From the CEO: A Year in Review

With finals week and graduation just six days away, I can’t help but think how quickly this past year went by. I feel like just yesterday I was finding out that I was going to be CEO, and now I have already passed the torch to the next CEO, Jaclyn Ermoyan. A new staff has been hired and I am about to say goodbye to all the amazing professionals that have staffed the firm this year. It only seems fitting to reflect on the amazing accomplishments of the firm this year; here is a recap for you.

Honorable Mention for the 2016 Bateman Competition- This year GrandPR had the privilege of entering the PRSSA National Bateman Competition for the first time in a very long time. The team consisted of Jordan Punches, Ashley Harvey, Ben Kaluski, Tyler Lehner, and myself. For part of the fall semester and the entire winter semester, the team worked hard on developing objectives, strategies and tactics for the client, The Student Veterans of America Chapter. Out of the 70 entries, there were three finalists and 16 honorable mentions. I could not be more proud of how hard the team worked this year and how the team next year is going to win it all!

Superior Awards kicked BUTT- This year, GrandPR rebranded the Advertising and Public Relations program, with that meant taking on Superior Awards. The team was led by Jordan Punches and supported by Rachel Beatty, Chantal Shaw, Alex Goodreau and Sophie Klimkiewicz. The team worked night and day to create an award ceremony that honored the work that the students of the GV Advertising and Public Relations program. The team turned it into a networking event to give the students the opportunity to meet professionals in the area. They even got Kim Bode, Principal at 834 Design and Marketing, to give the keynote. The bar has been set high for the years to come.

There was a lot of work - This year the firm had the privilege of having 24 people on staff, ranging from Account Associates, Account Executives and Executive Board Members. Their efforts were given to a total of nine clients over the course of the 2015-2016 school year. Communications audits, campaign planbooks and several tactics were put together for the clients. This is why GrandPR is so beneficial; the staff members are able to leave with something tangible to put in their portfolio.

I am so proud of all of the accomplishments of the firm this year. It would not of been possible without such a hardworking and motivated staff. With my time here coming to an end, I will take all that I learned from this amazing experience and bring it to my future endeavors. So thank you GrandPR for shaping me into the professional I am today. 

Eleanor O’Hara is a (soon to be) recent graduate of GVSU’s Advertising and Public Relations program. After graduation Eleanor will be heading to FleishmanHillard in Chicago as a Public Relations intern on the corporate and health and wellness teams. She looks forward to the next chapter and is excited to leave GrandPR in great hands. In her spare time, Eleanor loves to bake yummy treats, hangout with her friends and family, and watch reruns of One Tree Hill and Grey’s Anatomy.