Spotlight on the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
By Sundee Busby
Pam Campbell, APR, Fellow PRSA and director of public affairs at Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, recently shared insight on her organization’s connection to Gaylord. She is also an adjunct instructor at Gaylord and offered advice to students.
Why do you participate in the Gaylord career fair and what benefits have you seen as a participant over the years?
We consistently receive great interns from the Gaylord College. Typically, they are professional, ready to work, good writers and have been an asset to the organization.
What kind of graduates do you look for to either intern or to hire at your company? What successes have you seen when working with Gaylord interns or new hires over the years?
I look for someone who is a good writer, takes initiative and is interested in learning new things. We were able to transition one intern into a new hire and she worked with us for several years. I think most of our interns would say they have been able to leverage the experience gained from the Federal Reserve internship in their full-time positions after graduation.
What advice do you share with your students about looking for their next step after graduation?
I recommend looking for opportunities that will give them a variety of experiences and growth in their skills and leadership. Many times, students think that every job needs to be their "passion," or else they are settling. My first job was at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. I was not passionate about building roads, but I am passionate about communications and public relations. I learned about media relations, press conferences, government relations, business literacy and so many other topics and skills that I still use.
Why would a student want to intern or work with Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City?
If a student wants to get a feel for what it will be like working a full-time job with real projects, business travel, virtual colleagues, community partnerships, hosting events and a good salary - the Federal Reserve provides that experience.
What does your day-to-day job look like as the public affairs director?
The Oklahoma City branch of the Kansas City Fed is located in downtown Oklahoma City, and we make a big impact with a small team. I oversee all the public outreach for the branch, which includes media and government relations, building relationships with bank stakeholders, managing and hosting conferences and events, as well as developing and writing presentations and content for articles, press releases, social media and web. The best part about my day-to-day is that it never looks the same. Just this week, I presented at a teacher conference about a Black banking history book the Kansas City Fed recently published, hosted the Oklahoma Jump$tart Coalition member meeting at the Bank, edited my intern's articles for publication internally and externally and managed the public speaking schedule for our branch executive.
Share some of your best career advice for our Gaylord Students.
If a volunteer or job opportunity comes your way, say yes. There is a reason that it has come to you and you can learn from it. Also, focus on being a good writer. I've seen how valuable good writers are to an organization.
