Member PRofile: Juliette Gebken-Mayi, APR

Title and company
Director of Communications at Florida Virtual School

Give a brief explanation of your job
As the Director of Communications at FLVS, I lead external and internal communications for one of the nation's largest online K-12 school districts, and leading digital curriculum provider for schools around the world. In my role, I work alongside a very talentalend team of seasoned and junior communications professionals responsible for media relations, content marketing, social media, internal and executive communications, and recruitment marketing.

How long have you been a member of FPRA and why did you join?
I can't recall the first year I joined, but I estimate it was around 2015, when I was part of Universal Orlando's PR team. My leader back then was highly involved in the association and would always tell us about the benefits of joining, so she encouraged me to become involved.  

What has been your favorite FPRA event or experience so far?
Annual conference! The speakers are amazing, plus it's a great opportunity to not only continue building relationships with colleagues, but with other members from across the state.  

Tell us about an exciting achievement (personal or professional)
I've been fortunate that my leaders in my current and previous roles have believed in me. At Universal Orlando, I had the chance to build (pretty much from the ground up) the destination's public relations efforts for the U.S. Hispanic and Latin American audiences, something I was deeply passionate about.  

What was your first job?
I took my first job when I was 16 years old, and it was in telemarketing. 

What's one fun fact about you?
I've done a couple of challenging international hiking trips - an 8-day pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (called Camino de Santiago) in Spain, and the Salkantay 5-day trek to Machu Picchu.