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 2004
graduate Brad Pinkerton is founding president of his own
company, College Signing Day. His CollegeSigningDay.com site is
a web-based athletic recruiting service designed to help high school
athletes gain exposure to college coaches across the nation. Athletes
pay a nominal fee to create their own athletic profile that is made
available for free to a registered list of thousands of college
coaches. "CollegeSigningDay.com is a great tool for high school
athletes who are waiting for their chance to be seen by the right
college," Pinkerton said. "Each year there are thousands
of talented high school athletes who go unnoticed and never get
the chance they deserve to play at the collegiate level. We take
the slight chance that an athlete may be seen on the field and magnify
that by making his or her profile readily available online. Most
services try to bring the athlete to the coach by sending unsolicited
mail and videos. This stuff usually ends up in the trash. What we
do at CollegeSigningDay.com is bring the coaches to the athletes.
Let's say Elon baseball coach Mike Kennedy needs to find a pitcher
for next year. Once he signs up on our site, he can search through
our athlete database by sport, position, geographic region, state
and graduation year. He might search the South for pitchers who
graduate in 2005. That would return all the results we have matching
that criteria." Pinkerton's e-mail address is pinke23@hotmail.com.
Immediately
following her graduation in 2004, Marian Bruno backpacked
across Europe then drove from her home in New Orleans to Los Angeles,
where she spent a month job hunting before landing an assistant
role at Evolution, the management/production company that released
the film "Saw." "I have learned so much, working
with a talent manager and working in the same office as literary
managers and producers," she said. "I am currently putting
in my time to get to where I really want to go - film production.
I am also in the process of writing a book." Her e-mail address
is MBruno@evolution-ent.com.
2002 grad Cindy
Beidel is a communications coordinator at National Geographic
in Washington, D.C. She has been with National Geographic for more
than two years and is responsible for media relations regarding
exhibits and live events at headquarters; special projects (film
festivals); traveling exhibits; National Geographic Maps; and National
Geographic Expeditions. She is also the intern coordinator for the
communications department. Her e-mail address is cbeidel@ngs.org.
2002 alum Erica
Stanley recently became the field director at Lake Snell Perry
and Associates in Washington, D.C. (www.lspa.com).
She is the field director at this national public-opinion-research
firm. "Celinda Lake is one of the top pollsters in the field,"
Stanley explained. "We work with Democratic candidates and
progressive-issue campaigns, doing public-opinion research nationwide.
As field director, I am in charge of ALL the logistics for every
survey and focus group we conduct, which includes everything from
finding facilities to helping with survey sampling. I got the job
through a contact, who is also an Elon alum, Tanya Brown.
She had worked here a few years ago. She is now at the Democratic
National Committee, and I had kept in touch with her and constantly
asked for help with finding a new job. Something came open here,
they called her for suggestions of people and she recommended me.
They called me, I didn't even know there was an opening! It is a
very exciting job, but also very intense, multi-tasking at its best
with very tight deadlines, but it is campaign season after all,
and that's what I love!" Her e-mail address is estanley@lspa.com.
1997 graduate
Scott Warner, a director with Qorvis Communications
in McLean, Va., is listed on the 2004 "15 To Watch" list, published
by PR News, a weekly newsletter for the public relations and media
relations industry. The list recognizes public relations professionals
who take risks and use innovative approaches to get publicity for
their clients. Warner's work has helped Qorvis become one of the
largest independent PR firms in the Washington, D.C., area. He has
been worked in crisis communications for former NBA player Jayson
Williams and the family of congressional intern Chandra Levy, as
well as publicizing product launches and corporate mergers. He recently
coordinated a media relations campaign for SafeNet, a Baltimore-based
computer secruity company. He traveled with the company's executives
to visit reporters in Boston, Las Vegas, New York and San Francisco.
His work resulted in coverage of SafeNet's recent acquisition of
two larger competitors in The Wall Street Journal and on CNBC.
2004 graduate
Tim Rosner is an administrative assistant for the Archeological
division of Wetland Studies and Solutions, also known as Thunderbird
Archeology. "The business is very well run and growing quickly,"
Rosner said. "I've been so consumed with finding a job and
place to live that my art has fallen by the wayside;, but once I
move into my new apartment I'm planning on getting involved in one
of the local groups of artists and picking up my digital and photographic
work on a more serious level again." Wetland Studies and Solutions
performs development consulting related to wetlands, the Chesapeake
Bay Preservation Act and local government water-resource initiatives.
