Meet and greet with industry professionals!
Get the chance to ask questions and get advice from different career areas in communication and information. Join us for a networking opportunity where you’ll engage with professionals over breakfast and coffee!
You must be a graduate student at the College of Communication and Information to participate in this opportunity.
This is being hosted in partnership between PRSA Volunteer Chapter and the College of Communication and Information as a free resource for graduate students. Breakfast and coffee will be provided.
RSVP to attend by Friday, September 26!
Chelsey Russell
Assistant Vice President, Internal Communication Manager
SmartBank
Chelsey Russell serves as Assistant Vice President and Internal Communication Manager at SmartBank, where she leads strategic messaging that connects teams, drives engagement, and supports a people-first culture. Based in Knoxville, Chelsey partners closely with senior leadership to shape internal narratives and ensure employees are informed, aligned, and empowered. With a diverse background and a passion for clarity and connection, she brings a thoughtful approach to storytelling that resonates across SmartBank’s footprint.
Matt Kothe
Corporate Marketing Director
PerfectServe
Matt Kothe is the Corporate Marketing Director at PerfectServe, a healthcare technology company specializing in clinical communication and scheduling solutions. He has nearly a decade of experience in marketing and communications, with expertise spanning brand strategy, analyst relations, public relations, and thought leadership. Before joining PerfectServe, Matt spent more than four years at Scripps Networks Interactive, where he supported both internal and external communications, including corporate initiatives like the HGTV home giveaways. A graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in political science, Matt was also a campus tour guide during his time here.
Brooke Wing
Associate Director of Data Analytics
Tombras
Brooke is an Associate Director of Analytics out of Tombras’ Knoxville office. She has worked in digital marketing for over a decade, moving from website design and development to content creation, email marketing, and then to analytics, infamously learning Python in order to create reporting dashboards in Adobe InDesign. Since transitioning to Tombras, she has built a client portfolio including ecommerce, medical, education, and utilities. Her speciality is leveraging technology and process to inform strategic media insights, particularly in creative messaging and audience targeting. She is, unsurprisingly, a nerd who spends her free time indoctrinating her children into the supremacy of the Oxford comma and listening to history podcasts.
Shane Bookhultz
Associate Director of Data Science
Tombras
Shane is an Associate Director of Data Science working out of Knoxville, TN at Tombras HQ. Shane researched political polarization, experimental design, and economic auction models at Virginia Tech. Also, Shane worked as an intern in the Applied Statistics Group with Eastman Chemical Company. Shane currently works across multiple active clients providing support in Advanced Analytics/Data Science. Some sample projects include Clustering, Time Series Forecasting, Marketing Mix Models, Sentiment Analysis, and Survey Analysis. In his free time, Shane explores different cuisines and competes in tennis/pickleball.
Tisha Clapp
Media Strategy and Operations
Designsensory
Tisha Clapp is a UT Advertising graduate who has built a 20+ year career in media and marketing. She’s worked on both the agency and client side, often collaborating closely with PR teams in her freelance and agency roles. Currently, she focuses on media strategy and operations at Designsensory and serves as Communications Chair for AAF Knoxville. Outside of work, she enjoys family time, home projects, and cheering on the Vols.