Member PRofile: Jason Lee
Public Relations & Marketing Specialist, Overbrook School for the Blind
Why did you become a member of PRSA Philly? What made you take the next step to get involved?
I became a member of PRSA Philly as soon as I moved here from Richmond, Virginia, where I served on the board of PRSA Richmond. When the job I relocated to Philly for didn’t pan out due to national budget cuts from the current administration, I knew I could turn to PRSA Philly for support, and for my next opportunity. I landed my role as PR & Marketing Specialist at Overbrook School for the Blind thanks to the connections I made in PRSA Philly, and I joined the board so I can support others the way others have supported me.
What drives you daily in your day job at Overbrook School for the Blind and what do you take from that work and bring to PRSA Philly?
Despite having worked in education and with other nonprofits, my work at Overbrook School for the Blind is different than any work I’ve done previously. OSB serves students from birth to age 21 with visual impairments and other disabilities. It’s a beautiful 26-acre campus in West Philadelphia with about 180 students from 10 different localities and 50+ school districts across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. My daily responsibilities are similar to previous roles, but the impact I see on a daily basis from OSB’s ~200 faculty and staff on our students and their families is like nothing I’ve had the pleasure of supporting before. Compassion and camaraderie are at OSB’s foundation, and that’s something I aim to bring forth in my work and for PRSA Philly.
How does your sector influence the tone, tools, or strategy you use?
My work at OSB spans a few different sectors, and the strategy and tone I use depend on the audience. I develop and implement communications plans for parents and guardians, faculty and staff, and current and prospective donors. When it comes to parents and guardians, I think first and foremost about the trust they’re placing in OSB when they bring their child to school every day. I communicate with parents and guardians with the same level of trust and transparency, providing them with timely, straightforward updates that are easy to access and understand. For faculty and staff, my goal is always to share the information they need to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and to make them feel seen and appreciated for the invaluable work they do. And until my role at OSB, I hadn’t worked in fundraising. Soliciting donations was new to me, but I’ve learned how to write for current and prospective donors with emotional and empowering stories that show real successes and donor impacts.
What are your hobbies?
I love to read! Not only do I enjoy a good story, but I really love me some well-written syntax. At some point, my love for reading transformed into a love for writing, and that into a love for communications and PR. There are so many ways you can piece together a sentence and each variation can elicit a different feeling. I often view writing as a puzzle as I determine how best my pieces can fit together. I’m currently reading book 12 of 14 (plus a prequel) of the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan.