Elisa Milbourn

Elisa Milbourn, Public Relations, Marketing and Communications Coordinator at the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau


By: Jenna Taylor



Photo taken from http://www.okccvb.org.

The Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau (OKC CVB), which is located in downtown Oklahoma City, is a division of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. According to the website, the purpose of OKC CVB is to promote Oklahoma City to visitors and enhance the city’s name and image. The Bureau also is in charge of planning and servicing conventions and other group related occasions. Elisa Milbourn has been working for the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau for over two years.


Milbourn graduated with a major in public relations from Oklahoma State University. Before pursuing her job OKC CVB, Elisa worked as a student assistant in the Athletic Media Relations Department at Oklahoma State University during her senior year of college. She then moved back to Oklahoma City after she graduated from OSU in May of 2007. After moving back, she started to search for jobs in order to begin her career. She found that it was very difficult to find a job.

Unable to find anything that was a good fit, Milbourn took a secretarial position at Hefner Middle School while she continued to research and interview for jobs. She left Hefner Middle School in 2008 and accepted her current position at the Bureau. Milbourn stated that most of her job opportunities were brought to her because of connections she had through friends and family. For example, she got hired for her current job with the help of her friend that was the PR director for the Oklahoma City Chamber at the time. She also got hired for the Hefner Middle School secretarial position because her mother worked as a teacher there.


Milbourn plays an important part of every aspect of the company. As the marketing and communications coordinator for the OKC CVB, her main job requirements include fulfilling media requests and setting up visits for the media. She also helps the Bureau’s advertising agency, Ackerman McQueen, with placing advertisements in various publications. Mostly all marketing or print materials that come out of the Bureau usually go through her before they are sent out to the public. She is in charge of the “Welcome to Oklahoma City” banners and buttons for various events that are happening around the city. She has also taken over all of the CVB promotional items such as bags, t-shirts and coffee mugs that are handed out around the city. Milbourn is currently working on updating the annual “Visitors Guide to Oklahoma City”, which is a big task toward the end of each calendar year.

When asked about what advice she would give to future PR professionals, Milbourn said, “People that want to come out of college and become a PR professional need to first network as much as possible, and second, have a passion for what they are doing.” Elisa said she loves working for the Bureau because of the people she works with and the great hours that she gets to work.

Christine Frank: The Face of Noble, Oklahoma

Christine Frank: The Face of Noble, Oklahoma

By: Molly Luton

Christine Frank decided to enter the public relations field because she genuinely thought it "would be fun." She admitted, like so many students today, that she originally wanted to get involved in PR for the more exciting glamorized aspects like event planning. She said it didn't take her long to realize that PR entailed far more than planning fun events.

She began working for the Noble Chamber of Commerce five years ago and says she has truly "learned the ropes" through the process. Her official title is the Noble Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. This entails not only managing the PR side of her office, such as their Facebook page, press releases, etc. but also the necessary management functions. Working for the Noble Chamber of Commerce is her first official PR profession, but she notes that there were many times at her previous places of employment (which she preferred that I did not disclose) where she helped develop PR tactics. She attended the University of Oklahoma before transferring to the University of Tulsa where she graduated with a B.A. in Journalism. She expressed how excited she was to finally be putting into practice what she learned in college many years ago. "I didn't particularly plan on it taking almost twenty years before I landed my first PR job, but opportunities for PR positions are few and far between, she said. "When I heard about this opportunity I immediately applied and the rest is history," she noted.

When it comes to professional advice she made many valuable recommendations. She recommended that before you ever send any document, communication, e-mail etc. that you proofread it personally three times, and if possible let as many other eyes as you can look over it before you officially send it. She also said to always dress professionally. "You never know who might drop in your office, or where your day may lead you," she said. "Therefore wherever you go look your best because if an opportunity presents itself, you must be prepared to take full advantage of it. Part of that equation is looking your best to ensure that your interests and the interests of your organization are taken seriously," she said. When asked about what advice she could offer to future PR professionals she said to never give up. She emphasized that finding a job in PR is no easy task, but if it is what you want to do it is by all means worth the wait.

Michaela Webb: Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator

"Michaela Webb: Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator"

By: Cathleen Shelby

(Image taken from the Facebook page of the Academy of Ballet and Theatre Arts)

Recent graduate Michaela Webb never thought that she would be able to combine two of her greatest passions in life: the arts and public relations. Webb had to work hard to achieve her dreams. But with a lot of dedication and enthusiasm, Webb got her dream job.

