Member Spotlight: Mary Ryan
Mary Ryan | Nvision Architecture
In our member spotlight, Mary Ryan takes time out of her busy day to chat with SMPS. Mary, who works for Nvision Architecture as their Marketing Coordinator, shares the rewards of her job and the benefits of being an SMPS member.
Q: How did you find your way to the AEC industry and your current firm?
A: My career began at UAA where I studied Journalism and Public Communications. I chose this versatile degree with the intention of working in public relations. I experienced a few different roles on my way to find where I fit in, including a marketing internship at Nvision Architecture in 2020. Two years later, I graduated with a Master’s degree in Strategic Communications and Public Relations in Connecticut. Since then, I’ve worked as a news manager and communications manager for a radio station in rural Alaska and at a public relations firm. After learning what type of work and work environments I enjoyed, I returned to Nvision. Here I have found good people and a positive workplace culture, creative freedom, and the reward of tangible results.
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
A: As an artist, I have always enjoyed creating graphics. I love it when I have the opportunity to experiment with graphics, whether it be in proposals, promotional materials, or social media. I also enjoy special projects like event planning for the AIA golf tournament.
Q: What has been your most meaningful project?
A: Nvision Architecture has designed many meaningful projects, such as the Downtown Soup Kitchen Hope Center, Special Olympics-Alaska Headquarters and Training Facility, and the recently completed “In My Backyard” transitional housing for Central Lutheran Church. I have enjoyed discovering how community-centered design is at the heart of our brand and communicating that across promotional materials.
Q: What are your challenges?
A: My biggest challenge is learning about the field of architecture, having newly entered the AEC industry. Since beginning at Nvision, I have gained context through jumping right into proposals as well as from learning opportunities like product presentations, SPMS webinars, and the A4LE conference.
Q: What was a pivotal point in your career?
A: I’ve had several career pivots, having worked wildly different roles – organizing Iditarod coverage vs designing social media schedules for example. The biggest change was shifting from journalism to communications. Even now in a marketing position, I am doing what I studied in college and experienced in communications roles.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is about to enter the marketing or business development field?
A: If you’re anything like me, make sure you can get behind what you are promoting. While you can apply marketing to pretty much any field and company, not every cause is going to be personally meaningful. My advice would be to choose a company that is committed to values that overlap with your own and a product or service that makes other people’s lives better. If you enter a company whose values are not the same as yours, while they may be respectable, that could mean that these things are placed at greater importance than what you value most. And on the more difficult days, the resulting product or service should be reason enough to keep going.
Q: What's on your bucket list?
A: Make it back to my favorite place in the world, Scotland!
Q: How do you spend your time outside of work?
A: I like to wind down by painting, playing guitar and singing, or going for a light hike with my fiancé.
