Meet Maggie Schmerin, Account Executive at Hellerman Baretz Communications
Maggie has been an Account Executive with Hellerman Baretz Communications, a public relations firm founded by John Hellerman and Spencer Baretz, since August 2006. From the beginning, the firm has focused on public relations for law firms. According to Maggie, the firm's advantage is that it offers a strategic approach to public relations and focuses on higher quality placements rather than mere quantity.
As an Account Executive, Maggie manages several accounts, including law firms, consulting firms, and financial services companies. The first thing she does every morning is to read several major newspapers and a variety of trade journals, searching for anything that might be of interest to her clients. She maintains steady communication with her clients to keep them informed and to stay up to date on their business activities. She is responsible for designing and implementing strategic communications plans for clients, managing their publicity efforts, writing press releases, and placing stories in major media outlets.
The firm is growing and currently looking for Account Executives. Maggie says that working at Hellerman Baretz "has afforded me more opportunities and responsibilities than I would have had at a larger PR agency. From day one, I was actively involved in servicing our clients. On my first day I pitched a story to The New York Times!"
Earlier this year, Maggie helped launch a blog that was conceived by Hellerman Baretz for their client Ford & Harrison about the NBC hit show, The Office, called "That's What She Said." It features commentary analyzing employment issues raised by the show. The blog (www.hrheroblogs.com) receives more than 12,000 unique visits a day. It's popular with HR executives and labor and employment attorneys, as well as fans of the show.
Although she is less than two years out of college, graduating from Penn State University with a major in Public Relations and a minor in American Studies in May 2006, Maggie has gained substantial experience from a series of internships. Because of her passion for sports, Maggie worked in the athletic office as a media intern for the Penn State men's basketball team her first year in college. Then, in 2004, she interned with the National Football League, helping to launch the new NFL Network and writing press releases about players and various programming content. She spent the spring semester of her junior year studying at the University of Manchester in England where she interned with the Manchester City Football Club (Manchester's popular soccer team) in the Communications Department. She then spent the following summer at U.S. Steel's Pittsburgh headquarters as a government and public affairs intern.
Reflecting on some of the more challenging aspects of her job, Maggie said, "When you're with the NFL or U.S. Steel, it's easy to get the media to take your calls. In the legal arena, you have to be a lot more tactical. It's a crowded space and you have to find a way to stand out."
Maggie joined LMA last year and volunteered to serve on the member services committee, helping to re-launch the Mentor Program this past spring. She finds other members who work as in-house marketers to be a good sounding board.
Profile written by Elaine Clem, principal of Noble Pursuits, a graphic design and branding firm in Alexandria, Va.