Who are you?
My name is Brooke Keltner, and I am the marketing and communications specialist at Stephenson Service Company. We are an FS member cooperative serving farmers and their families in Stephenson and Jo Daviess counties in northern Illinois.
How long have you worked with cooperatives?
I have been in the cooperative comms field for a year and a half!
Describe your role.
I am responsible for all marketing and comms efforts, including social media management, event planning, public relations, brand management, comms strategy, purchasing and so much more! I am a single-person team, and I am never bored in my position. I am so grateful to work on so many different projects throughout the week. I work with our department leaders in agronomy, energy, grain systems, vehicle service, and grain marketing to meet their marketing goals while aligning with our core value of serving our customers the best way we can. No day is the same, and I enjoy getting to drive strategy in the office while also getting to be “boots on the ground” and see our operations team make it happen.
What do you enjoy about working with cooperatives?
I love that our business model is people-focused. Whenever we have large-scale meetings, we always bring it back to why we do what we do – to serve our customers. Our customers keep the world fueled and fed, and it’s part of our mission to ensure they can keep running everyday.
When did you join CCA? Why?
I joined CCA last summer as a recommendation from a few of my colleagues at GROWMARK. I love to network and learn from people who are in similar roles as mine. Knowing people who can help me when I am stuck on something or just need another marketing mind is of such value to me!
Did anything surprise you about CCA upon joining?
I didn’t realize the number of ways you can get involved! It seems like there are so many opportunities for those early in their careers or even later on. Every opportunity provide a chance to learn and grow.
How has CCA supported you in your career?
In the past year, CCA has provided many learning opportunities around change management communications and crafting messages for internal audiences. These two topics have been especially relevant in my professional life, and I have been so thankful to receive information that can help me be a better communicator at work.
What are your hobbies and interests?
In my free time, I love to garden, bake sourdough bread and other treats, tend to my chickens and walk my 3-year-old corgi, Scooter. I also enjoy taking pilates classes, working out, and spending time with my friends.
Do you have a “bucket list”? What are some of the things on that list?
I don’t really have a bucket list, but I would love to hike several national parks in my lifetime!!! I got married this July in Glacier, so that set the standard pretty high.
Give us something about yourself that is surprising or that most people don’t know.
Most people might not know that I am an avid caffeine fan, but I would guess most people can see that from what my desk looks like most days. From black coffee to Bloom energy drinks, I am all for it!
What advice would you give to professional communicators just starting their careers?
Start learning from the people who might not always be in the MarComm field. You can learn a lot from the people you work with, from accounting to those pulling anhydrous tanks in the field. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and familiarize yourself with the business you work in every day. The better you know your business, the products and services you offer, and the people who make it all happen, the better you can do your job.
Email Brooke Here
