After graduating from Gettysburg College, Hodges co-founder Josh Dare used a one-way ticket to Europe, happily backpacking through a dozen countries, until one day, he realized it was time to go home: the Orioles were going to the World Series. Everyone knows you can’t miss the World Series. Starting his career in the FBI, Josh got his first communications hits in the Bureau’s public affairs office. But that was only the first inning. He’d go on to work as a Capitol Hill press secretary for…
Read MoreAn ardent Bruce Springsteen fan and dedicated foodie, Jon Newman hails from New Jersey and is a Rutgers University alum. He ended up in Richmond by way of Charlottesville, then Lynchburg, then Nashville, working in news for both radio and TV. While in Richmond, Jon worked as assistant news director at WTVR Channel 6, but after many nights being awoken by news of the latest fire or homicide, he made the switch to public relations. After 10 years working at Martin PR, the Martin Agency’s…
Read MoreWith a natural flair for connecting with people and making lasting relationships, Amanda Colocho has a knack for helping clients and local Richmond organizations accomplish their communications goals. A San Francisco native who partly grew up in Fredericksburg, Amanda moved to Richmond in 2010 to go to VCU where she earned a B.S. in Mass Communications with a concentration in public relations. She also brings to Hodges diverse public relations experience, having interned with music venues like The Broadberry and nonprofits, such as the Virginia…
Read MoreWhen you’re a military brat, moving around a lot comes with the territory. And lucky for us, that territory today for Paulyn Ocampo is right here in Richmond. Born in Hawaii, Paulyn moved bounced around from the Pacific to San Diego and back, ultimately landing in Hampton Roads where she finished high school. Staying closer to family, she decided to pursue her degree in mass communications at VCU. After a brief post-grad stint at a now-defunct agency, Paulyn landed at The Hodges Partnership—and the rest…
Read MoreFor years, our agency has prided itself on a valuable, hands-on, dynamic internship experience. But like every other business trying to continue its operations, things have looked a little bit different for the last two intern cohorts. Welcome to the world of being a remote intern. We asked our spring interns to document their time at The Hodges Partnership, which started with glee, was met with a bombshell and ended happily (and safely) from home. For our future interns out there, here is the first-person…
Read MoreCasey Prentice first walked through the doors of The Hodges Partnership as an intern her junior year in college. Just a couple of short years later, she’d walk back through our doors to start the career that has brought her where she is today. Originally from Small Town, N.C., Casey didn’t have public relations on her radar growing up. But she started at East Carolina University as a communications major and never looked back. Being organized and building relationships were intertwined in her DNA, making…
Read MoreAidan Guilfoyle is all about storytelling. Whether it’s her writing or photography, her creative skills are always front and center at Hodges. Here’s her story. A Roanoke native, Aidan left Virginia to attend Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, graduating with a double major in Psychology and Art. Knowing she wanted to do something creative with her career, she hoped her dual studies would lead her to a job in marketing. And so now, here she is. A standout volleyball star in high school where she…
Read MoreEditor’s Note: Jordan Hogge is a Virginia Tech graduate. She spent her fall of 2019 commuting back and forth between her gig at Hodges and her seasonal job with Busch Gardens. She’s now an intern at CarMax. Her parting gift to us was this blog post. If you’d like to be our next intern, fill out an application here. My time at Hodges is coming to an end and as I wrap up my internship, I wanted to put together a guide for future public…
Read MoreWith a blended love for the arts and business, Tony Scida is the perfect fit as our director of creative services. He’s a Virginia native from Stafford, and he began his career working for the Arts Council of Fairfax County. After relocating to Richmond, Tony found himself “accidentally” falling into a career at The Hodges Partnership. He noticeably enjoys it, because he’s been with us for more than 10 years. Before his career began, Tony attended Shenandoah University, obtaining an Arts Management degree. It was…
Read MoreWe like to think of Lindsay O’Bar as our resident employee and community expert. This Hodger has a way with words and is a well-known face in the Richmond PR world. A Philadelphia native, Lindsay moved to the Richmond area at the age of 16 with her family and attended Virginia Commonwealth University. Her interests in writing led her to VCU’s communications school where she found herself at a crossroads about which track to pursue. At the time, she didn’t know much about public relations,…
Read MoreMeg Irvin is all about making connections, both for clients and in the community. She spends her days doing community relations and media relations for her clients, both on a local and national level. Clients like Mercy Chefs, Kroger Mid-Atlantic and Virginia Distillery Company look to her for her instincts and guidance on newsworthy and compelling stories. Her work has been featured in outlets including TODAY, Esquire, Forbes, Southern Living and The New York Times. A Pennsylvania native, Meg now lives in Charlottesville with her…
Read MoreWe know the ins and outs of public relations, content marketing and social media. But when our Creative Services team needs additional arms and legs, or if we’re assigned a major branding project, we call on one of our partners. To help us with our creative needs, we call on DCH Design and its founder, Dana Hoeck. Dana is no stranger to branding and design. Before starting her own creative business last summer, she worked for a small design firm in Washington D.C. for three…
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