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»Alumni Profiles
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Briana Betz '17
Marketing Communications Specialist
Aspen Medical Products
B.A. Communication Studies and M.A. Strategic Communication Management
brianabetz95@gmail.com As a Marketing Communications Specialist, Briana develops and executes NPI marketing
campaign strategy, messaging, and content. Briana states that the School of Communication
gave her the confidence to excel in her career and the real-world skills and knowledge
needed for her role.
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Marisa Bhanubandh '20
Marketing Coordinator
Uneekor Inc.
marisabusa@yahoo.com The School of Communication taught me how to work with people in group collaboration
projects, organize marketing campaigns to help spread the word about a topic, and
to be a team player to motivate others to contribute to the overall task.

Tess Breen '06 (Ed.D. '18)
CEO
Dr. Tess Breen, LLC
B.A. Communication Studies and Ed.D. Organizational Leadership
drtessbreen@gmail.com Dr. Tess Breen is a professional speaker and meeting facilitator. She offers leadership
development workshops and consulting services to help organizations develop strong
leaders and improve corporate culture. Essentially, she helps companies manage their
most valuable resource: their people. Website: Drtessbreen.com

Melissa Borgmeyer '20
Fair Event Coordinator
Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville
B.A. Communication Studies
"The School of Communication is a family. Every professor wants to see you succeed.
If you are looking for a job or internship, Don't give up! Keep working on your skills
and use the available resources."

Phil Bui '19 (M.S. '20)
Business Analytics and Research Analyst
NBCUniversal
B.A. Communication Studies and M.S. Health and Strategic Communication
philip.vk.bui@gmail.com As a Business Analytics & Research Analyst, Phil synthesizes and provides IP/content
security intelligence to business units across NBCU and its brands (i.e. he conducts,
reviews, and reports on research relating to media piracy and counterfeit goods both
in the US and abroad).
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Neil Collins '22
Recruiter
Oracle
B.A. Global Communication and World Languages
necollins@chapman.edu Neil serves as an in-house recruiter for Oracle operations covering all areas of the
business, including Enterprise Sales, Application Consulting, Software Development,
and Marketing.
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Camila Correa '20
Alumni Engagement Coordinator
Chapman University
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
ccorrea@chapman.edu Camila's job entails data entry, strategic planning, event planning, research, data
analysis, and social media. Her job is to engage with alumni (and sometimes students)
in many different capacities to learn the needs of alumni and how to best support
them. Camila creates opportunities for alumni to feel connected to the university
through event planning and implementation, as well as answering emails and phone calls
from alumni who have a question about what perks they have. Her role also involves
data entry and analysis, and strategic planning and evaluation. One of her recent
favorite projects she's started in her office is affinity group research and outreach
to support Chapman's alumni of color.
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Korina Dehpanah '22
Paid Social Analyst
Acronym Media
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
korinadehpanah@gmail.com As a paid social analyst, Korina strategizes on campaigns for clients such as the
Four Seasons, optimizes budgets for campaigns, creates ad copy, plans social media
boosting, and creates advertising content for the company's social media,
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Wil Del Pilar '95
Vice President for Higher Education
The Education Trust
B.A. Communication Studies
"My career in higher education started as a work-study student in the office of admissions
at Chapman University. It was through this work that I decided to make a career in
education where I felt I could create access and opportunity for students who had
fallen into education, like me."
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Jackie Diebold ' 17
Business Development Coordinator
Monument
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
jacklin.diebold@gmail.com As a business development coordinator, Jackie runs event management, conferences,
project coordination, outside "sales", and business development.
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Faith Escalera '18 (M.S. '19)
Account Supervisor
Ketchum
faithescalera@gmail.com Faith leads public relations campaigns, leadership/executive visibility initiatives,
internal and external communications, media relations, social/digital media and advocacy
work.
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Diana Gabonia (Chao) '11
Talent Acquisition Team Leader
First Hawaiian Bank
B.A. Communication Studies
dianamchao@gmail.com As a talent acquisition team leader, Diana handles full cycle recruitment, team management,
and business partnership.
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Allison Galuska '18
HR Coordinator/ College Recruiter
Kimley-Horn & Associates Inc
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
"Remain curious and never stop asking why."
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Chelsea Green '09
Partnerships Director
Fabletics
chelsea.a.levy@gmail.com Chelsea leads Fabletics multi-tiered partnerships and influencer marketing programs,
sources and manages deals with brand partners, celebrity talent and social media influencers
and executes brand partnership initiatives and events to generate original content
for cross functional purposes across site marketing and social media.
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Reagan Hime '18
Project Manager
TRC Companies, Inc.