WSSI has a 50-person team of engineers, scientists, surveyors, technicians,
GIS and GPS specialists and administrative staff based in Chantilly,
Va. Rosner's e-mail is trosner@wetlandstudies.com.
Jessica
Rivelli is weekend producer at the Scripps station in Tampa,
WFTS-TV, an ABC affiliate. Rivelli is a Tampa native who once worked
as an intern at WFTS. She had also interned at WFMY-TV in Greensboro
as an Elon student, and landed her first full-time job at that Gannett
station, where she worked for less than a year before moving to
WPTV, the Scripps station in West Palm Beach, Fla. WFTS is her second
Scripps station. Her new e-mail address is jrivelli@wfts.com.
2002 graduate
Suzanne George Duffy is a senior account executive
at M Booth & Associates in Manhattan. "I am the lead of
several accounts," she said. "They include American Express
Vacations, Detroit Marriott at Renaissance Center and Rocky Mountain
Railtours - as well as continuing work on MGM Mirage, Borgata Hotel
Casino & Spa, and Yahoo! Travel among others." Her e-mail
address is suzanned@mbooth.com.
2003 graduate
Maile Gerken is working as an account executive for WCHS,
the ABC-TV affiliate in Charleston, W.V. "WCHS is a Sinclair
Broadcast Group station, and we're sister stations with WVAH-Fox,"
she said. "I am the number-two seller out of 18 in new-business
sales. I love my job." Gerken's e-mail address is mgerken@sbgnet.com
2004 graduate
Jimmy Thomson is director of marketing and public relations
at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Conn. In addition
to marketing the track's events and planning programming he is the
lead broadcaster for event nights. "I dealt with the NASCAR
Busch North Series in the early part of June," he said, "and
I got to know some of the drivers really well." Thomson's e-mail
address is sms.jthomson@snet.net
Brief
bits
Gabriel
Fowlkes, a
2003 graduate, is an assistant for a Hollywood literary manager/producer.
Fowlkes' e-mail address is gsfowlkes@yahoo.com
Debra Bard - deb_bard@hotmail.com- is an associate producer
at WGAL (an NBC station) in Lancaster, Pa.
Maggie Sullivan
- maggiesullivan2@hotmail.com - is an account executive with William
S. Bergman Associates, Washington, D.C.
Sean Carroll
- scarroll79@hotmail.com - is working at a PR firm called New Media
Strategies.
Pamela Gallerani
- nymouseketeer17@yahoo.com - is working with Disney resorts in
Florida.
A
recap of recent alumni updates:
Samiha
Khanna, a 2003 journalism graduate, covers the Raleigh News
& Observer's Durham police beat. Her e-mail address is skhanna@newsobserver.com.
2003 graduate Laura Flynn is working in the marketing department
of the Streets at Southpoint in Durham, N.C. The shopping center
is one of the largest in the region. It was one of those she had
studied for her Elon Senior Seminar research project: "Trends in
American Malls to Attract Generation Y Using Emotional Branding."
"Im handling more corporate publishing and advertising than
many of my peers," she said. Her e-mail address is laurae2003@yahoo.com.
Jen Shelton,
a 2003 graduate, is community sports coordinator for the Daily Record
in Hickory, N.C. She handles local recreational and school sports
coverage for the newspaper, which is part of the Media General chain.
Her e-mail address is jenshelton22@yahoo.com.
Gillian
Eagan, a 2003 graduate, is working as a page at NBC-TV in Rockefeller
Center in New York City. The NBC page program has produced some
of NBC's top professionals, including Elon graduate Loren Burlando,
who now works behind the scenes as an assistant producer at "Dateline
NBC." Eagan's e-mail address is GRED88@aol.com.
Kellie Brielmaier,
a 2003 graduate, is assistant to the executive vice president of
the Franklin Institute, a Philadelphia science museum dedicated
to outreach and education. In addition to her work with fund-raising
and internal public relations, she organizes the annual Franklin
Institute Awards. Past winners include Alexander Graham Bell, Pierre
and Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
Brielmaier's e-mail address is kbrielmaier@fi.edu.
