A Life Dedicated to Music

Andy Nunez is the founder, owner, and operator of Opolis Productions, LLC, a music promotions company and venue, which he manages with his wife and bandmate Marian Nunez. Nunez has a passionate history with music, starting in the 6^th grade when he formed his first band right here in Norman. As time and his skill set progressed, so did his involvement in the Oklahoma music scene. “Most people interested in music, their interest sparks at a young age, grabs them, and never lets go,” said Nunez. Such a statement holds true for Nunez, as his progression from middle school bands to former Barsuk Records band the Starlight Mints finally lead him to his current gig as a music promoter.

Nunez attended college at Rose State University and the University of Oklahoma after an early graduation from Norman High School. He did not obtain a degree, because he dropped out to pursue his music career in Oregon after a short two years. As Nunez joked, “My wife got a degree in Art Media. We’re still paying for it.”

Nunez relayed information about the status of the music industry today, and remarked that the most challenging aspect of his job was keeping up with the constant fluctuation of trends, much like music and cultural icon Bob Dylan.

When asked which advice he would give to new professionals, Nunez quickly replied, “Change with the times. Be aware of trends; this business changes at a faster pace, so you have to adapt quicker in the music industry.”

photo: courtesy of Andy Nunez

Learning Moore: An Interview with Pattye Moore

Learning Moore: An Interview with Pattye Moore

By: Aran Coleman

Photo Courtesy of The Persimmon Group

Pattye Moore is a brilliant example of a successful public relations businesswoman. Moore has been in the PR industry for 30 years, and she has continued to show her expertise by moving right on up the business ladder throughout her extensive career. Her achievements are admirable and should empower any woman, or any PR professional for that matter.

We began the interview with a rundown of Moore’s past. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1979 with a degree in public relations. She is an accredited member of PRSA, the Public Relations Society of America. Moore’s career began in 1980 when The Williams Companies in Tulsa, Okla. hired her. She worked there for four years until she moved to Advertising Incorporated where she eventually served as the Account Supervisor on the Sonic account. Moore’s success on the account got her hired by Sonic Corp. By 2002, Moore became the President and a board member at Sonic Corp. In 2005, Moore became the co-owner of Instincts, LLC. “We specialize in leadership development, brand strategy and communications management,” said Moore about her company. Since 2010, Moore has also served on the board of directors for ONEOK, Inc. and QuikTrip Corporation, and she is the Chairman of the Board at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.

After discussing Moore’s career accomplishments, I wanted to learn more about her strategies for becoming a success in the PR field. She said that good communication skills are a must for any PR practitioner. The ability to write well coupled with the ability to speak make a world of difference in the realm of public relations. The next piece of knowledge Moore relayed was the need to keep up with and have a sense of curiosity about current events. It is always important to know what is going on when current events can shape the industry you work in. Finally, Moore said business savvy is extremely helpful, as a public relations practitioner. It is important to understand all of the aspects of the business you work in, including knowledge about how the companies make money and an understanding of financial terms.

To end our time together, I asked Moore for a word of advice from a PR professional to an aspiring PR practitioner. The main recommendation she left me with was to take as many college classes as possible, especially business classes. She even suggested pursuing a double major. She said, “Many PR professionals graduate with no understanding of business.”

Moore is an inspiration to PR students who want to make a difference and achieve even their biggest dreams. She used her drive and determination to get where she is today, and when it comes down to it, those attributes contributed to the majority of her success.

A rookie's advice

Photo by Eagelton Photography

A rookie’s advice

Michelle Huff gives tips to future PR professionals

Last year, just as we are now, Michelle Huff was approaching the end of her capstone class and thinking about graduation. Was she going to be able to find a job? And, if so, did she have what she needed to be able to succeed as a public relations practitioner? I sat down with the first-year PR professional to hear her thoughts on what we need in order to excel in our future careers.

Having only worked less than a year in the PR professional field, the assistant account executive for SPM Communications in Dallas, Texas has found herself managing several different clients and gaining incredible experience.

“I work on foodie clients from fast food to fast casual along with major B to B businesses from corporate real estate, technology to retail and luxury air travel.

“I've worked on clients that require national and international media relations from Puerto Rico and Canada to Greenland, Iceland, London and Germany,” Michelle said.

