Marketing & Communications Manager

AUGUST 2013 - JANUARY 2016

One of the most instructive moments of my career occurred on my first day at the chamber. My supervisor, Ben, immediately tasked me with designing a billboard—a far cry from the strategic campaign planning I had trained for. That day instilled in me a lifelong lesson: the importance of being a well-rounded marketer. While I don't claim to be a graphic design maestro, that skill has become an invaluable part of my toolbox as I've progressed in my career.

In my role at the chamber, I had the opportunity to market an array of over 500 networking events, each drawing between 300 to 1,000 attendees. My efforts were recognized in 2015 when I was named the top staff recruiter and succeeded in boosting dues-based revenue by over $15,000. That same year, our membership swelled by 14%, earning us accolades from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives for our standout membership marketing campaign. Moreover, we ranked fifth nationally in member retention among 1,300 chambers.

Aside from member acquisition and retention, I was deeply interested in understanding the chamber's brand perception. As the second-largest chamber in Louisiana, I spearheaded a brand presence study in partnership with Tulane University. The study revealed a 54.33% uptick in overall brand awareness and, most notably, positioned the chamber as 'the voice of Southeast Louisiana.'

One of my proudest achievements was serving as the city co-chair for Small Business Saturday in 2015. Collaborating with American Express, I secured a grant that funded 60 chamber member businesses' campaigns for the event.

In 2016, I made the bittersweet decision to further my education, enrolling in an MBA program at the University of Miami and leaving behind a supportive and talented team that I was fortunate to work with.