The long-anticipated changing of the guards in Student Media is finally complete. With the retirement of student media director Bob Bortel and creative & production director Paul Obringer, we’ve lost more than 65 years of collective experience and wisdom. I took over Bob’s position on a part-time, interim basis in February 2021 and assumed it full-time this past August. After an extensive search, we are lucky to have Jacqui Barchick as our new creative & production director.
She made the grand leap from the University of Toledo where she worked as a designer for five years after serving as a creative director and associate creative director for area marketing agencies. But enough of the resume recitation, here’s a short Q&A to get to know Jacqui.
What prompted your interest in the position?
Three elements prompted my interest in the position:
- Graphic design is my wheelhouse and passion.
- The university setting feeds my love of learning.
- Mentoring others and working with students is energizing.
My interest in graphic design began in 3rd grade with Saturday morning art classes at the Toledo Museum of Art. Early exposure to the fine arts was the foundation to art and design being a part of my life. After working in the ad agency world in various roles on many brands, I transitioned to a design role at a university and focused on one brand. This experience solidified for me that I thrive in a university setting. I find mentoring new hires as well as interns to be rewarding. It’s exciting to witness the ‘a-ha’ moments! When I reflect on these encounters, I recognized that this role combined elements that bring me joy and provide a pathway to expand my contributions in graphic design.
What are you most excited about?
I am most excited about discovering students’ interests and curiosities so that I can support them as they work toward their goals and ambitions. I look forward to sharing my experiences in design, branding, marketing, and advertising from a 30 thousand ft view as well as the nitty gritty.
Secondly, I am excited to discover a growth potential for Falcon Media.
And lastly, I’m excited to get to know faculty in the Graphic Design and VCT programs and support the curriculum and concepts in the Falcon Media internship program.
What strengths do you bring to Falcon Media?
I bring to the role an inherent curiosity, “yes, and” mindset, leadership and mentoring skills, passion for design, as well as a knack for breaking down complex ideas and presenting them in an easy-to-digest way and an inclusive approach to team building.
What opportunities do you see for Falcon Media?
An opportunity that I see for Falcon Media is to expand the student internship/co-op program and offer a broader range of services not only to campus partners but potentially to the Bowling Green business community. Think a student-led mini ad agency. The variety of opportunities that the students in the School of Media and Communication are exposed to provides a pool of resources that could be services-for-hire. Services that come to mind include:
- broadcast: VO talent, video directing/editing, commercial recording studio;
- communications: crisis communication, public relations
- marketing and advertising: traditional and digital marketing strategy, planning and implementation, graphic design, branding, content development
- With the right market-fit, a student-led mini ad agency could provide an expanded student staff with a wider range of experiences that would prepare them for professional encounters and at the same time, offer a broad range of services to both internal and external audiences.
The role taps into my entrepreneurial mindset as conversations arise about a re-imagined Falcon Media.
How do you feel about succeeding someone who was in the position for 30 years? (Something I’ve been dealing with as well!)
What an honor to succeed such a legacy! I respect my predecessor’s commitment to the student experience as well as the meticulous attention to documenting and archiving. The anecdotes I am hearing are a testament to his dedication, commitment and passion for the work.
I look forward to building upon this foundation by making new contributions and carving new paths. It’s an exciting time!
Reach out directly and introduce yourself to Jacqui via email at jbarchi@bgsu.edu.