Who are you?
My name is Brielle Hamer, and I am the Marketing Coordinator at Aurora Cooperative
How long have you worked with cooperatives?
I have worked at Aurora in some capacity for a little over two years with over a year and a half of that time being full time work!
Describe your role.
Marketing coordinator is very much a catch all title! My main task is graphic design, so I work on social media posts, billboards, product guides, stickers, and everything in between. Additionally, our content marketing coordinator will go out and get content, bring it back to me, and I will edit together videos or adjust lighting on pictures as I have extensive knowledge throughout the Adobe suite. I also participate in event planning such as our annual meeting, customer appreciations, and more! Lastly, I manage the media that runs on our pumps at 10 of our fueling locations. And never forget the communication that comes with all those tasks and our 70+ locations!
What do you enjoy about working with cooperatives?
I enjoy the sense of community that cooperatives bring – if I see one of our members out in public, I enjoy getting to catch up and chat with them! I grew up in the same church as the president of our board, so it’s cool having personal connections with our growers and then getting the chance to build a professional relationship off that. Additionally, the people I work with every day have made an impact on who I am not only professionally but personally as well, and I know that I wouldn’t be where I am without their support through the good days and the tough moments.
When did you join CCA? Why?
My manager was doing some market research with a couple of our neighboring cooperatives, and two of them mentioned the CCA Institute as this amazing learning and networking conference that they go to every year. Following those discussions, we signed up for CCA for the first time in 2025 and have enjoyed both Institutes so far!
Did anything surprise you about CCA upon joining?
CCA feels exactly like working at a cooperative with its sense of community – everybody wants to help each other out, and that’s not something you see/feel every day!
How has CCA supported you in your career?
CCA has helped my networking skills. I’m an introvert at heart, so jumping into conversation and smiling about it is not the easiest task for me haha! With the Institute and even the connector groups, I am given a sense of safety in talking with other professionals!
What are your hobbies and interests?
I am an avid Lego builder and musical fanatic! There’s nothing better than coming home from work, throwing on High School Musical, and building a new Botanical or Disney Lego set. Additionally, I grew up dancing for 15 years and am going on my 2nd year as an instructor at my hometown studio this year!
Do you have a “bucket list”? What are some of the things on that list?
My bucket list mostly consists of travelling! I would love to visit France, Germany, and Greece. Additionally, I went to New York when I was younger and would LOVE to go as an adult to really soak in the city – I remember loving it as a kid and think I could appreciate it so much more now that I’m older (or find it a lot dirtier haha)!
Give us something about yourself that is surprising or that most people don’t know.
I’m honestly an open book! I’m a 6-time published author! I’m creatively/musically inclined (bet you couldn’t guess) and had my first “role” at 6 years old as young Cinderella. In addition to this, I have choreographed for four musicals and will be choreographing my first full show choir show this year!
What advice would you give to professional communicators just starting their careers?
Honestly, I’m just starting too! There are days where you feel completely lost – like no amount of schooling or professional development prepared you for this moment – and that’s 100% valid. So much of any job is learning as you go and learning through your mistakes. Every individual you look up to and work with went through the same thing. Nobody is perfect, so just be confident in what you do know, and the rest will fall in line without you even noticing!
Email Brielle Here
Backstage at the 2026 dance recital with her sisters and studio owner.
