Alabama-area students gain real-world PR experience
ATLANTA – July 6, 2015 – Cookerly Public Relations, a leading Atlanta-based public relations and marketing communications agency, announced the addition of two interns, Peyton Smith and Kelsey Weiss, for the summer term.
Peyton Smith
Growing up in small town Gloucester, Va. and attending school in Auburn, Ala., Smith decided it was time to give city life a try—traffic and all. She took a step out of her comfort zone into the hustle and bustle of Atlanta, meeting new people, acquiring new tastes, learning to be a “city driver” and more importantly, gaining valuable insight into the world of PR, all while wearing out two pairs of heels.
As a rising senior at Auburn University and a member of the NCAA Equestrian team, Smith understands the importance of teamwork, which has been stressed to her over the past three years. She also said it’s been the most surprising aspect of the intern position.
“I’ve enjoyed being able to see the comradery outside of the athletic department and inside the office during my internship,” she said. “Whether it’s teamwork between coworkers, clients, or reporters, it is by no means a one man show. Everyone works together as a team to produce outstanding results, and I’ve loved being right in the middle of it.”
Kelsey Weiss
Hailing from the rival school in Alabama, Weiss graduated this spring from The University of Alabama, earning a B.A. in public relations with a minor in entrepreneurship. When looking for locations to expand her experiences in the PR field, Weiss was happy to return to her hometown of Atlanta and feels it’s one of the best markets for rising communications professionals. An enthusiast for the agency lifestyle and all things PR, Weiss said one of her favorite aspects of working at Cookerly is observing how the agency interacts with diverse clients.
“I’ve enjoyed being exposed to different clients from various sectors, including health care and real estate. I was looking for an agency that would allow me to broaden my experience, and this has been the perfect fit. I’ve been able to dabble in projects that run the gamut while learning a number of new skills,” Weiss said.
Jane Stout, Cookerly EVP, commented, “We take a keen interest in selecting and working with interns who are interested in learning about a career in public relations. Our goal is to provide a diverse and fun program that gives them real-life exposure to a PR agency. It’s been a pleasure getting to know and working with Peyton and Kelsey.”
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.