Webb graduated from the Gaylord College at the University of Oklahoma in 2008 with a degree in public relations. She has now been in the work force for about two years.

Webb reports that she did not have a lot of professional work experience before graduating. Webb worked as an intern at Starr Tincup, and as an ‘Outside Sales Associate’ at CBeyond.

Currently, Webb now is a ‘Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator’ for the Academy of Ballet and Theatre Arts. Webb began working there in September 2009, and has loved it ever since.

When asked what some of the most important skills are for public relations professionals, Webb responds “writing, writing, writing!” She also states that it is important to be able to make connections with people you didn’t know previously, to self motivate, to have good time-management skills, and to know how to use social media.

The best advice Webb has for future public relations practitioners is to intern as much as they can before graduation and practice their writing skills.

Webb claims that she has learned a lot since graduating from the University of Oklahoma. “The fast moving world of public relations ensures that I will never be bored!” Webb said.

Tanna Vu, Director of Funds Development for Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma

Tanna Vu, Director of Funds Development for Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma

By: Amber Rogers

(Photo taken from Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma Web site.)

Tanna Vu is the Director of Funds Development for Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma. Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma is affiliated with the United Way of Lawton-Fort Sill. Vu always wanted a career that matched her personality.

"I chose the PR field because it appealed to my personality style," said Vu. "I'm a people person and enjoy interacting with groups and creating relationships."

Vu has been in the public relations industry for 15 years and has worked with many corporations.

"The PR field is very diverse, meaning it allows for many job opportunities and experiences through your lifetime," said Vu. "It is very rewarding and exciting to cultivate and interact with people and know you have a part in making the company you work for successful."

Vu graduated from the Cameron University in Lawton, Okla. with a bachelor's degree in Communication. She received her master's degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. Vu has an extensive PR professional background which includes: Southwest Medical Center, BancFirst and Springhill Suites and Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott. Vu had a personal connection with Hospice along with a working relationship from a previous job. She applied to Hospice for her current position for those reasons.

Plenty of responsibilities come with her title. Vu is responsible for ensuring funds, writing grants, holding special events, and writing donor appeal letters. She oversees marketing and education at the agency. Vu also creates brochures, creates and maintains social networking sites and creates other tools to help Hospice stay ahead of competitors. Vu is tasked with speaking on behalf of Hospice at civic groups and other venues about how Hospice impacts the communities they serve.

According to Vu, the top knowledge that is needed in the PR field is communication, marketing and human relations skills. She believes the skills necessary include the ability to relate to people on a personal level and the ability to articulate information to the community using various media such as print, radio, television or other groups.

The most rewarding part of Vu's position is knowing that she contributed to the success of continuing the legacy of Hospice by making sure the public is educated about Hospice's services. The advice she wants to give to students studying in the PR field is to look into a PR internship to ensure that PR is one's passion and to allow students to begin developing skills outside of the classroom.

Kirstin Farris, Marketing Director of Excel Physical Therapy

Photo from collegesforphysicaltherapy.com

Kirstin Farris, Marketing Director of Excel Physical Therapy

By Kylie Schneider

Kirstin Farris is the Marketing Director for Excel Physical Therapy in Tulsa, Oklahoma and surrounding areas. Excel Physical Therapy specializes in outpatient care. Therapists focus on pre and post operative areas such as spine, knee, shoulder, elbow, hand, foot, and ankle. As they state on their website, “Excel Therapists are trained and licensed to provide programs such as functional capacity evaluations and work conditioning for worker's compensation injuries.” (Information from Exceltherapyok.com)

Kirstin has been in the marketing and sales industry for about 15 years and has definitely found her niche. In college, Kirstin received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology and minored in gerontology. Her initial plans were to work in some sort of elderly social work but she changed her mind as she discovered new interests. She served as a Pharmaceutical Representative for eight years and prior to that worked briefly in radio and TV sales.

It is Kirstin’s job, as Marketing Director, to market Excel to physicians and workers compensation nurses and adjusters. She must target these audience members with the right information that will be relevant to their business and encourage them to refer patients to Excel as is typical in areas that use public relations. Excel participates in special events such as golf tournaments and conferences such as the Oklahoma Public Safety Conference to create better awareness of the organization and reach their target publics.

Kirstin believes not being afraid to ask the right questions is the most important part of a successful marketing or public relations career. “If you cannot ask the right questions,” said Kirstin. “You don’t know how to go about fixing a client’s potential problems.” As far as advice for those wanting to go into the field of marketing or public relations, Kirstin thinks it is most important to put yourself in front of people. As Kirstin says, “I interviewed as many people as I could who worked in the field to see if it was something I would even be interested in doing and I found out that it was.”

