Lynn Casey received the 2024 Aluminary Award
Alum Lynn Casey (M.A. '80) took the lessons she learned throughout her time at the Hubbard School and created a successful and impactful career in public relations. For 37 years, she worked as the CEO of Padilla, a public relations and communications services firm based in Minneapolis. Because of her exceptional career, Casey was recently honored with the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Aluminary Award. We sat down with Casey to ask what she took from her time at Hubbard and what advice she has for students looking into a career in Strategic Communications.
Lessons Learned
Casey reflected on her time in the public relations field and the many lessons that she has learned and how they have influenced the work she has done. One lesson she learned was how to quickly adapt to a changing landscape. Casey said, “The best people in the field don’t watch from the sidelines, they see into the future, they learn as much as they can about new things, and hire people based on what change they predict happening.” She emphasized the importance of learning everything you can and being curious about the changes that are happening in the industry.
Casey also spoke on the lesson she learned about the importance of mentorship. She reflected on the idea that mentors do not always have to be people who are older or in higher positions than you but can also be those near you. She said, “Peers can be mentors, everyone can find things they admire in their peers and vice versa.” Casey also spoke on the value of having people with different skill sets around you. She said, “It is important to have a “cabinet” of people because everyone has different strengths.”
Casey discussed the importance of hearing the opinions of those working for the firm, even if they went against her ideas. “That notion was the result of a bad hiring decision I made early in my leadership tenure. My team didn’t feel comfortable enough to express their reservations because they knew I really wanted to bring this person on board.” She said, “That was a wake-up call. From then on, I worked really hard to make sure my own ambitions for the firm never got in the way of people sharing their opinions.”
How Hubbard Can Influence Careers
When asked how Hubbard can influence students’ careers in the future, Casey reflected on how the school is often able to prepare students for evolving demands in the communications field while also teaching them the basic principles. She said, “The school does a good job of teaching fundamentals, some schools only chase the next new thing and don't teach the basics.” Casey further explained that Hubbard brings in professionals to teach students more about the field and the work being done daily. She emphasized the importance of understanding how organizations work and how having that knowledge can prepare students for success.
Casey also touched on the importance of curiosity, and how the Hubbard School encourages it. She said, “Being curious is the most important thing you can be in school.” She further discussed how learning to be curious in school allows you to be curious throughout your career. She stressed this is important because it will enable students to be open-minded, which can create new ideas and pathways.
By Kate Henning, Backpack student
