The External Director is responsible for connecting EPIC with external media for the purpose of advertising, promoting, and creating awareness of both EPIC and all campaigns. They work directly with committee members in external communications roles to provide them support and resources as needed for their campaigns. The External Head creates and maintains a list of media contacts, media and public action plans, a media kit including form letters, as well as creating and following an established style guide. They create press releases and send them to appropriate media within a timely fashion, and then respond as the primary contact for media, or direct inquiries to the correct member if required. They respond in a timely manner to inquiries from external organizations about EPIC and its activities. The External Director assists with other tasks as needed within the Executive. They must have strong written and verbal communication skills. A familiarity with press release formats and public action plans are an asset.
Hi, my name is Ashley Bosse and I am nominating myself for the position of Potterwatch's External Director, which I have held for the past year. I have gotten to know so many awesome people by becoming involved with EPIC but for those who don't know me, I grew up moving all over the place but have lived in Edmonton for the past ten years and have grown to love this city, even though I still complain about the massive amounts of snow! I am passionate about helping people and love hearing people's stories wherever I go. I spend my free time reading anything I can get my hands on and powerwatching seasons of new shows on Netflix. Beyond the HP fandom I am obsessive about Buffy, Doctor Who, Austen, Disney, and all dystopian tales.
Why do you want to serve on the EPIC Executive Committee?
I have had a great time contributing to the Executive Committee over the past year and been blown away by all we have accomplished. I am really excited to hopefully not only continue with EPIC but also to grow and create more successes for us. It is an amazing gift to watch something like this start and move forward from the ground up and I can't wait to see what we accomplish next!
What skills or qualities do you bring to the EPIC Executive Committee?
I have a Communications degree with a main focus in Professional Writing from MacEwan University. This has provided me with a strong background and knowledge of the types of media required in the External Director role. I have experience creating media kits and resources for other organizations, both non-profits and businesses, which has helped me develop a large toolbox of materials that allow me to best promote EPIC and our activities. I am also incredibly dedicated and thorough when it comes to finding and connecting with the best sources at any given time to peak interest in our organization.
Describe your personal involvement in one EPIC project or campaign from the last year that you are particularly proud of.
Our August meetup last year was the first real event that the newly created Exec put together. During planning we knew we were going to have a fun day but we weren't sure how everything would play out, how the events would run, and how many people would come out. I became very invested in spreading the word and creating public interest in us everywhere I could and quickly learned how to be persistent when contacting various publications I thought could help spread the word. The day turned out to be a HUGE success with a great turn out of both Potterwatch members and non-members as well as local media coming out to see how awesome we are.
What new ideas, projects, campaigns or policies would you like to see the EPIC Executive Committee implement in the coming year?
I am incredibly interested in launching a public awareness campaign similar to this year's Project Patronus but with a focus on self esteem, particularly for young women. I feel that J.K. created some amazingly strong female characters that were brave, confident, and most of all believed in themselves. I would like to challenge people to get involved by creating essays, videos, or other media forms that discuss different female characters and the positive characteristics they embody and how we can strive to live our lives in similar ways.
If you could change one thing concerning the operation of EPIC over the past year, what would it be?
EPIC as a whole has had an incredibly successful year and I really think everyone involved has learned a lot. One of the areas that has seen continuous improvement is the way the different committees and the Executive Committee work and interact with each other. I think this is a vital area to improve and get right as it is the basis of our success. As we grow and learn we keep finding new ways to do this and I know this positive trend will continue in the future.
