Boardroom in the News
December 11, 2009
Public relations firm counts on alumni
Nearly half of Fort Lauderdale-based Boardroom Communication's 15 staff members are alumni of the college.
"I learned a great deal from UF," said Julie Silver Talenfeld, JM 1984, who started the firm in 1989. "I realized very quickly that the graduates coming from the public relations department at the University of Florida were very skilled, creative and driven."
Since 2002, the firm has hired six public relations graduates, including Jennifer Clarin, PR 2002, who started when she was 20 years old, and Tracy Longin, PR 2004, who started in 2005. A year later, Boardroom hired Marielle Sologuren, PR 2006, and Michelle Friedman, PR 2006.
"The number of Gators here really just proves the strength of the public relations program at UF," Friedman said. "It's fun to swap stories about old
professors or things that we learned in our classes and how we are applying them in our careers."
Jennifer Beard Evans, PR 2005, joined the firm last year after gaining experience at Zucker Public Relations in Fort Lauderdale. Lauren Simo, JM 2005, became a Boardroom staffer this year.
Talenfeld hired Executive Vice President Todd Templin, TEL 1984, in 2000 because of his journalistic insight and news media experience, she said. She knew him from their days at WUFT-TV.
The firm also recruits at least one UF public relations intern every summer. Public relations juniors Jackie Pesce and Lindsey Marmorstein interned at Boardroom this past summer.
Talenfeld's brother, Don Silver, who attended UF in the early 1970's, serves as Boardroom's Chief Operating Officer and became a partner several years ago.
Last year, when it celebrated its 20th anniversary, Boardroom generated $2.35 million in revenues.
"Any time we get graduates from the University of Florida," Talenfeld said, "we can count on them being overachievers - all of them."
-LaTesha Campbell
