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Member Spotlight: Olivia Rotondo

In this member spotlight, we’re highlighting Olivia Rotondo, Marketing Specialist at the Saunders College of Business at RIT. Olivia is one of the three co-chairs of the PRSA PRism Committee. Learn more about Olivia, and her commitment to the PRism Committee on keeping this year’s PRism event alive and running.

What is your title and role at RIT Saunders College of Business?

I am the marketing specialist for Rochester Institute of Technology’s Saunders College of Business. My role involves managing the strategic marketing and communications efforts to advance the mission of Saunders College and its highly-ranked programs.

How long have you been a member of the PRSA?

I’ve been involved with PRSA since college graduation in 2017. At St. John Fisher College, I was involved with our Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter and was the president my senior year. Through our student chapter, I attended two national conferences and participated in the PRSSA Bateman Case Study Competition, where our team received national recognition. It was because of my undergraduate experience that I wanted to get involved with our Rochester chapter.

When did you get involved in the PRism committee and why?

I wanted to get involved because the PRism Awards showcase the best in Rochester. I’ve always thought of the awards like the GRAMMY’s for PR people… and why wouldn’t you want to be involved with that?! Through my college internships, I was able to volunteer for the 2016 and 2017 PRism Awards. Shortly thereafter, I joined the committee to get more involved, and I’m very thankful I did! It’s nice being part of a tight-knit organization that supports each other, personally and professionally.

Describe how you and the PRism committee have adjusted this year's event due to the impact of COVID-19, what challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

Our committee was putting the finishing touches on the 2020 awards ceremony when we realized the impact of COVID-19. After going through the process of planning an in-person event, it was initially hard to digest the thought of creating a virtual event that would still be meaningful to our members. At the end of the day, we wanted to celebrate the hard work of our community!

The virtual event was a team effort through my co-chairs, Traci Legonelli and Elaina Mancuso, along with our committee and PRSA Board of Directors. We worked together to make the best of the situation while keeping our community’s health in mind. Plus, I think the first “rule” of being in public relations is all about being flexible!

What are some lessons you've learned for event planning that would be beneficial for our members to hear?

Being organized helped our committee transition the in-person event to a virtual setting. We had all of our steps documented along with a timeline that was easy to adjust to this year’s event. Another thing that helped us was listening to our committee and the PRSA Board of Directors. In order to change gears, we needed to make sure everyone was on the same page. This involved talking through all of our options while being realistic.