Feature
Sundee Busby:
From Party Pics to Saving Lives
By Carleigh Foutch
JayMac sat down and caught up with Busby to talk about her life and jobs after leaving Gaylord, what she’d like to impart to young alumni and current students and, perhaps best of all: wine.
Gaylord degrees are all about versatility, and no one knows that better than Sundee Busby. Busby graduated in 2000 with a public relations degree, and like many of us, her career trajectory has been anything but a single straight line, however it’s provided her with meaningful and fulfilling work.
"I didn’t know exactly WHAT I was going to do with this degree, but I love talking to and working with people, and I love public speaking, leadership and learning, so it was the perfect fit for me. The great thing about this degree is that the career opportunities are limitless. It has served me well in all my career twist and turns,” she said.
After graduating from Gaylord, Busby started out working with Candid Color Systems’ Party Pics in Oklahoma City. Her role was promoting the company’s services and helping college students transition to online purchasing from the traditional way of ordering pictures through a proof sheet, which was typically sent to Greek houses for students to purchase.
“Yes, I’m feeling old...most of you reading this probably don’t even remember the days where you ordered Party Pics that way!” Busby said.
Busby then moved to Fort Worth and worked in the banking industry doing PR, marketing and events for a large, family-owned bank in the DFW area.
“That job started my love for event planning...I helped entertain thousands of clients over a weekend for a PGA tournament in Fort Worth. When I moved back to Oklahoma in 2006, I had no job and certainly wasn’t well-versed in the oil and gas industry. As luck would have it, Chesapeake Energy needed an event planner,” she said.
The rest, as they say, was history.
“I was fortunate enough to help raise millions for Oklahomans during our annual United Way campaign, plan our twentieth anniversary party--complete with the first ever natural gas-powered chopper--and host concerts with Jewel, Darius Rucker and Sheryl Crow. We even booked and hosted Rob Lowe on campus for an event! It was truly a dream job!”
Busby’s work with planning Chesapeake’s company blood drives eventually led her to switch over into the nonprofit sector. She started out as the community relations manager at the Oklahoma Blood Institute (OBI) and now serves as the director of volunteer services for Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas blood institutes.
Busby admits that after graduating from Gaylord, she rarely kept in touch with her alma mater.
“Gaylord has done more for me in the past few years than I could have imagined. I didn’t stay well connected to Gaylord after college, and I wish I had,” she said. “The excitement and pride I feel when sharing our story and the story of our amazing students is a blessing. I’ve even gotten to deliver a few acceptance letters to incoming freshmen. It also allowed me the confidence to serve on boards like the Metro Technology Center Foundation and work with the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Total Resource Development Campaign.”
Her advice to current students and other Gaylord alums?
“Stay involved! Donate! Network! Ask how you can help! Especially soon after graduation. The opportunities I’ve been presented in my life and career are the direct result of others, many of which I’ve met through Gaylord and my work with OU. I wouldn’t be the person I am today or have the experiences I’ve had without the help of others.”
Busby attributes much of her personal and professional success to staying connected, but also to just simply saying “Yes!” to new opportunities.
“One of my mentors, the late Aubrey McLendon, always taught me to say ‘yes’ when a new, unfamiliar opportunity presents itself. Especially when it puts you outside of your comfort zone. Likely, you will grow as a person more than you ever thought you could.”
She says that this has led her to owning her own wine business as an independent wine consultant with Scout & Cellar, and allows her to combine some of her favorite things: wine and the camaraderie that comes with sharing a glass with someone.
“You could say it’s the ultimate PR role!” she said. “I hope I can somehow honor Aubrey with this new adventure [too] because he certainly enjoyed his life.”
We’ll raise our glasses to that. Here’s to you, Sundee! Thanks for making Gaylord proud and for being a mentor to old and current students alike.