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
reaganhime@gmail.com As a project manager, Reagan implements and manages statewide ratepayer funded utility
incentive programs for homeowners and builders interested in electrification to help
California meet its ambitious decarbonization goals. His day to day involves managing
multiple teams to help make sure deliverables are completed and client deadlines are
met while promoting program participation and satisfaction.
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Holeka Inaba ’16 (M.S. ’17)
County Councilmember
County of Hawaiʻi
B.A. Communication Studies and M.S. Health and Strategic Communication
As a councilmember, Holeka assists with community outreach, reviewing and approving
the County budget, assessing and evaluating community needs, establishing priorities
for the identified needs, and
enacting laws that promote the health and safety of County citizens.
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Kim Katz '10
Senior Event Marketing Manager
Forethought
B.A. Communication Studies
kimberly.a.katz@gmail.com As a Senior Event Marketing Manager, Kim is responsible for the strategic planning
and execution of all marketing events for a start up company. This includes sourcing
the right events to sponsor/attend for brand awareness and business growth, as well
as designing, planning, and execute their annual industry conference.
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Jenny Kim '19
Growth Marketing Associate, Paid Social
Stitch Fix
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
"Get experience in whatever field as early as possible!"
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Jasmine Lee '19
Director of Collaborations
B Street Shoes & Blvd Custom
B.A. Communication Studies
jazlee3535@gmail.com As director of collaborations, Jasmine fosters relationships with partners and brands
in order to organize thought-provoking and storytelling campaigns, and in-person and
virtual experiences. Partnering alongside the world’s most recognizable brands, non-profit
organizations, and independent artists and creators, she bridges the gap between a
client’s vision and hand-crafted design to create one-of-a-kind wearable works of
art.
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Shana Makos '06
Doctoral Student and Graduate Teaching Instructor
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
B.A. Communication Studies
"I decided to pursue my graduate degrees in communication because I want to learn
about how we can improve people’s lives through communication, particularly those
with marginalized identities. We have the opportunity to better someone’s life each
time we communicate, and that’s not something to take for granted."
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Jordan Elijah Michael '21
Talent Coordinator
Digital Brand Architects
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
jelijahmichael@gmail.com Jordan coordinates, plans, executes, and edits content for social channels. He also
brainstorms content with signed talent for their personal social channels and attends
events with talent. Jordan strategizes brand partnerships with creator integration
and manages posting/monetization for a select number of their signed talent.
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Mandi Ortiz '16
Marketing and Entertainment Manager
Los Angeles Angels
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
mandolinortiz@gmail.com As a marketing and entertainment manager for the Los Angeles Angels, Mandi manages
the entertainment at home Angels games, including national anthem performances, their
interactive squad, inning break activities, music, and video board content. Additionally
she spearheads themed nights throughout the year and is also the in-stadium host,
serving as a familiar face at games, introducing inning break activities and fan engagement
on the microphone. Lastly, she is the female voice on the Sports Lodge with Roger
Lodge - on Tuesdays, and Thursdays on our radio station, Angels Radio AM830 KLAA,
as a radio personality.
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Elton Ortiz '22
Research Associate
CiPHR
M.S. Health and Strategic Communication
elton@innovativepublichealth.org As a research associate, Elton leads a longitudinal public health research project
funded by NIH and the NIAAA. He takes part in piloting, recruiting participants, conducting
research analyses, and maintaining all aspects of the project.
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Ella Parlor '11
Market Activation Manager
Pernod Ricard
B.A. Communication Studies
"These little nonverbal forms of communication can have a big impact on your first
impressions. These small details can make a world of difference in opening or closing
opportunities."
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Rikishi Rey '22
Assistant Professor of Sport Communication
Clemson University
Ph.D. Health and Sport Communication
rrey@clemson.edu Kishi is a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Communication at
Clemson University, an R1 institute. In this role, she focuses her attention on all
three facets of academia: teaching, researching, and service. As an instructor, she
teaches two courses each semester, encouraging students to dive deeper into communicative
concepts as they pertain to sport, health, theory, and methodology, and focuses the
course on preparing them for careers after graduation. Her research focuses on health-related
issues within sport including injury reporting, concussion management, mental health
and well-being, and coach-athlete communication. She also fulfills her service requirement
at Clemson University as the Social Media Director for the Eastern Communication Association,
as the National Communication Associations - Communication and Sport Division Secretary,
as a Robert H. Brooks Sport Science Institute Fellow, and as an academic advisor for
undergraduate and graduate students.
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Marvin Roca Jr. '20
Senior Account Executive
The Rose Group
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication and B.A. Political Science
rocamarvin100@gmail.com As an account executive, Marvin is a publicist leading client accounts to build brands
and story tell across earned media campaigns, including but not limited to brand launches,
events, PR stunts, and so much more!
