2024 Communication Career Forum
Hosted by Mason COMM and the Insight Committee: all event information and registration can be found here!
Tuesday, October 29, 2024 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM EDT
Johnson Center, Lettered Meeting Rooms/West Lounge
Gain career advice and network with some of the nation's leading communication professionals. Sign up for small group mentoring sessions with public affairs specialists, media producers, journalists, health communicators, marketers, and more! Registration is required. Please remember to dress to impress (business casual) and research the mentors if you are planning to attend!
Mentoring Sessions:
Room 1 (JC ROOM A): Broadcast and Digital/Print Journalism
- Ross Wilkers, Trade Reporter for Washington Technology (Mentor)
- Brian van de Graaff, Meteorologist for WJLA-TV/ABC7 (Mentor)
- Marcella Robertson (Insight Committee Member Facilitator)
Room 2 (JC ROOM B): Media Production
- Rob Hargreaves, Discovery, HBO, TBS (Mentor)
- Nathan Crawford, Executive Producer for 12 On Your Side, NBC News Richmond affiliate (Mentor)
- Gavin Gibbons (Insight Committee Member Facilitator)
Room 3 (JC ROOM C): Public Relations Agency & In-House
- Tom Shaw, Director of Communications/Marketing for Greater Washington Partnership (Mentor)
- Lydia Kidd, Senior Director of Brand, at HR association SHRM (Mentor)
- Julia Hillman, Account Supervisor for FleishmanHillard (Mentor)
- Chad Tragakis (Insight Committee Member Facilitator)
Room 4 (JC ROOM D): Advocacy Communications
- Stuart Roy, Managing Partner for Strategic Action Public Affairs (Mentor)
- Matt Herrick, International Dairy Food Association (Mentor)
- Dvon Holland Williams, Chief Communications Officer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters (Mentor)
- Patrick Delaney (Insight Committee Member Facilitator)
Room 5 (JC ROOM E): Communication By Other Names
- Eric Woodwall, Associate VP Marketing, GMU (Mentor)
- Bryon McGarry, Air Force, DoD Spokesperson, Office of the Secretary of Defence (Mentor)
- Kellie Adesina, Lead Lobbyist for Kraft/Heinz (Mentor)
- Julie Murphy (Insight Committee Member Facilitator)
Room 6 (JC ROOM F): Use of AI and Emerging Technologies
- Lynne Kingsley, Ironmark-usage of AI for campaigns (Mentor)
- Andrew Flynn, Muck Rack-incorporating AI into PR toolset (Mentor)
- Tonya Klause (Insight Committee Member Facilitator)
Room 7 (JC ROOM G): Social Media & Influencer Marketing
- Updated Mentors for Room G:
- Christine Blake, Senior VP, W2Communications
- Isabelle Barrett, Account Supervisor, W2Communications
- Tyler Byrum, Digital Content Strategist for Monumental Sports (Mentor)
- Lori Lawson, Dept. of State, Social Media (Mentor)
- Carolyn Cuppernull (Insight Committee Member Facilitator)
*Mentors subject to change
Networking and Mentoring Sessions Schedule:
8:30am to 9:15am: Student and Mentor Check-in and Networking Breakfast with Insight Committee members and Mentors (Johnson Center third floor West lounge area next to lettered meeting rooms A-G)
9:20am: Welcome & Introduction to the Mentoring Sessions (5 minute warning until first session begins)
9:25am to 9:55am: First Mentoring Session (20-25 minutes)
10:00am to 10:25am: Second Mentoring Session (25 minutes)
10:30am to 10:55am: Third Mentoring Session (25 minutes)
11:00am to 11:25am: Fourth Mentoring Session (25 minutes)
11:30am to 11:55am: Fifth Mentoring Session (25 minutes)
12:00pm: Event Concludes
12:00pm to 12:30pm: Stick around to chat and network with any mentors you were not able to meet!
How The COMM Forum Works:
- There are 5-7 Communication themed mentoring sessions.
- The rooms and mentors stay in the same room the entire duration of the event
- Students are free to choose which mentoring session they would like to sit in.
- Students must register in advance in order to attend a mentoring sessions
- Students can attend one or multiple sessions.
Location:
- Johnson Center, third floor lettered meeting rooms