Kinsey Crocker, Realizing the Potential of Public Relations

Kinsey Crocker, Realizing the Potential of Public Relations

by: Katylee Strange

Photo from: www.anglinpublicrelations.com

Kinsey Crocker is an Account Executive for a public relations agency in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma called Anglin Public Relations Inc. Crocker is one of the few people who happened into the profession of public relations. Like many students Crocker started off in college at the University of Central Oklahoma not knowing exactly what she wanted to do. Crocker said, “I looked into degrees in science, in art and communication. I pretty much looked into everything.” She ended up deciding to get her degree in Corporate Communication because she realized the job potential the degree had. Crocker got an internship with Anglin PR her senior year of college and has been working there ever since. “The internship is the first time I got in depth with public relations and just fell in love with it because it was so diverse,” said Crocker. The diversity of public relations and the agency style work is what grabbed Crocker’s attention because it allowed her to do so many things and be involved with the many things she was interested in. Crocker has been at the agency for six years. She started off as an intern and continually got promoted from an account specialist to account coordinator to account executive. As an account executive, Crocker said she is the primary contact on a lot of different accounts. “I hold meeting with clients and help determine their goals. I also work through the four step process and helping them do research and determine what the should be doing, creating plans, implementing plans and evaluating plans and writing proposals for potential clients,” said Crocker. Anglin PR Inc. works with a variety of clients including University of Oklahoma’s Engineering College, Homeless Alliance, and Oklahoma City Home and Garden Show to name a few. One specialty area the company works are with companies that have big ideas and want to solve problems for the community and for the state.

Not only is Crocker a productive member of Anglin PR Inc she is also an active member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). “I’ve been going to meetings since my internship, so for six years. Currently I am a board member at large and in January I will be the Secretary.” Crocker says some of the benefits of being involved in PRSA is that it helps public relations professionals meet a lot of different people and helps with networking. Being involved can also build a name for yourself and can even help get clients. And finally it can help keep up with industry trends. Being a public relations professional, Crocker says the ability to write and write well is essential. Also key skills are experience, because it is proof that the students know what they are doing and having basic knowledge of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Some advice Crocker would give to future PR professionals is to, “get internships and as much experience as you can while in school.”

Becca Weigman, President and Managing Partner for TM Advertising

Becca Weigman, President of TM Advertising

By: Morgan McMahan

Becca Weigman became the new President and Managing Partner for TM Advertising as of May 10, 2010. Weigman has been in the marketing and advertising business for more than twenty years, specializing in brand strategy and CRM digital marketing. She graduated from Loyola College in Maryland in 1989 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communications.

Weigman worked for RAPP from 2006-2010, where she was U.S. Chief of Marketing and Managing Director of the company’s Dallas and Chicago offices. Her leadership and client-centric focus in digital marketing led the agency to become the first CRM agency named to Ad Age’s 2008 Agency A-list. Before RAPP and TM Advertising, Weigman worked at Trahan Burden Charles as Executive VP in charge of multi-channel development and direct response efforts for the agency. In the beginning of her career, Weigman interned for Bozell Worldwide right out of college, and then she worked briefly for Arnold and Tracy Locke. Weigman says that the most essential skills needed to be a PR or Marketing professional are multimedia, communication, and writing skills.

TM Advertising is an independent subsidiary of Interpublic Group, which is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the United States. Major clients of TM advertising are American Airlines, American Heart Association, and Discover Network. Since Weigman’s addition to TM Advertising, the company has been honored with two Effie Awards. The Effie Awards is a declaration of an agencies achievement in the industry by honoring prestigious campaigns in all forms of marketing communications. The two Effies awarded were both Bronze Effies for effectiveness in the Media Category, and for effectiveness in the Healthcare Products and Services category. Her client responsibilities have ranged from categories such as travel, technology, financial, and retail.

When asked what Weigman’s advice is for future PR professionals, she responded by saying, “never limit yourself to just one focus when studying public relations, because companies and agencies will require additional knowledge in fields such as marketing and advertising.” Also, she is very passionate about digital marketing, so she suggests that ‘’students should be very familiar with social CRM and online marketing because customer-to-customer conversations are essential for managing existing customers and engaging with new prospects.”