Since working on such diverse and demanding clients, Michelle has gained a knowledge for the skills needed for any hopeful PR professional.

Huff stresses the need to learn how to be concise but all the while detailed and ahead of the game. She also suggests the PR professional learn how to think like a reporter and to “understand target audiences and content for each and every publication you pitch.”

In addition, Huff gives some advice to future PR professional about how to succeed in the industry.

“Most companies will hire you as an intern before full-time and it’s almost better because you’ll have a chance to ease your way into the company culture and get a chance to work on multiple clients,” Huff stated.

Michelle also urges future PR professionals to read every news article in your clients industry.

“If it’s batteries become an expert, if it’s food try your competitors LTO’s or even your own clients food,” Huff explained.

Michelle ended our interview by encouraging PR hopefuls to stay positive and always strive to do better.

Katy Bergman with United Way of Central Oklahoma

By: Jenny Bell

Katy Bergman is the public relations and event planning coordinator at the United Way of Central Oklahoma Chapter. Including a year and a half of internship experience, Katy has only been working in the public relations industry for three years. She has held her current title as the public relations and event planning coordinator for almost two years now.

Bergman graduated from the University of Oklahoma in May 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with an emphasis on pubic relations. She gained her internship experience during her senior year at the University of Oklahoma. She was actually the public relations intern for the United Way of Central Oklahoma. While striving to obtain her B.A. she was also interning 30 hours a week for United Way.

When I asked Bergman what she thought the essential skills were for a PR professional, I was happy to see that they were skills I have either learned or am currently learning. " A PR professional definitely needs to be proficient in Adobe and Microsoft Office," Bergman said. She talked about how these two programs are the foundation for most public relations work. " A couple other skills that I think are essential to a PR professional are strong written and verbal skills," Bergman said. Bergman also told me that having a strong sense of creativity and having the ability to be flexible in any situation are necessary to succeeded as a PR Professional. Bergman said, " The public is always changing, and you have to be able to change with them and grab their attention."

Bergman gave me several great tips of advice for future PR professionals. The three tips of advice Bergman gave me were to have internship experience, be confident and get involved in groups. When talking about internship experience, Bergman said, "You may surprise yourself with what you like and what is out there". Bergman really stressed the importance of getting involved in groups for networking purposes. " Once your graduate and begin working, networking is a must," Bergman said.

I can agree with Bergman that confidence is an important characteristic for an professional to have. Although I don't have much internship experience, Bergman made me feel better about graduating and starting my career. "As a young professional, you have a lot to offer the workplace, so don't be afraid to let your fresh opinion be known."

Interactive Ethics

By Christina Miner

According to Thomas Schear, author of “Interactive Ethics: How Ethical & Unethical Decisions Are Really Made in Organizations”, the original Interactive Ethical Model starts with an ethical dilemma. The ethical dilemma then meets cognitions, where Kohlberg’s Stages and Levels of Moral Development determine how you respond to moral/ethical decisions. Some questions asked at this stage are: “are you fearful of punishment? Are you concerned about looking good to those around you? Do you aspire to a higher sense of responsibility to others?” Individual Moderators are the things we bring to the dilemma, which Schear describes as ego strength, field dependence, and locus of control. The organization brings their own issues to the table, called Situational Moderators. Schear describes these as immediate job context, characteristics of the work, and organizational culture. These factors lead to the ethical or unethical decision that is ultimately made by an organization.

Schear presents two models to better decision-making.

Josephson Institute of Ethics
1. Stop and Think
2. Clarify Goals
3. Determine Facts
4. Develop Options
5. Consider Consequences
6. Choose
7. Monitor and Modify

Developed by Jon Pekel and Doug Wallace
1. Identify the Key Facts
2. Identify and Analyze the Major Stakeholders
3. Identify the Underlying Driving Forces
4. Identify/Prioritize Operating Value and Ethical Principles
5. Decide Who Should Be Involved In Making the Decision
6. Determine and Evaluate All Viable Alternatives
7. Test Preferred Alternative With a Worst-Case Scenario
8. Add a Preventative Component
9. Decide and Build a Short and Long-Term Action-Plan
10. Use Decision-Making Checklist

“But in the end it is hoped that through understanding and the insights gained from the model that the reader can learn how to make more ethical decisions as part of an organization that supports that path in every possible way.”

