Jay Firm was first launched in 2012 by associate professor of communications Dr. Matthew Telleen. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the club went on a hiatus, but has since been restarted by juniors Emily Kuhn and Abigail Zarfoss.
Kuhn and Zarfoss serve as co-presidents of the club. The two public relations (PR) majors opted to restart Jay Firm after working on a client project for COM355, a class taught by associate professor of communications Dr. Kelly Poniatowski on writing in the field of public relations.
As part of their semester-long client project, they opted to work on Jay Firm to conduct research on Jay Firm’s exposure to students, as well as create public relations materials for the club.
Poniatowski will now serve as the adviser to Jay Firm.
“My interest lies in my previous work in public relations, the fact that I teach several PR classes, and that I was advisor of [Public Relations Student Society of America] at Duquesne University before coming to Etown,” Poniatowski said. “I saw opportunities to work closely with students and help guide them to complete projects for clients. In addition, I see opportunities for students in my PR classes to complete client projects through…Jay Firm and that is pretty exciting to me.”
Regarding the origins of the club, Telleen noted that “the [Communications] department…wanted a student group to serve the students interested in public relations.” He mentioned that students benefit from participating in ECTV, WWEC and the Etownian, but students pursuing public relations did not have a student-led organization that catered to their needs.
As Telleen had experience in corporate communications, he volunteered to create Jay Firm.
“The first year was a challenge,” Telleen said. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted [Jay Firm] to look like, and I didn’t know the students very well. In the second year, a few dedicated students stepped in and really took off.”
Telleen noted that Jay Firm relied upon student leadership as they “did almost all the heavy lifting,” whereas Telleen offered input on recruiting students and advice on management. Jay Firm’s officers were tasked with finding clients and producing work of their own accord. Jay Firm’s clients included the Communications Department and other departments at the College, the College’s bookstore and local nonprofit organizations.
At one point, Telleen reported that Jay Firm had 20 members. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to Jay Firm’s hiatus as the club took a break during the 2020-21 academic year.
“The students and I decided not to proceed last year, because of the conditions on campus and the extra burden students were feeling,” Telleen said. “That left us with essentially no membership at the beginning of this year. I was very grateful when Dr. Poniatowski asked about taking over. I knew there would be a need to be a push to get students involved, and I think she is in a great position to help… I have already heard from students who are excited to make Jay Firm a part of their experience at [the College], and I know they will benefit just as so many students did in the past.”
Kuhn noted that they are still in the beginning stages of reviving the club as Jay Firm is looking for a Graphic Design Manager and Public Relations Manager.
“I’m thinking that once we grow with [clients], we’ll definitely be able to get more people on board,” Zarfoss said.
Overall, Kuhn is hoping to focus on incoming cohorts so that the club can continue running, even after she and Zarfoss graduate next year.
“We hope to be fully running by the spring semester,” Poniatowski said.
Kuhn also noted that the club is “not just for PR [majors]” as they are looking for students with expertise in graphic design, as well as general interest in public relations.
Currently, though, Jay Firm has two clients: the Communications Department and the School of Public Service.
Within the club, students work independently, though Poniatowski is there to “guide them and answer questions as they go,” as well as assist Kuhn and Zarfoss in getting started. She noted that students are expected to recruit clients, organize client meetings and complete projects for their clients.
In preparation for starting the club, Poniatowski said that Kuhn and Zarfoss “spoke with students at other colleges and universities that have student-run PR firms to get a sense of how they are run, and this has given them ideas of how they want to run Jay Firm.”
“We kind of saved [Jay Firm] from the grave. It was almost down there, and then Dr. P[oniatowski] got approached about possibly taking over,” Zarfoss said.
In the field of public relations, a portfolio is key when applying to jobs. As such, Jay Firm will offer students the opportunity to build their portfolio and resume, as well as network with others.
Students interested in joining Jay Firm or clients looking for public relations materials should contact Kuhn, Zarfoss or Poniatowski at kuhne@etown.edu, zarfossa@etown.edu or poniatowskik@etown.edu.
