Director of Basketball Communications New Orleans Hornets

Quick Background Played sports growing up Went to college at SMU in Dallas Majored in PR, minored in Religion Decided to get involved in basketball coaching and spent a year at Mississippi State as the graduate volunteer coach.

Quick Background After State, decided to get back to PR and interned for the Dallas Cowboys for a season. Moved to San Antonio to work as a basketball operations assistant for a sports agency called Momentum Sports Group. From Momentum, I got an internship with the Hornets.

Hornets Career This is my 10th season with the Hornets. Was an intern for 2 seasons before becoming a full- time coordinator. Served as a coordinator for 1 season before being promoted to manager After 2 years as manager, was promoted to director. When I started as director, I became the youngest PR Director in the NBA, this is my fifth season as director.

NBA Summer League Started as an intern for the Vegas Summer League in Las Vegas in Originally it was a six-team NBA league that lasted one week in July. I moved up all the way to PR Director and currently handle all social media for the league (now called the NBA Summer League). It is held each July for two weeks and hosts 26 NBA teams with media and respected basketball people from all over the world.

Volunteering

Tips for starting out Identify the field you want Be active ( , follow your people on twitter, instagram, linkedin, internet) Volunteer, intern, job shadow

Tips for Working in PR Never assume anyone you are dealing with (co-worker, media, etc) knows what’s going on. Always over communicate. Be a good writer. I am very thankful that I wrote for my high school and college paper. You may not always think writing is a huge factor in PR, but it is. You deal with press releases, features, etc. I always strive to be a better writer.

Tips for Working in PR Always stay on top of current events. For me, I am constantly up to date on everything sports. Sometimes too much, but I love it and I am always aware of every news happening in the sports world. Keep up with the times. In today’s world, social media is HUGE! Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc Always think of creative messages when it comes to the times.

Over 3,000 likes on facebook

Tips for Working in PR PR is all about building relationships. Always keep in touch with people you have dealt with Be nice to everyone and try to learn people’s names Build trust with everyone, show them you can be counted on Network, network, network

Tips for Working in PR Never ever see them sweat People always ask me why I don’t get stressed or meltdown. Problem is I have an 82 game schedule, so I can never take anything too heavy or get stressed over a game. If I get mentally unstable, then it is a bad look in front of my staff, players, media, etc. So, as hard as it can be sometimes, I always keep my composure.

Have fun I often look back to where I came from and what almost happened to where I am now. In just the last six months, I have gotten to do some of the coolest, most amazing things in my life. I don’t know how long I will be in my job, but in the meantime I am enjoying it to the fullest/