3.7 - (Great) Event Planners Should Run The World
In today's ep. 7, we cover everything from Academic advising to Disney and events to tattoos as we welcome our new favorite person: Melyssa Anne. <3
Army brat, Tex-European, self-proclaimed Disney freak, Melyssa-Anne Stricklin wants you to become an independent thinker and learn who you are. As an Academic Advisor, Melyssa-Anne advises students in several academic areas such as: Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Hospitality and Tourism, Youth Development, and Community Recreation. One industry which reaches all of these is event management.
Corrections because TJ misspoke: The event venue is The Barn (not Bright Star). The artist was Playboi Carti not Playboi & Cardi B. Apologies, Tj is not with it.
SARAH, TJ, & MELYSSA-ANNE CHAT ABOUT
- Melyssa-Anne's Role & her favorite part of advising?
- How the Event Management Certification has translated that in to your career?
- Melyssa-Anne's passion of Experience Design
- Since COVID, has the department alternated their teachings to include COVID best practices?
- Event Safety, is this something that is taught in the Program?
- If someone was interested in going in to this industry, what’s the one piece of advice you would give them?
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Texas A&M University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Texas A&M University Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences
- Academy for Venue Safety & Security
- Astroworld emergency plan did not include crowd surge protocol
- Astroworld had a plan for mass casualty events. It's unclear whether promoters followed it
- Playboi Carti concert canceled after chaos outside NRG Arena
- Environmental Health and Safety at Texas A&M
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Sarah Chrastecky
Co-Host of the Coffee Talk Podcast & Director - Annenberg Presidential Conference Center
Sarah Chrastecky is the director of the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center, where she oversees all aspects of the operation.
Chrastecky graduated from Texas Lutheran University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art and a minor in psychology. Upon graduation, she moved to the Bryan/College Station area.
In the summer of 2009, Chrastecky began working for the APCC and caught the industry bug. During this time, she had the opportunity to expand her knowledge and passion by attending and graduating from the IAVM Venue Management School. In October of 2012, she transitioned to an associate director position for Chartwells Catering at Texas A&M University to continue her experience and business interests. She returned to the APCC as the manager in the summer of 2015. In February of 2017, she stepped in as interim director until June of 2018, when she accepted the director position.
Chrastecky is the mother of two beautiful boys and wife to a golf course superintendent. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, game nights, family movie nights and entertainment provided by sarcastic 10 and 4-year-olds.
Tracy "TJ" Hefti
Co-Host of the Coffee Talk Podcast & Event Manager at Annenberg Presidential Conference Center
Tracy ‘TJ’ Hefti is originally from Houston, Texas, and joined the APCC in 2018. She has over 10 years of experience in various service industry roles and is excited to bring those skills to Texas A&M. TJ has her Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) certification, as well as the Certified Professional in Management certification (AMA-CPM). In her free time she enjoys creating art, exploring and supporting local cuisines and spending time with her family.
Melyssa Anne
Melyssa-Anne Stricklin is an Academic Advisory in Recreational Parks & Tourism Department. She advises students in several academic areas such as Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Hospitality and Tourism, Youth Development and Community Recreation.
For almost 10 years, Melyssa-Anne has been meeting students where they are and creating a safe space/brave space, whether virtual or in-person. A recipient of the November 2020 Advisor of the Month and the 2021 Innovating Advising Award, Melyssa-Anne enjoys creating new and engaging ways to interact with her students.
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