We’re thrilled to share some big news: Marian Leonard, our Managing Director, has been named one of the 2025 Luminary Award winners by AAF Dallas!
This prestigious honor, newly reimagined from the legacy of the Shining Stars awards, recognizes 10 standout women who are shaping the future of advertising in Dallas through talent, leadership, and innovation. And if you’ve had the chance to work with Marian, you know there’s no one more deserving.
At Arm Candy, our people are our greatest asset — and Marian leads with that belief at the core of everything she does. Since stepping into the Managing Director role, she’s been the driving force behind cultivating our culture, empowering our team, and ensuring our clients feel the strength of a truly unified, energized agency.
Marian’s leadership isn’t just about making sound financial decisions or overseeing operations (though she’s exceptional at both). It’s about seeing the potential in every person and creating the conditions for that potential to thrive. She balances sharp business acumen with deep empathy, turning challenges into opportunities and fostering a workplace where people feel seen, supported, and inspired to do their best work.
Her impact is felt in every corner of our agency — from team development to client success — and now, thanks to the Luminary Awards, it’s being celebrated across the Dallas advertising community.
Luminary Award honorees will be celebrated at an awards ceremony on the evening of Friday, June 13th, on the American Airlines campus.
Please join us in congratulating Marian on this well-earned recognition. We’re proud and forever grateful to have her leading the way on Team AC! And congratulations to all 2025 honorees, especially our close partner, Sarah Franks!
- Alicia Conner – See Pictures
- Amanda Jackson – LERMA/
- Asha Gopalan Ramirez – Multiview
- Carrie Davis – Communities Foundation of Texas
- Deja Sanders – Our Bodega
- Dr. Alice Kendrick – Southern Methodist University
- Jackie Fernandez – Truth Marketing
- Jan Ballard – Texas Christian University
- Jennifer Krajcirovic – Mouser Electronics
- Jennifer Walker – Visit Dallas
- Joqcuie Hoyos – Moroch
- Lee Hackett – Texas A&M University At Commerce
- Marian Leonard – Arm Candy
- Meghan McPartland-Krakauer – TRG
- Natalie Yancy – The Dallas Morning New & Medium Giant
- Rhonda Contreras – TRG
- Sarah Franks – Plot Twist Creativity
- Taylor Torcellini – TruePoint
- Tricia Mahoney – TwistedX
- Val De Fex – The Infinite Agency