This information is extremely valuable to all PR practitioners because as people that work for a client we can easily be put into a situation where we our values can be put into question. Do you promote an item that goes against your personal views? Do you “spin” something so that your client makes more money and you don’t lose your job? These are issues that could face each one of us and by using Schear’s book (and others) as a tool we can be prepared to handle these decisions.

Graduating Student Seeking Employment in Public Relations

By: Jayse Nelson

With the end of the semester coming to a close my thoughts of life after college have begun to consume my daily life. I have visited The University of Oklahoma’s career service Web site and their office. I have searched Craigslist.com and different hospitality and non-profit career search engines. However, my efforts are not yielding satisfactory results.

I feel like every position I look into is seeking someone with experience of more than 1 or 2 years. I have had experience in Public Relations, but nowhere near 1 or 2 years worth of experience. During my first PRSSA meeting my freshman year of college, I was instructed to get at least one internship before I graduated. I did get an internship. In fact, I had two very good internships. However, both of my internships were only for the duration of the summer and one of them was shortened due to my prolonged semester abroad.

Adding to the stress of finding a job is the recession our country is currently facing. According to information I’ve recently discovered, PR professionals need not to worry about employment possibilities. This is true, if the individual has sufficient experience and skills that can set them apart from the pack. Last year, Time magazines ranked PR jobs 19th on their list of recession proof jobs. In 2006, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is still hope for us graduates seeking employment in the PR industry. Of the 243,000 PR jobs in 2006 the majority were in service providing industries mostly in major cities. Although there is a high rate of job competition in this industry, the BLS states that college students with a degree in PR and work related experience should exceed the competition. Maybe there is still hope for me to find a job after May.

PR from the Beginning

PR from the Beginning
By Ericka Burey

Jamie Rugama always knew she wanted to be apart of something
big. She found her niche in Public Relations.


Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Jamie knew she always wanted to be the girl behind the scenes. Graduating from Taylor High School in Houston Texas, Jamie was always a hard worker. She maintained a part-time job at night in order to save up money for a car and college. She was also a devout dancer. Performing in competitive and school teams and she even made an appearance at the 2004 Super Bowl during the halftime performance. Jamie always enjoyed being in the spotlight but when it came down to picking a career Jamie knew she would fit right in Public Relations.
Soon Rugama began her tenure at the University of Houston. Here she majored in Public relations and minored in Global Business. Here in college she found that the public relations field that sparked her interest was corporate. Now that she had her mind set on what she was going to do for a career the only problem was getting there; still working almost full-time in a department store as well as a local bank branch as a teller. Not a stranger to hard work, Jamie worked extremely hard to maintain a high G.P.A. and putting herself through college, and it paid off.
In January 2009 Jamie’s career officially began. After graduating in the fall of 2008 Jamie acquired a highly sought after slot for the Houston Dynamo Professional Soccer team as a communication assistant. Though the position is highly sought after, it is still an unpaid position. With the economy in shambles, Rugama informed me that though the position is unpaid it is still very important to the advancement of her career. She primarily deals with “preserving a good image of the organization as a whole and as well as the team,” said the 23 year-old. “[We] make sure to keep good relations and repport with all media.” Rugama described her position as “conveying the correct images to the audience and establishing rapport.” Rugama expressed extreme excitement for her position and the fact that she is doing what she loves to do.
As for the skills that are necessary for the Communication Assistant in the Public Relations department and for any Public Relations professional include: the ability to network, to be knowledgeable about a wide variety areas and to being a well-rounded as possible according to Rugama. Each of these skills is very important to have a successful career. She specifically emphasized networking as a key to success in PR. Rugama stated that the “contacts that you make with certain people can save your organization from negative backlash, if the relationship is cordial.”
Lastly, when asked about advice that she could give to future PR professionals Rugama had three words, “network, network, network!” Along with this Rugama also suggested to “learn how to have complete composure.” Another piece of advice included “as a PR professional you have to be able to handle any situation that arises as well as yourself.” Rugama had a lot of helpful advice to give to me and the conversation was very helpful to understanding where I plan to go with my career.
In the future, Rugama plans to have a family as well as becoming a practicing PR professional in the corporate sector. Rugama truly developed a passion for the corporate public relations that could be done and looks forward to advancing her career in the field that we all love.