An 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 I was a PR student, I always valued conversations with PR professionals. Their insights and advice helped me navigate the beginnings of my communications career. During my first internship at CarMax, I remember Trina Lee, APR telling me about her career switch from TV news to public relations as we drove back from a store grand opening in Fredericksburg. When I attended VCU PRSSA meetings, Taya Jarman, APR visited often as PRSA Richmond’s student relations chair and offered important guidance and luncheon networking tips….
Read MoreWhen coronavirus hit Virginia, our office went fully virtual, and we continue to work virtually to this day. Luckily, we are in an industry where we are able to do so – staying connected via Zoom, Slack and through our shared client responsibilities. Casey Prentice and I head up Hodges’ internship program, where every semester we host two students for a three-month, paid internship. We pride ourselves on the caliber of The Hodges Partnership internship – students work as an extension of our team, doing…
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 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 MoreSwitching careers in the middle of a global pandemic wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I glued the words “change” on my vision board last year. Looking back, I had a romanticized idea of how the next chapter of my life would begin. I imagined moving into the perfect Richmond apartment, decking out my cubicle in unnecessary decor, and, most importantly, engaging in human interaction. Instead, I began working for Hodges remotely, turned my living room into my workspace, and hung out with…
Read MoreEveryone, in some shape or form, is feeling the effects of COVID-19 in a way we could have never anticipated when we flipped the calendars from 2019 to 2020 just a few months ago. People living alone. Parents with kids trying to teach at the same time as work. Those who have received a positive diagnosis or are close to someone who has. The list goes on. Working at a public relations agency, I consume the news regularly more than most people, and right now…
Read MoreRemember when we said that I (Hannah) had the most interesting “first week at Hodges” story to date? Scratch that. Julia Loudy has arrived, and thanks to COVID-19, her onboarding experience has been entirely virtual. She may not have stepped foot in the office yet, but Julia’s can-do spirit and foodie sensibilities make her the perfect Hodger. With only a week under her belt, she has proven herself to be an invaluable member of the team, pitching media and taking on new clients like a…
Read MoreWe’re a pretty tight-knit group here at Hodges. So, this whole full-time, work-from-home concept is far from what we’re accustomed to. No brainstorm happy hours. No Saturday Night Live debriefs at our Monday morning staff meeting. No group trips to Ironclad for a change of scenery and cup of quality java. What was once a perk of the job – getting to work from home when you needed to – is now the reality we are living in, day in and day out. So, to…
Read MoreWe do something every week here at The Hodges Partnership called Plays of the Week (POTW), which is a fun way for us to celebrate successes internally. Every Friday afternoon, an email goes out to our office highlighting some wins from the week. Sometimes it’s a big media hit, other times it’s recognizing someone who is working hard to bring a strategy to life. In the spirit of all things positive, we’re going to start sharing some of our top plays each month with you….
Read MoreThe Hodges ranks have expanded once again, and we think out of our entire roster, Hannah Robinson has the most interesting “first week at Hodges” stories to date. Hannah’s first day in the office also happened to be her last. You see, she started the day before our office went to full-time teleworking thanks to COVID-19. But even in just a few short weeks, Hannah has become an all star on the team – diving into her account work and engaging with her colleagues like…
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