columbia college chicago
Associate producer
When I moved to Chicago to pursue a Master's in Arts Management at Columbia College Chicago, I never dreamed the job I landed as a graduate assistant for now-department chair Mary Filice would become a pathway that led to working as the associate producer of MusiciansStudio: a WYCC-Channel 20 television program.
MusiciansStudio helped me build on the knowledge and skills I acquired at my first professional job at the Center for Southern Folklore: booking talent, maintaining and reaching out to a list of press contacts, marketing the show to students and the community, developing and managing the show's budget.
I also figured out how to manage an audience during live studio tapings, conducted research to help the show's host prepare, and learned a great deal about directing and editing (plus I got to iron Ladysmith Black Mambazo's dashikis and tune Robbie Fulks' guitar).
archer>malmo
Copywriting and account coordination
My first job in the agency world way back in 2006—supporting account directors and creative directors with in-depth research to support public relations campaigns and strategic planning for one of the agency's top clients, Smith&Nephew.
This is where I learned how to write for the web, craft effective ad copy, and build and manage client relationships. I'm glad it happened at an agency that has won multiple Addys, been named a Top 20 Interactive Agency by Adweek, and touted as one of the 100 fastest growing agencies in America (Memphis also consistently votes archer>malmo one of the best places in the city to work, and I agree).
The Center for Southern Folklore
Event coordinator
Working as the event coordinator for Memphis, Tennessee's Center for Southern Folklore was a dream first-job-out-of-college scenario. As a nonprofit with only six employees, the Center gave me an opportunity to do everything and handle a great deal of responsibility right out of the gate—from promoting, organizing, and facilitating concerts, artist showcases, and school tours; to booking musicians and artists; to developing event budgets; to grant writing; to selling artwork and running sound. Learning all of this at a place that exists to promote the art and culture of one of my favorite cities made the opportunity all the more valuable. (Plus I got to meet Mavis Staples and a million other amazing people.)
It all came together at the Center's 2005 Memphis Music and Heritage Festival, where I booked all the artists and vendors and produced and oversaw the live three-day event—one of the most well-attended in the organization's history.