Winter 2014 Newsletter Extended: Michele Reynolds
Live It, Protect It, Explore It!
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NEW STAFF HIGHLIGHT:
MICHELE REYNOLDS
By: Anna Bach (RPTA ’17), Staff Writer
Michele Reynolds, an Agriculture Business graduate from Cal Poly, recently took over in the RPTA office as the new Administrative Support Coordinator. Also a graduate student in RPTA, Reynolds is studying Event Management and working with Visit San Luis Obispo to evaluate the benefits of Savor the Central Coast. A resident of San Luis Obispo, Reynolds enjoys going to the beach with her husband, her 3-year-old daughter, and her dog. She looks forward to traveling more and participating in other recreational experiences as her daughter grows up. When not working, Reynolds operates her own wedding planning business and enjoys planning events in the local area.
Before working at Cal Poly, Reynolds worked in the events and marketing field. After graduating from college, she took a job working in sales, marketing and tradeshow coordination. Realizing how much she liked the detailed involved in event planning, she eventually sought out part-time work with a local wedding planning and really enjoyed the position. But, realizing she had never learned the ‘why’ to event planning, she decided to begin work on a degree in the RPTA department.
Reynolds also decided to pursue a career at Cal Poly in order to be closer to her family the area. She previously worked in University Scheduling, where she was promoted to Curriculum Analyst. Reynolds noted, “In these roles, I did not work directly with students so after giving it some thought, I pursued the position in RPTA in order to gain new skills, work with budgets here on campus, and because I enjoy planning events, assisting with planning department events such as the Dinner/Auction and Commencement.” Reynolds has been employed by Cal Poly for six years, but this is the first job that involves working directly with students.
In addition to working with students, Reynolds also runs the department office, manages travels claims and expense reports, assists with class scheduling, helps plan department events (such as the 2014 Dinner/Auction, and the department's role in the CAFES Open House), and assists with curriculum development. Reynolds said she has enjoyed getting to know the faculty and students in the RPTA department. Everyday can be a new challenge, and she likes that aspect of the job. “I've also enjoyed working on the RPTA annual Dinner/Auction. It's a great group of students putting it together, and I am very excited to see the finished product,” she said.
Reynolds added that she finds the major very exciting and noted the wealth of learning and growth opportunities available to students. She is always interested to hear what current students and alumni are doing in the field. Reynolds is proud to have a job at Cal Poly, and as an alumni of CAFES, the new position seems to be a perfect fit.
The RPTA department welcomes Michele, and is lucky to have her!
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