communigator

Memories from past Bateman winners

Jennifer L. Saltz, PR 1998
Attorney, Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A., Fort Lauderdale
We had an amazing Bateman team; the competition was a true exercise in teamwork.  Each of us had distinctly different strengths and we worked well together in assigning tasks based on our relative strengths. It was a great experience seeing how five bright, motivated college students could come together to create a campaign that would have significant value and impact in the marketplace.

Certainly I am most proud that we ultimately won but the process taught me a lot about teamwork, resolving conflict within a team and working hard to complete what we thought, at the time, was a near-impossible task. 

Beth Fannin, PR 1983
Retired, Deloitte
I was on the 1982 and 1983 teams. We were the first to get on the “map” in this competition.  In 1982 we placed first in the SEC and third in the overall competition and in 1983 we won first place. The 1983 team was really awesome and came together to accomplish great things.  I cannot tell you how excited we were to win! The public relations degree was offered for the first time as a distinct degree in 1983.  This win made the degree even more meaningful.

Leadership and problem solving in a team effort are probably the most important takeaways from my experience.  I worked with some very talented folks and we had a LOT of fun. I consider my time at Florida and being part of the Bateman Case Study among the greatest opportunities and experiences of my life.

Ken Garcia, PR 1998
Manager of Communications and Media Affairs, Altria
I remember many late nights of building out our strategies, then devising the plan elements and ultimately the presentation book. It was challenging and really laid a solid foundation for the communications plans that I would go on to develop and execute in my career.

In my current role as manager of communications and media affairs for Altria, the parent company of tobacco product manufacturers Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. and John Middleton Co., I serve as one of the company’s two official spokespeople designated to work with traditional and new media outlets to communicate the company’s positions and perspectives on variety of issues important to our businesses and our stakeholders. Working in media relations for the largest U.S. tobacco company comes with many challenges, many of which I am able to effectively deal with thanks to what I learned while at UF and through my Bateman experience. Good communications begins with solid research, planning and strategic thinking. Somewhere in my attic I have my old Bateman presentation book stored, and I plan to dust it off and recall that wonderful group of Gators who won the 1998 competition!

Christina Kitterman, PR 1998
Attorney

We really utilized all of our unique talents to create our winning project.  I will never forget the night before the project had to be sent out; we worked all night on our respective pieces of the project from our homes and reconvened at Kinkos to print out the entire finished project.  We were literally up for more than 24 hours straight finishing our project.  The print wasn’t even dry as we placed it in the hands of our trusty Federal Express deliveryman as he took it away to be sent to the judges.  Not one of our teammates fell short of their project duties.  Words can’t describe the elation we felt when we found out we won!  It was unbelievable.  What I learned from my Bateman team was that when you surround yourself with a team of talented people who are each as dedicated and hardworking as you, you are bound to come out on top.