Director of Account Management

The Oaks Agency, Auburn’s student-run PR agency, has been foundational in my success and development while working through public relations based classes.

Freshman year, I applied to become a member of the agency. I was lucky enough to be accepted, and have been involved since. As one of the only freshman in the agency at the time, I was overwhelmed and thought of myself as severely under-qualified. While the upperclassmen did have more experiences and classes under their belt, we ultimately were all there to gain hands on experience and build our networks.

I got to work with different clients every semester, and was able to push myself in different committees. I began working mostly in photography and graphic design, but slowly transitioned into roles based more in administration and leadership. I was most confident as an Account Manager, leading my team of 4 to create quality work for our clients.

Junior year, I decided to apply for the executive board and was ultimately named the 2024 Director of Account Management where I would lead ~10 account managers and work with the rest of the board to effectively run the agency.

As the 2024 board and I slowly stepped into our new roles, we were constantly brainstorming ideas to increase the prestige and reach of the agency, while also working towards a higher quality of work being produced. In the account management department, I saw opportunities for clearer communication of dates and deadlines, advice on leadership and management, and an outline of overall expectations. After looking closer at the gaps within every committee of the agency, the board and I created training curriculum and resources for each committee to reference throughout the year. The Account Management Handbook I created explicitly laid out all the details and advice needed to successfully run an account in The Oaks Agency.

Together, as a board, we increased membership to about 55 people with 10 clients. We built relationships with new clients, such as Auburn ROTC, Atelier, Bunkers, and Shine Facial Bar. At the same time, we nourished existing relationships with clients such as Auburn Public Relations and The School of Communication & Journalism. The board and I strategically placed each member on accounts and committees where we believed they would thrive to generate a positive experience and environment for every member.