On Tuesday, March 5, Chief Marketing Officer Amanda Tinkleman and Director of Operations, Talent and Culture Bri Ehle led their last weekly meeting as the PRISM Executives. It’s hard to believe this dynamic duo will be graduating in just two short months, but PRISM is grateful to have worked and grown alongside them during their time at Virginia Tech.
Amanda joined PRISM as a copywriter during her freshman year and gained a wide range of experience by working across all of the accounts at the time. As Chief Marketing Officer, she balanced the responsibilities of working with clients, managing new business, planning account strategies, arranging meetings and handling email communications. Reflecting on her four years in the organization, Amanda explained the impact PRISM has had on her college experience and career preparation:
“PRISM has been my constant throughout my fours years of college… I have definitely grown as a leader since I joined and most of what I know about marketing and client-work came from my experience with PRISM, which has been invaluable,” she said.
As she prepares to go out into the workforce, she is also thankful for the memories she made as CMO, and excited to see what the future holds for the organization:
“My favorite PRISM memory was the Exec trip to San Francisco this past fall. I loved seeing the West Coast and Silicon Valley! We got to visit amazing companies (Facebook, Instagram, Apple, Levi’s), bond as a team, and meet a ton of alums. In 10 years, I can’t wait to see how expansive our alumni network becomes. We have alums in some really cool places now — I’m excited to see how their careers grow,” she explained.
After graduation, Amanda plans to bring her experience to an advertising agency as a strategist or account manager.
Bri started her PRISM journey by running Twitter for the Pamplin social team, and took on the Account Manager position after her sophomore year. As a junior, she became a social strategist for the Giving Day account and the Area23 partnership, and stepped into the role of Executive Director of Operations, Talent and Culture in the spring of 2018. She is proud to say that during her time in PRISM, she played a lead role in the Pamplin grad video (which was shown in Cassel during the college’s commencement) and worked on the social media campaigns that helped Virginia Tech surpass $1.6 million in Giving Day donations. Another one of her favorite PRISM memories was getting to network with companies in New York City and San Francisco.
With graduation just around the corner, Bri is grateful for the professional development opportunities and sense of community she found within PRISM.
“Being in PRISM for the past three years has helped me grow beyond words. I look back to where I began and how driven I was to make an impact in this organization. I have learned how to better manage my time, work with clients and build relationships. It has been the greatest journey to learn about the world of Marketing surrounded by some of the most inspiring peers and alumni Virginia Tech has,” she explained.
Bri also has high hopes for the future of the organization:
“I hope that in 10 years, I can come back to VT and continue to see that amazing work is going on. I hope that every year PRISM keeps pushing the envelope and challenging our bounds of creativity and strategy, while becoming a home for its members — just like it has for me,” she said.
After graduation, Bri plans to work in non-profit marketing and fundraising.
Saying goodbye to these amazing PRISMites will definitely be bittersweet. Their hard work, dedication and leadership have propelled this organization forward and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.
Their advice for the next generation of PRISMites? Go above and beyond and always be learning — but don’t forget to breathe, have fun, and be proud to be in PRISM!
From the entire PRISM family: THANK YOU, Amanda and Bri!