Shelly Hill, Sales and Marketing Manager at S.P. Richards

Shelly Hill, Sales and Marketing Manager at S.P. Richards

By: Laura Hill

Shelly Hill has won over 20 awards at S.P. Richards, which is a fully owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company. Just to name a few awards, Hill is now of one the top sales people in her division, has been in the President’s Club seven times, and was included in the 1^st Inaugural Sales Advisory Board.

Hill consults business owners on market conditions, and instructs her clients how to advertise and market their business against mega accounts, like Office Depot and Staples. She also creates sales campaigns and identifies sale opportunities. Hill said public relations is a large part of what she does.

“I use public relations in two ways. I have to build a good relationship between my company and my clients. I meet with top clients week-to-week to keep a strong relationship. I consult with them on their business. I show them all the resources we have to off them, so they do not go to the competitor,” Hill said.

She also helps her clients build strong relationship with their clients.

“It is important for my client to have good public relations with their customers. It keeps their name in the forefront of their minds,” Hill said. “Public relations builds trust, loyalty and relationships, which increases sales.”

Hill often uses Constant Contact to design newsletters and Websites. She says this a tool that helps her and her clients contact their customers. She designed a Website for Wilson Office Supply, one of her customers, to help them build public relations.

Ironically, Hill started out at Office Depot. She went from Office Depot to an office position at S.P. Richards. She worked in the office for eight years in the customer service department.

“It was difficult to get an outside sales position. You pretty much had to wait for someone to die,” Hill joked. “A gentleman was going to retire, so I asked for that position.”

Hill said it was an easy transition. She had built many relationships with her soon-to-be clients over the phone in customer service. She said she felt like she had an advantage.

“I did a terrible job at first. I was so overwhelmed, but after six months I became one of the top sales people in the company,” Hill said.

Currently, Hill has 49 clients, and her market is worth $18 million.

South Africa's Youth Entrepreneurship PR Campaign

By: EJ Carrion

Since the downturn spiral of our economy and the decrease of jobs, promoting entrepreneurship has been an effective and motivational way to help students create a positive future. The Youth Entrepreneurship Campaign 2010 (YEC2010) is a campaign focused on educating youth on entrepreneurship in South Africa. The YEC2010's vision is to instill the entrepreneurship mindset in students so that that they can be the stepping stone to South Africa’s entrepreneurship endeavors. Younger generations provide creativity and an understanding of technological trends, which could spark new ideas and inventions. The campaign also wants South Africa’s government to build an atmosphere that is advantageous to young entrepreneurs and startups. The campaign’s also believes that entrepreneurship will increase the wellbeing of their economy. The PR campaign is an example of how PR can promote change and develop a community that supports the change.

The official logo of the Youth Entrepreneurship Campaign

The campaign developed this change toward entrepreneurship education by providing students with; mentors, finance courses, grant applications, and classes that help them create sustainable ideas. The campaign played a dominant role in motivating projects that were focused on transferring knowledge, creating awareness of opportunities and available assistance and support to young people where their entrepreneurial needs are concerned. The campaign provided onsite youth-focused coaching on business information, products and services generated by other organizations including partner organizations.

Lastly, the YEC2010 encouraged business professionals to support young people and their ventures by enabling them with development and sustainable resources that allows youth to believe that they can create their own enterprises. The campaign could not have been as successful without the support of the South African Chamber of Commerce, Umsobmuvu Youth Foundation, and the NAFCOC Youth.

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Relative video that focuses on teaching entrepreneurship

Tango PR: Mastering the art of connecting communities

By: EJ Carrion

Jorge Hernandez, President of Tango Public Relations, has volunteered his time and service to help the community set up events, community projects, and conventions. By being a community leader, Hernandez discovered an untapped market that would benefit from public relations. He realized that there was potential business in helping companies advance their relationships within the Hispanic community by the events he hosted. “It is so important for business professionals to identify opportunities. When you notice a problem, try to be the solution.” Hernandez realized that there was no one more qualified in helping companies connect to the Hispanic community than himself.

He graduated from Southern Nazarene University, a private Catholic university located in Bethany, Oklahoma. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Relations to pursue a career as a guidance counselor to help Hispanic students excel in school. Hernandez’s passion for the Hispanic community led him to his first job as a youth prevention specialist for the Latino Community Development Agency. He helped motivate students and citizens in the community to build a better foundation for youth in the Hispanic community.

