Our Leadership Team
As a founding partner of Marx Layne & Company in 1987, he has been instrumental in building Michigan’s largest independently owned public relations agency. Layne attributes the rise of Marx Layne & Company to the development and retention of a diverse client base and the careful building of a dedicated and capable team of public relations professionals.
Layne regularly plans and implements unique, results-oriented public relations programs for clients in a broad range of industry sectors, including real estate, hospitality/food service, technology, entertainment, non-profit, professional services, sports, manufacturing, retail, financial services, consumer products and communications.
As both the demand for information about companies grows and the media becomes more complex and fragmented, Layne’s experience provides a basis for creating ongoing, original and highly successful programs. Layne serves clients with their communications needs in major metropolitan areas across the nation.
He strongly believes in personalized service, availability and accountability. Layne respects the correlation between dollars spent by a client and results.
Prior to joining Marx Layne, Szudarek worked for another metropolitan Detroit area public relations agency, where his efforts were focused primarily in the heavy-duty trucking and automotive original equipment and aftermarket industries. There, he serviced a number of multi-billion dollar corporations and assisted in implementing marketing communication programs for use throughout North America.
Szudarek’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Wayne State University. He currently holds membership with the Automotive Press Association and the Public Relations Society of America.
He led public affairs campaigns and community relations initiatives for a Fortune 50 retailer, leading to zoning approvals and subsequent store construction. He also has successfully coordinated rezoning efforts for a major metropolitan Detroit real estate developer, resulting in the development of a new mixed-use community.
Prior to joining Marx Layne & Company, Oswald served as the Director of Operations for Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast Services in Detroit. He brings 20 years of broadcast journalism experience to Marx Layne.
Odom has strong ties to the Hispanic community and currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the Southwest Detroit Business Association, a nonprofit organization serving a predominantly Hispanic region of Detroit.
Prior to joining Marx Layne & Company, Odom served as a project manager for a local nonprofit organization where his community outreach and educational campaigns targeting Hispanic communities and at-risk lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered populations received local, regional and national recognition.
Prior to joining Marx Layne nearly a decade ago, Mini served as an award-winning journalist for Gannett, Real Detroit Weekly, Digital First Media and C&G Newspapers covering investigative news, government, business, retail, arts, food, lifestyle and entertainment. She also spent several years as a communications manager for a national nonprofit organization, focusing on national and international media relations. Mini has ties in the arts, social justice and animal rescue communities.