Shelby Brown
is a reporter/producer at WITN, the NBC affiliate in the Greenville-Washington-New
Bern, N.C., market. "I went to interview for a news producing
position, and they ended up offering me an on-air contract on the
spot," Brown said. "Needless to say, I'm thrilled!"
Her e-mail address is: shelbyvbrown@att.net.
Emily Matesic,
a 1999 graduate, works at WTAJ-TV, the CBS affiliate in Altoona,
Pa. She'd spent the previous two and a half years as a weekend anchor/weekday
reporter at WENY, the ABC affiliate in Elmira, N.Y. Matesic won
a first-place award in a New York Associated Press broadcast competition
for a 90-minute special she produced to commemorate the anniversary
of the September 11th attacks. Her e-mail address is emilymatesic@journalism.com.
Amy Medders Turner, a 1999 graduate, is living in Centreville,
Va., where she works as a direct-mail copy writer for Hecht's, a
division of the May Company - owner of many U.S. department stores.
She earned her master's degree in mass communication and journalism
from the University of Georgia, then began with Hecht's. Her e-mail
address is amturner77@cox.net.
Brendon
Hamlin, a 1992 graduate, is the senior writer/producer in the
on-air promotions department for the SPEED channel. The cable/satellite
television channel is one of the Fox networks, and its main offices
are located in Charlotte. His e-mail address is bhamlin@speedtv.com.
Jessica
Messier, a 2003 graduate, works in MTV's Music and Talent Development
division in New York. Her e-mail address is Jessica.Messier@mtvstaff.com.
Danielle
Matthews, a 2003 graduate, works at Advice Unlimited, a public
relations firm in Olney, Md. Her e-mail address is: danielle@adviceunlimited.net.
Brian
Hetherington is with Retail Sports Marketing Inc. in Charlotte,
working with accounts for Wal-Mart, NAPA, Camping World, Energizer,
Remington, Klaussner and NASCAR. Hetherington's e-mail address is
brianh@retailsportsmarketing.com.
Lauren Cooper, a 2002 grad, is assistant director of public
relations for the Big South
Michelle Cater Rash, a 1999 graduate, is Focus reporter for
the Business Journal Serving the Greater Triad. Prior to pursuing
this position, she had been at the Greensboro News & Record for
about four years. Her e-mail address is mrash@bizjournals.com.
Andi Petrini is community editor for the Concord/Kannapolis,
N.C., Independent Tribune. Her position falls third in the newsroom
chain of command, behind the editor and news editor. She is also
in charge of the paper's internship program and handles special
sections. Her e-mail address is apetrini55@hotmail.com.
Kate Botty, a 2002 journalism graduate, is earning a master's
degree in elementary education at the University of Bridgeport.
Her e-mail address is katebotty@yahoo.com.
"Music
Culture of the Appalachian," a film made by 2003 graduate Steve
Brady in a School of Communications course was shown at independent
film festivals in Los Angeles and New York.
Brady works as a video editor for WFMY News 2, the CBS affiliate
in Greensboro. His e-mail address is stbrady23@yahoo.com.
Allison Deiboldt, a 2002 graduate, is working in New York
as a research analyst for ABC Kids, a division of Disney. Her portfolio
includes programming on ABC, the Family Channel, Disney Channel
and Toon Disney. Her e-mail address is Allison.Deiboldt@disney.com
1998 graduate Allison Storelli, is an associate producer
for ABC-TV's popular morning talk show "The View." The
program features Barbara Walters, Meredith Viera, Joy Behar and
Star Jones. Her
e-mail address is: Allison.Storelli@abc.com.
2003 graduate Kellen Taylor turned a 2002 summer internship
at MSNBC into a full-time job. She is a production assistant at
the cable news network on its weekend morning show. Taylor's e-mail
address is Kellen.Taylor@MSNBC.com.
Katherine Baggott, a 2003 graduate, is employed in Washington,
D.C., at Corporate Executive Board, a company doing research across
many industries, providing best-practices research, executive education
and decision-support tools. Baggott's address is kbaggott@excite.com.
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