Chris Runyon's Blog

Madison 101- April 2010

During my senior year at James Madison University, I worked on Madison 101 magazine as Art and Design Editor, an guide and general information of JMU and the surrounding Harrisonburg area.

Marketing Internship -2008 & 2009

In the summer of 2009, I received a part-time paid marketing internship from June to August with Roanoke County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, located in Salem, Virginia.

The marketing internship responsibilities included:

Summer of 2009

• Created the membership package folder for the 33 million dollar facility, Green Ridge Recreation Center.
  • Won “Best Promotional Effort for a Specialty Piece” in the category 50,000 to 100,000 population

• Designed and organized the 2009 “Destination Green” program  for VRPS as youngest marketing committee member

Summer of 2008

• Created and designed of the now online electric issue Park and Facilities Guidebook, including format, photography, graphics, and a brief description of each location. Originally the issue was made for print but converted to online copy to subsidized cost.

• Frequently assisted with advertising sales of quarterly magazine called Rec Connection to local business in the Roanoke Valley,demonstrating interpersonal skills

• Updated and maintained social network account on Facebook with up-coming events and messages for Roanoke County Parks and Recreation

• Created and designed posters for Roanoke County Park and Rec Special Events Department like Enchanted Eve, a New Years Eve alcohol-free celebration

Related Classes:

• Managing Corporate Media
• Web Communication
• Print Communication Design
• New Media Writing
• Mass Communication Law
• Principles of Advertising
• Corporate Media Writing
• Interactive Web Design
• Feature Magazine Production
• Feature Writing

The Magazine Cover class assignment below was voted  3rd place by Professor David Wendelken and classmates.

Quotes:

• “I had the pleasure of working with Chris as he interned with me last summer.  Chris has an enthusiastic spirit and a strong work ethic.  His solid understanding of graphic design and layout were a tremendous help to me as we worked together on several print projects using Adobe Indesign and Photoshop.”

-Scott Ramsburg, Marketing Manager at Roanoke County Parks and Recreation

• “Chris is a solid thinker, a clear writer, and an asset to the students who share classes with him.  His contributions to the classwork enhance the academic experience for all.”

-Professor John Ernest Guiniven, teacher of Principles of Advertising and Corporate Media Writing

• “I’ve  known Chris for several years, and I’ve enjoyed having him in my classes very much.”

-Professor Alexander S. Leidholdt, Ph.D, teacher of  Mediated Communication:Issues and Skills and  Media History

Related Skills:

1. Throughout my college career, I learned the entire CS4 Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver).
2. Audacity Audio Editing software, perfect for podcasts and MP3 files for video.
3. Prezi, the presentation service that makes PowerPoint look childish.
4. I obtained advanced skills during my high school and college career in the Microsoft Office Suite.
5. I showed strong strategic planning skills through the advertising campaign for Friendly City Food CO-OP.
6. I’m an independent worker with minimal supervision but I also collaborate well with teammates.
7. I illustrated my leadership and organizational skills being Co-President and Social Chair of James Madison University nationally-ranked 9th place Ski and Snowboard Racing Team.

Some of the tasks I organized were:

• Fundraisers such as T-Shirt sales and partnership with local Harrisonburg restaurant events
• Community service projects
• Ski and Snowboard training camps at New Hampshire & Jackson Hole
• Lodging information to 6 different resorts for a 70 club members for weekly competitions
• Race fees and USCSA documentation forms
• Created a detailed proposal for local and national businesses for team sponsorship
• Donation letters to team member families and friends
• All social events throughout the season

The 2010 season was my fourth year on the team, showing dedication to extracurricular activities while still achieving academic excellence.

Writing Samples:

Copper Blog

•  Blog Posts

Feature Writing and Narrative Stories

• What’s the Buzz
• Home in a Box

Research Papers

• Sobering Truth
• Minlennials: The Patient Generation

Advertisement Project

• Friendly City Food Co-Op

Honors and Extracurricular Activities:

• The Green Ridge Recreation Membership packet won “Best Promotional Effort for a Specialty Piece” in the category 50,000 to 100,000 population from VRPS.
• I received the academic award of Dean’s List in the Spring of 2007.
• I was a part of the JMU Crew Club in the spring 2008.
• I was the Co-President of the JMU Ski and Snowboard Racing Club, the “Most Successful Club on JMU Campus” (voted by JMU Recreation Club Sports).
• In the previous two years, I have served as Social Chair and Executive Board Member of JMU Ski and Snowboard Racing Team Club. Listed below are some of my accomplishments of being a part of the snowboard team.

2010 Snowboard Season

• ranked 38th individually in the National USCSA Championship for Men’s Giant Slalom Snowboarding
• ranked 31 individually in the National USCSA Championship for Men’s BoarderX
• ranked 28th individually in the National USCSA Championship for Men’s Slopestyle

2009 Snowboard Season

• ranked 11th individually in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship for Men’s Giant Slalom Snowboarding
• ranked 68th individually in the National USCSA Championship for Men’s Giant Slalom Snowboarding
• ranked 64th individually in the National USCSA Championship for Men’s BoarderX
• ranked 60th individually in the National USCSA Championship for Men’s Slopestyle

Instead of  just describing my extracurriculars, here is a video of  the Men’s and Women’s 2009 USCSA National Championship events at Winter Park, Co.

Photography:

Here are some photographs that show my passion for photography. I took these pictures on his trip to Winter Park, Co. The first two photos are actually six connected together using ArcSoft Panorma Maker™3. This is a tedious process taking time and creativity.

Mary Jane National Forest

Black side view of Winter Park, Colorado

Chris had been dreaming of this moment all his life

Beautiful Lake Dillon, Colorado!

The second best place to be, Duck, North Carolina