The American Advertising Federation (AAF) has selected Canton resident Sara Mahmood, a senior majoring in marketing and global supply chain management at the Wayne State University School of Business Administration, to serve on its Initiative Future Board for 2012-2013. Mahmood is one of 13 students chosen from universities across the United States, and the only student selected from Michigan.
Mahmood and her fellow board members will receive hands-on marketing and communications training while partnering with mentors, professionals and businesses from around the U.S. They will also work on client and agency thought leadership projects and participate in a summer internship.
“I am keen to be at the forefront of emerging technology, so naturally I dove at the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of the advertising media landscape,” said Mahmood. “Serving on the AAF’s Initiative Future Board is a great learning and development opportunity, and I look forward to uncovering trends in media consumption.”
Troy resident Richard F. Beltramini, professor of marketing at WSU’s business school, is the Wayne State AAF chapter’s advisor and is partly responsible for this achievement.
“About a month ago, faculty chapter advisors were asked to nominate one or two students based on their demonstrated leadership performance. Sara was an excellent performer as a student in one of my classes and since then has distinguished herself as a student leader, motivating others to actively participate in our AAF chapter,” Beltramini said.
“Sara will serve as one of a small team of primary contact points for the AAF in Washington, offering perspectives on key advertising trends affecting future industry programming,” he added.
Mahmood said that she is “thankful to receive nomination from my AAF chapter advisor and to be selected by AAF for this honor.”
In addition to becoming a board member for this nationwide AAF initiative, Mahmood is currently the co-president and media director of the AAF Wayne State chapter.
According to the AAF’s website, it is “the nation’s oldest national advertising trade association, and the only association representing all facets of the advertising industry.” It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and acts as the "Unifying Voice for Advertising.”
Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 29,000 students. The School of Business Administration offers AACSB accredited programs at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels and is recognized for academic excellence by The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.business.wayne.edu