From Student to Professional

Diana Rogers is a communications specialist for the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, a non-profit organization that is a public trust that helps to place people in homes. Rogers is an alumna of the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College, where she was active in Public Relations Student Society of America and wrote for the Oklahoma Daily. She also has a Master’s of Education from OU. Rogers has spent her entire professional career with OHFA, working there since 2005. Her college experiences were very important for her future career. “It got me pretty prepared for writing, especially considering how much I do now,” she says. She also interned with OHFA during her time at OU, a move which later turned into her career.

As a communications specialist for OHFA, Rogers writes press releases, plans events, produces internal and external communications like newsletters, and oversees production of OHFA’s annual report. Public relations, especially for a smaller non-profit, is not limited to simply producing media tactics such as these. Rogers says the true value of public relations for any organization is its management and long-term planning functions. “It’s strategic, not just tactical,” Rogers says.

Experience during college is crucial to a public relations student’s future. “It’s so important to have internships. It’s a way to get your foot in the door and to get experience for your career later on.”

Roger’s advice for success as a public relations professional is to know your organization and know your audience and their needs. “We try to find out what the media needs are, and make sure that our communication plan tries to align with what our business objectives are,” she says of OHFA’s PR philosophy.

As with any career, drive, passion and intelligence are also vital.

“You have to be passionate and involved. It’s all about thinking critically and strategically.”