Articles

Member Spotlight: Courtney O'Gorman

In this member spotlight, we're highlighting Courtney O'Gorman, Public Relations Manager at Dixon Schwabl + Company. Courtney was named the 2021 Rising Star by the PRSA Rochester Chapter and was recently appointed to the PRSA Rochester Chapter Board of Directors as Sectrary and Communications Chair. Learn more about her involvement with PRSA Rochester, including why she became a member in the interview below. 

Why did you become a member of PRSA Rochester?

When I was an undergraduate student, I always wished we’d had our own PRSA student chapter. Therefore, when I entered the working world, it was important to me to become involved with our local PRSA Rochester chapter, joining a network of likeminded individuals that would help me to grow and develop throughout my career.

What benefits have you gotten as a member? 

As a young professional, the resources and opportunities that have been afforded to me through PRSA have been extremely beneficial in terms of training, development and networking. The events, conferences and trainings I’ve have the opportunity to attend over the past few years have furthered my knowledge and growth in a variety of areas that are critical to this ever-evolving industry, including reporting, social media, internal communications, and more.

For several years, I also served on the PRSA Rochester PRism Awards Committee where I supported the planning, organization and execution of the annual PRism Awards ceremony. Serving on the committee not only helped me to learn more about the awards program, but also introduced me to some of Rochester’s finest public relations professionals, as I had the chance to establish relationships and forge new connections while working alongside a fantastic group of peers and colleagues each year.

In addition, supporting students and the next class of young professionals has been a concerted effort of mine throughout my career thus far. Through PRSA, I had the opportunity to volunteer as a coach for the PRSA Rochester Apprentice Program for three consecutive years, where I mentored and provided counsel to small teams of communication students during a two-day boot camp as they created and presented public relations campaigns to local not-for-profit organizations. It was a great experience and provided me a chance to get to know and collaborate with the next generation of smart and hard-working communicators.

What's the best advice you ever received?

When I first started as a public relations assistant at Dixon Schwabl + Company, throughout the onboarding process when I was learning about the various roles and responsibilities of my position, I remember one of my colleagues telling me that even though the tasks I was learning were considered the typical procedures, they encouraged me to put my own spin on the role by finding opportunities to improve processes where appropriate—for example, just because something was always done a certain way, doesn’t mean there isn’t a better or more efficient way to do it that may benefit the entire team and in turn, our clients. I took that advice to heart and it’s a philosophy that I’ve continued to abide by throughout my career, applying this principal to internal processes as well as the style in which I execute work and deliver results to my clients.

What do you do better than anyone else?

I’d like to say I’m a pretty organized person—I love making a to-do list and then crossing things off of it, even though in PR our days are never typically the same and what might be on your to-do list one day can change quickly depending on several factors, including the news cycle. Staying organized helps me to stay focused. On a side note, I’d also say I can probably quote The Office better than the average person. If I’m not reading or trying to find a new movie or TV series to watch, it’s a safe bet that I’m usually rewatching episodes of The Office.

What's the best way to inspire others in public relations?

I’d say to stay curious, trust your gut, read widely and write often. More importantly, seek out a mentor in the field who you can learn from and turn to for advice. I still keep in touch with one of my former communications professors from SUNY Geneseo—I’d consider her my first professional mentor. Throughout my undergraduate career, she provided continuous counsel, guidance and encouragement, and she remains a constant supporter and confidant to this day.

What does success mean to you?

Success can be interpreted in many different ways. To me, success is finding enjoyment, purpose, and fulfillment in what you do. In our profession, we have the privilege of being storytellers for a living and there’s no greater feeling than working alongside clients and community partners to bring their greater story to light and increase awareness about a meaningful initiative or piece of news that will positively impact the greater community.

If you had endless money, you would...

I would love to travel internationally again, as there are so many places that I would love to visit and experience!