ALUMNI PROFILE
Tami Chapek
Account director, GSW Worldwide, New York, N.Y.
Bluffon '00
Major: fine arts and business administration
Small-town feel. After attending a small, rural high school in Ohio, Tami realized a “gigantic” state school wouldn’t be the right fit for her. “I didn’t want to get lost in the numbers.” Tami heard of Bluffton through mailings and friends who lived in the area, and after visiting, she immediately fell in love with the campus.
Finding her niche. Tami began her studies at Bluffton as an art education major but wanted to explore different fields. “I thought business a perfect fit for me because of the way I operate, think and process information.” She made the switch to a fine arts and business administration double major. Tami knew she was interested in advertising and made Bluffton’s offerings work for her. Working closely with art professor Jaye Bumbaugh, Tami helped start the first few courses of the graphic design minor, which have been offered since 2000. She gained invaluable experience interning with a public relations group at Blanchard Valley Hospital, Bluffton, Ohio, and Honda’s corporate communications group in Lima, Ohio.
Moving up the ladder. Tami spent a year with Solomon Software in Findlay, Ohio, working in the marketing department. When an assistant account executive position opened at CorpComm Group in Lima, Tami took the opportunity and was promoted to account executive in less than a year. “I was working with the president, doing the marketing communications for schools such as Bluffton and The Ohio State University and manufacturing companies.” In June 2004, Tami took an account executive position with GSW Worldwide, a healthcare advertising agency.
New York, New York! After a few years of working at the GSW offices in Columbus, Ohio, Tami moved to the GSW branch in New York City and is now an account director. She works on medical device and pharmaceutical accounts. Most recently, Tami has worked with ETHICON INC., a Johnson & Johnson company, and she values promoting a company that believes in high standards and quality. Tami’s clients at GSW have just won nine awards from various advertising societies. The challenge of marketing to an individual audience and figuring out how to draw them in is the reason Tami loves her job. “Professionally, I’m much farther along than I ever thought I would be at this point in my life, and I’m going to continue working hard and see what happens,” she says.
Keeping time for friends. Her busy, fast-paced routine keeps Tami working hard, but when she first moved to New York, she loved walking everywhere and exploring the city. Being a very social person, Tami spends most of her free time with friends. Her Bluffton network continues to exist even though her group of friends lives far apart. “Bluffton brought us together, and I value our relationships more than anything else.”
— Jenna Patty ’08
