Journalism helped qualify Siskin institute’s PR head

Deborah Luehrs, director of marketing and communication, laughs after applying a washable tattoo to the hand of Connor Moore, 5, a student at Siskin Children's Institute during healthy trick-or-treating at the school. Instead of giving out candy, many teachers and adminisrators handed out alternatives such as coloring books and Play-Doh. Staff File Photo

Name: Deborah Luehrs

Position: Marketing and communications director

Location: Siskin Children’s Institute, a nonprofit organization serving children with special needs and their families.

First job: Internship at The Chattanooga Times as a police reporter

Best part of the job: “My favorite part of the job is probably being able to see firsthand the work the institute does with the children and families, really getting to know them because part of my job is sharing those stories. I get to know the families pretty well. Just to see the changes that happens in the families is pretty amazing. It’s a good reminder of why I work here.”

Worst part of the job: “Communications is a very generic term for anything that needs to be done. There’s always work to be done.”

Challenges: “The budget is always a challenge because of being a nonprofit, we’re always trying to do more with less. Typically it’s being creative in how you get things accomplished.”

What she’s learning: “My job has taught me that there are a lot of people in the world struggling with a lot of things. Every child is a gift. It’s taught me the importance of family to see these families rally around one another.”

How to make a career of it: “I think journalism was an awesome way to get into [my career]. I think good PR people are those who understand journalism. But any kind of communication or business background would be really helpful. When I came, I was not familiar with a lot of the goings on of an organization like this. I think that’s probably one of the biggest challenges of a marketing director. Regardless of what you are marketing, you have to become immersed in it to learn how to tell the story.”