Fort Smith native Elyse Cullen graduated from UA Little Rock in 2009 after studying journalism, public relations and marketing. Elyse now lives in North Little Rock, where she is the communications coordinator for the Chamber of Commerce.
In that position, Elyse manages the Chamber’s social media and website, in addition to designing promotional materials for all events and programs. She also is in charge of the NLR Young Professionals organization and an annual fashion fundraising event. In 2017, she earned a certificate in nonprofit management from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management.
Elyse is married with two kids, a 3-year-old girl named Elliot and an 8-month-old boy named Jonah.
What made you choose the UALR School of Mass Communication?
“I always knew I wanted to pursue a career that included writing, interacting with people and graphic design. The School of Mass Communication was a perfect fit!”
What were your favorite classes?
“I loved all of Professor Rhodes’ classes. He always did a great job at allowing us to interact and learn from each other while following the curriculum.”
Who was a faculty member who made a strong impact on you and your career path?
“Amy Barnes. She takes a genuine interest in her students and encourages them to do their best at all times. While I was her student, she took me to a PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) conference as her guest and helped my classmates and I re-establish PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) at UALR. Those actions contributed to building my confidence as a leader and PR professional.”
