What is your role in the Service Center of Excellence?
I’m a communications manager, and I provide communications services and support to units in the Institutional Integrity and Risk Management division. My responsibilities include managing and executing communications projects and other activities, such as social media management and storytelling through writing, photography and video.
What did you do before you came to the SCE?
My undergraduate studies were completed at UNCW, where I double majored in Film Studies and Creative Writing. From there, my career started in broadcasting, where I worked as a production assistant on the technical side of news programming, and later, I worked at the assignment desk at WRAL. I was also a documentary researcher at WRAL when their documentary programming was known as Focal Point. My career shifted to industrial video production at Contrast Creative, where I worked on video projects for clients, primarily in health care and higher education. After a decade in broadcasting and production, I questioned whether I had chosen the right career path and took an administrative role at Campbell University where I worked with veterans and military-affiliated students as a school-certifying official. After some personal and professional reflection, I realized I had chosen the right career and moved into a marketing role for the college’s Adult and Online Education department. In 2021, I joined NC State as a communications specialist for the Biological and Agricultural Engineering department, a hybrid between the College of Ag and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering. My responsibilities for the department were similar to those I now manage, including projects for NC State Extension. I also earned a Master of Science in marketing from William and Mary while working full-time at NC State.
What is your favorite part of working at the SCE?
My favorite part about working at the SCE is the opportunity to collaborate with a team. Although I’ve collaborated with colleagues throughout my career, my day-to-day responsibilities in higher ed communications roles have typically involved much independent work. At the SCE, I get to work directly with a diverse team that brings a wide range of skills and experience. Our team structure allows me to strengthen my skills in the areas I manage without mastering ALL the responsibilities that usually accompany most communications and marketing roles.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
My husband and I have three dogs: a lab-husky mix named Grace and two Shih Tzus named Murphy and Gigi. We typically plan our activities with or around the dogs’ schedules and travel to visit our extended family. We also love thrifting and spend a lot of time scouring flea markets, thrift stores and estate sales for vintage treasures.
What is something people probably wouldn’t know about you that you would like to share?
I’ve volunteered with my dog Murphy for the last ten years as a Love on a Leash certified pet therapy team. We’ve visited with hospice and long-term care residents at the Durham VA Medical Center, students at NC State and Campbell University, and nursing home residents in Raleigh, Cary and Lillington facilities. I’ll be retiring Murphy at the end of this year. He plans on sleeping, and I’ll probably extend my volunteering by helping with photography and social media management for our local chapter.