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Al-Leigh Roden '14
CCSA - Captain, Coordinator, Sales Admin
Wedgewood Weddings
B.A. Communication Studies
al.leigh.roden@gmail.com Al-Leigh serves a banquet captain for Wedgewood Weddings. In this position she leads
servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff to successfully operate an event. She also
works with banquet coordinators, hosts, and vendors, to successfully coordinate an
event.
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Laura Roosevelt '17
Senior Specialist, Paid Media Strategy
Vail Resorts
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
"What has benefited me most in my career is how I was “raised” to be a young professional
by the School of Communication and Chapman University: sending handwritten thank you
notes after interviews, speaking up in meetings, putting forward innovative ideas,
challenging the status quo, recognizing it’s okay for the status quo to continue,
for the time being, networking, volunteering in my community, seeking a life and career
that align with my personal values."
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Jordan Schmidt '11
Managing Director, Public Relations
Gateway Group
B.A. Communication Studies
"You are the best you. You know what is right for you. Find what you like and do it
passionately."
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Mona Sleiman ’14 (M.S. ’15)
Account Manager
Aerotek
B.A. Communication Studies and M.S. in Health and Strategic Communication
“People are everything – we learn from each other, we push each other to grow, and
we celebrate together.”
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Malia Studt '19
Company Owner at Social Media Watch
Account Executive/Loan Consultant at Better Financial Services
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
"The School of Communication benefited my career as it serves as a crossroad between
communications and management, bridging together the strategies that comprise communication
theory and organizational theory to enhance company missions and goals."
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Kevin Taucher ’13
Director of Global Procurement
Unitas Global
B.A. Communication Studies
"Communication is an interesting discipline, not for its novelty, but for its utility.
It’s not a focus that blows your mind very often. More likely what you’ll find is
that you refine your understanding of common knowledge and existing skill sets, and
there’s a lot of value in that. In fact, relating to people and navigating social
situations has been one of the most beneficial skills in my arsenal. It serves me
in every aspect of my life, not just business."
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Tanya Thomas '09
Director of Customer and Employee Experience
Experian Health
B.A. Communication Studies
"My communication degree taught me a lot about communicating and collaborating with
different cultures, genders, personality types; how people respond to perceived conflict,
what people need to feel inspired for change, etc. This knowledge and skill set have
been completely critical to every role I’ve ever had in my field."
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Anna Turkisher '18
Office Manager at Expa
Commercial Singer
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
"Classes like Mass Communication that brought in working professionals who told their
stories, gave advice, and provided direct connections were beneficial during my time
at Chapman... I use knowledge from my major every day during my job, whether I realize
it or not. Chapman’s classes and experiences shaped me as a working professional today."
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Sara Wagner '17
Deep Learning Institute Training Programs Manager
NVIDIA
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication and B.A. Psychology
"My Strategic and Corporate Communication senior seminar class prepared me so well
for job hunting, equipping us with interview tips, resume workshops, and knowledge
on researching companies before interviewing. Generally, I got experience in marketing,
economics, cross-cultural communication, and more. The program was everything in one."
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Allyson Wadman '17
Public Relations Specialist
MGM Resorts International
B.A. Strategic and Corporate Communication
Allyson manages public relations initiatives for the company’s entertainment portfolio
including concerts, residency/production shows, sports events, and nightlife venues.
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Tayah Wozniak '22
Assistant Professor of Public Health and Healthcare Administration
Concordia University Irvine
Ph.D. Health Communication
tayah.wozniak@cui.edu At Concordia University Irvine, Tayah teaches, conducts research, aids administration,
is an IRB committee member, and leads specialized programmatic accreditation.
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Andrea Zavala-Zacarias '14
School Counselor
Riverside Community College District
B.A. Communication Studies
azac2308@gmail.com As a school counselor, Andrea creates curriculum and teaches college courses while
designing a school counseling program that improves student outcomes. She leads, advocates,
and collaborates with colleagues to promote equity and access for all concurrently
enrolled students.
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Bryan Ziebelman '11
Lead Product Owner
Stats Perform
B.A. Communication Studies
ziebe100@chapman.edu As a lead product owner, Bryan leads successful acquisition and integration of Thuuz
Sports by Stats Perform, manages all US product owners at Stats Perform, and builds
and maintains roadmaps for AI and CV data and video product lines.
Alumni, share your story!
The School of Communication appreciates the knowledge and expertise of our alumni. Share your professional accomplishments and advice with current and prospective students as well as fellow alumni.