Member Spotlight: Courtney O'Connell
Tell us a little about yourself. I'm from the small town of Gilbertville, Iowa. I went to UNI for PR and marketing. I've lived in downtown Des Moines for about three years and love it! I also have a one year old aussiedoodle that I am unhealthily obsessed with named Charlie, feel free to reach out if you'd like to see photos.
What drew you to public relations in the first place? After winning my 6th grade D.A.R.E. essay writing contest I knew writing was my calling, but going into my freshman year of college I still didn't know what career path I wanted to pursue. I soon discovered that PR combined a lot of the things I enjoyed and a degree in it offered a wide range of opportunities.
What has your career path looked like? What is your current role? My junior year of college I started interning for a digital marketing company, Onimod Global, writing blogs and managing social media. Later I also learned how to create and manage paid social campaigns, as well as Google Ads and work on the backend of websites. I was considering taking a full time position here after college, but I was working completely remote and I knew I wanted the experience of working in an office with a team. This led me to accepting a position at Strategic America as a social media coordinator on the Strat Comms team. Ironically, my first day was in March of 2020, when the office, in addition to the rest of the world, shut down. Unfortunately I did not get the in-person team experience here, but I did learn so much from my amazing manager, Shari Saunders. I was at SA for a year and a half but I am currently a digital production specialist for Smash Park Entertainment Group. I manage all of our social media accounts, paid social, search and email campaigns and design all of our digital assets.
How did you get involved with PRSA Iowa? While I was at SA I expressed to my manager, Shari, that I wanted to get involved in an organization for professional development. After learning all of the great networking and learning opportunities PRSA offered, combined with my past UNI PRSSA experience, I knew it was a perfect fit. It just so happened that social media chair was a role the board was needing to fill in 2021 and I was definitely interested. After learning more about the role and meeting the rest of the board, it was a no brainer.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve received? Fake it til you make it.
What do you like to do in your free time? Hanging out with my dog, trying new restaurants, drinking craft beer and reading are probably my top 4 favorite hobbies.
