Getting to Know AMA Tampa Bay’s New President Chris Bush

Chris Bush

 Bush Believes that engagement with diverse membership and community will lay groundwork for the marketing industry in Tampa.

Chris’ Career

Chris Bush, Director of National Integrated Media Sales at Valassis, is the newly elected President of AMA Tampa Bay and a five-year member. Bush has remained with Valassis for over 30 years and began working for the company as a Sales Associate in Ohio. “It’s been unique because, while I’ve worked in the same place, I’ve seen so much variety,” said Bush. “I’ve worked with Fortune 500 Companies and mom and pop startups. It’s been really fascinating.”

Chris’ Goals for AMA Tampa Bay

We at AMA Tampa Bay are obviously lucky to have Chris at the helm of our chapter. We are already touted as the fastest growing chapter in the American Marketing Association, but under Chris’ leadership the Tampa Bay chapter has bigger goals in mind.

• Engaging our Diverse Membership – Chris Bush said that one of his main goals during his tenure is to enrich the level of engagement that marketing professionals can expect from AMA. Increasing engagement is a perfect goal to follow our chapter’s rebranding and our new website. Chris stresses that he plans to engage all members, from recent college graduates to marketing executives and everyone in between. “We partner with local collegiate chapters and welcome their leadership to our board meetings to observe real world situations,” said Bush “We are also making sure that established professionals get the most out of our organization. We are always planning new events and ways to stay involved with local companies and professionals that cement our commitment to the professional community.”
• Using Technology as an Engagement Tool – Bush stressed the importance of using communication technology to increase the member participation. With the continuing reliability of mobile devices in people’s personal and professional worlds, creating a mobile-infused organization will bring a new level of interaction. “We want to be engaged with our members and potential members from a mobile standpoint by attempting to build a cutting edge, vibrant chapter that people want to engage with socially and have the ability to network through without events being labeled as a ‘networking event,’” added Bush.
• Attracting High Quality People – Any organization is as strong as its people. We have some amazingly strong members and the more we get involved, the stronger we can become,” said Bush. “We want to attract and retain good, quality volunteers because when you get involved, even just an hour per month, you get so much more out of the membership because that’s when you truly network and meet people from different walks of life.”

Advantages of AMA Tampa Bay Membership

It is easy to see why Chris Bush is so passionate about continuing to improve AMA Tampa Bay and about lengthening the list benefits it provides to its members. Currently, membership gives marketers unparalleled access to marketing resources and networking opportunities. Members benefit from hearing nationally-recognized speakers and have the opportunity to discuss “hot topics” in marketing. Through volunteering for AMA Tampa Bay, marketers are enable marketers to showcase their talents, work with, and connect with others in the field. Members also have access to career resources focused on their needs and skills.

What Bush enjoys most about being the President of AMA Tampa Bay is working with and catering to such a diverse population of marketers. Not only do we have members ranging from recent college graduates to marketing executives, but also our members all focus on different specialties within the marketing industry. The diversity is what makes the job of Chapter President so appealing. Our chapter may be the fastest growing chapter in the country, but Bush will not stop there. Stay tuned to the website to see what exciting new goals, plans, and events are in store for us!

About the Author

Tyler Ragghianti

Tyler Ragghianti is a guest writer on our blog and he has recently become involved with AMA Tampa Bay. He currently works as a Project Manager for Selig Multimedia. Tyler has four years of experience working in PR and earned his B.A. in broadcast journalism from the University of South Florida. Tyler spends his spare time enjoying his two children and working as a freelance photographer, video editor, and producer. He proudly declares that he’s infatuated with Star Wars and admits that he hopes to pass this affinity on to both of his children. May the force be with them…

To learn more about Tyler, visit his LinkedIn profile.