LeNear Douglas Joins Paulsen, Begins Role As Account Coordinator

The path LeNear Douglas took to get to his new role as Account Coordinator at Paulsen wasn’t exactly what you’d call linear.

He grew up in Spirit Lake, Iowa, before moving to Brookings to enroll in the South Dakota State University aviation program.

Financial pressures associated with that course of study caused him to step back, however, and he later enrolled in SDSU’s leadership and management for nonprofits program.

A few communications courses he took within that major landed him in what would be his final destination at SDSU—advertising and communications.

“I like learning what drives people and influences their decision-making,” says Douglas, reflecting on what prompted him to major in advertising and communications. “I realized how much fun I was having in my communications classes, made the switch and I’ve loved it ever since.”

Even with that degree in hand, LeNear still wasn’t convinced that working in an advertising agency setting was where he saw himself. But something about Paulsen—its excellent reputation, its rural focus, its strong service orientation—caught his eye.

“This feels like it will be a really good fit for me,” says LeNear. “I’m not a farmer, but I grew up in Iowa surrounded by farming. I’m results-driven, and I like working with people.”

For the leadership team at Paulsen, these characteristics checked a lot of boxes as they looked at bringing another account coordinator on board.

“LeNear is a great addition to the Account Service team,” says Paulsen President & CEO Marcus Squier. “He is very personable and has shown a tremendous amount of perseverance and determination, and those qualities come in handy when supporting our clients’ objectives.”

LeNear’s favorite recreational activities include hunting, fishing and golfing. He’s also an avid bowler—an interest he developed when working at The Lanes in Brookings—and has a career high single-game score of 257.