He became a popular face in the community and was someone people could count on to influence and impact the Latinos in Oklahoma City. An opportunity sprouted when a bank opened up in the Hispanic community and was searching for a representative that was well connected and trusted by the citizens that live there. Exceptionally qualified for the job, Hernandez found a new outlet and industry to help him leverage the Hispanic community forward. After a few years working for the bank, he developed an interest in finance and became in agent for New York Life Insurance.

Now Hernandez and his wife, Brenda Hernandez, own a franchise for Allstate which has helped them strengthen their status in the community. “It is very difficult for companies to brand themselves in the Hispanic market, said Mr. Hernandez, you have to have people that can represent your service and build loyalty within the community.”
While working with Allstate, Hernandez created Tango Public Relation, a public relations firm that specialized in positioning companies to be fully embraced by the Hispanic community. They are located in the heart and soul of Oklahoma City’s Hispanic community. Hernandez recognized that Fortune 500 companies need guidance by an expert that knows how to build strong relationships and communicate efficiently with the Hispanic market.

“Public Relations is such an inside essential for companies especially in the Hispanic community,” said Hernandez. “Hispanics grasp their culture so well, and in order to become a part of their lifestyle you have to be able to gain their trust. Once companies can gain that trust, the Hispanic community will become very loyal customers.”

Tango Public Relation lives by the saying “mi casa su casa” as Hernandez and his close niche group of practitioners provide strategic planning and strategies that are relevant in today’s Hispanic community. According to their official website, Tango PR has been in charge of hosting events for the Feliz Las Americas, Bricktown Association, The Yard Dawgs, and the Oklahoma City Public Schools. What we can learn from Tango PR and Hernandez is that public relations is about building communities and helping those communities connect to one another effectively.

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Great video that goes along with the theme of building communities

James Thach

Photo taken by Expressemploymentprofessionals.com

James Thach, Corporate Communications at Express Employment Professionals

By: Katie Graham

From 2006 to 2009, after graduating from Gaylord with an advertising degree, James Thach decided to take his internship to another level and actually work for it as Corporate Communications with Express Employment Professionals. Express Employment Professionals is a company that’s main goal is to show people how to find jobs. It has been around for over 25 years, helping people find the human resources and job skills to seek a career and a future. Thach worked at the international headquarters where he wrote blogs, columns, and press releases for internal and external audiences. His press releases consisted of writing to people about the latest employment and new office spaces that were available at the time. He would fill in the blank, with people, the insight as to how to go about seeking a job as well. Most of his blogs were fun facts to audiences about “How to be Interviewed,” or “How to Interview,” or “Top 10 ways to find the correct skills needed for your job.” Thach said that most of his time dealt with press releases that showed publicity to new job employment.

Thach also wrote pamphlets for the franchisees listing potential employment in the local areas. The pamphlets also showed where temporary workers were and became the “umbrella” to showing the progress of the company. Overall, quality writing was his main skill because he had to show a sense of reputation to the company, while publicizing to the audience the skills, material and training suited for the type of job that person was looking for. His knowledge consisted of knowing the franchisees and his company he was writing for. If he didn't know the rural area, he wouldn't know the jobs, therefore would have nothing to write about.

One of his responsibilities was to interview 2 franchisees about temporary works and economic trends. Thach would ask the franchisees about the trends that are possibly coming up, while predicting the work area that might have openings in the future. He would then send it to the publisher, where the pamphlet would then be published and sent out to the public to those wanting to find the fastest way to look for their job. This was best known as the Rosenberg Surveys.

His longest responsibility was actually building the main website for Express Employment Professionals. He designed it entirely by himself.

“It was pretty fun, don’t get me wrong, but I had to have my AP book on me at all times,” Thach said.

He is not currently working there anymore because of the amount of writing he had to endure every day. He got the job from interning there but never thought he would have a job right outside of graduating. Thach said that his best opportunities came from interning and to do as many as possible. This is what allows you to learn what you like and do not like out of a career. Thach also mentioned that even though you have graduated, it doesn’t mean you should throw away your AP book. Like mentioned above, he used his AP book every day during his time at Express Employment Professionals. It was a stable job, but not what he was looking for. It was a reality check, showing how much you are required to write in a job like this.

Thach now works for Crooked Tie Studios, where he records and creates wedding videos.

“It has nothing to do with my last job, but I love social media and photography so why not?” Thach said. His photography class got him into this, and his advertising capstone class pulled him further away from doing any kind of advertising.

Overall, James Thach is a writer and writing is his passion because it is the easiest to him. He wouldn’t mind doing more press releases and blogs, but for right now he’s getting his kicks out of going to weddings and making memories.