a background in account management and social media coordination, most recently as Account Manager at Drake Cooper, where she led client projects and served as the primary client contact across traditional and digital platforms.

The news of Noble West’s personnel growth comes on the heels of the recent announcement of Secondborn, a sister company and creative incubator designed for challenger brands committed to health, happiness and sustainability. 

The news also coincides with strong new business momentum for Noble West, which recently welcomed Lamb Weston, Ocean Mist Farms, Chino Valley Ranchers, and Thomas Cuisine to its growing client roster.