Director, Creative group
Jim’s forte is combining intelligent design with strategic communications to produce powerful results for clients. Before joining forces with Padilla Speer Beardsley, Jim ran his own highly regarded firm – The Nancekivell Group – for 27 years, providing corporations with exceptional design, branding and interactive communications.
His commitment to creative intelligence has attracted a roster of top-tier clients, including Travelers, G&K Services, Owens Corning, and PepsiAmericas. He has received numerous design awards and is a recognized authority on design, serving as a frequent seminar speaker and as an adjunct professor at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul.
Jim graduated from Northern Michigan University with a bachelor of fine arts degree in arts and did graduate work at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y. He worked for the Public Broadcasting Service and a small advertising agency before starting his own firm in Minneapolis.
Jim is a member and past board member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts-Minnesota and the International Association of Business Communicators. His work has been published in AR 100, Communication Arts and Type Directors.