At Big Sky Public Relations, our team members look to our core organizational values to guide our actions. One of the values that guides how our team spends their time inside and outside of work is community. This value takes shape in different forms of community giving, from volunteering to charitable sponsorships.
Courtenay Sprunger, Founder and CEO, shaped our vision and values and works hard to live them every day. Staying engaged with her neighbors while juggling the responsibilities of building and managing a growing business is no doubt a challenge, but Courtenay loves doing it. She serves as a Montana Ambassador and on multiple boards at organizations like Glacier Bank. Courtenay has served as vice chair, and most recently as chair, of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Courtenay has served as the president of the Public Relations Society of America Montana Chapter. Finally, as a Flathead Valley native, Courtenay is an active member of more local organizations like the Conrad Mansion Board and Flathead Valley Young Professionals.
Following suit, our team members have taken time to engage with the organizations and charities that speak most to their passions and interests. Most recently, our Big Sky Public Relations herd has been giving back to organizations like MAMA, Montana Area Music Association, which advocates for local music and musicians. Our Account Manager, Takami Clark, serves as a board member and our Media Coordinator, Kaitlin Byrnes serves as MAMA’s Volunteer Outreach Coordinator. Big Sky Public Relations also sponsored MAMA’s Miles of Music Event this past summer.
Leaders at Big Sky Public Relations encourage team members to find organizations they are passionate about volunteering for, which is what led Kaitlin to reach out to MAMA, in addition to her long-standing love of live music. Kaitlin constantly expresses enthusiasm for the organization and has been involved in significant projects that uplift Montana musicians.
Kaitlin explained, “In my time with MAMA, I have booked artists for three of their major events: Miles of Music, Music in the Sound Garden at the Roxy Theater, and Songwriters Circle.”
Kaitlin is particularly passionate about MAMA’s educational programs and support of artist advancement. “Recently, I was invited to teach a networking course through MAMA Academy,” Kaitlin shared, “MAMA Academy provides free, educational courses to artists that are interested in being educated about a wide array of every day artist functions. This could include anything from music production, to bookkeeping, to learning more about stage presence.”
Kaitlin’s involvement with MAMA is an example to all BSPR team members of how to volunteer with an organization that aligns with your passions while supporting local community well-being and advancement.
Our team members have a wide range of passions and callings, which can be quickly observed in the variety of organizations BSPR employees support. In addition to the Montana Area Music Association, the local organizations our team has volunteered with and donated to include SPARK! Arts Ignite Learning, Missoula Aging Services, Five Valleys Land Trust, Soft Landing Missoula, Habitat for Humanity, Humane Society of Western Montana, Missoula Animal Control, and Bozeman Beautification Advisory Board.
Our engagement with our local communities and volunteering does not stop here, as it is an ongoing commitment for every member of the BSPR team. We bring this value to the work we do every day when serving our clients and the public. Our team is always pushing themselves to volunteer more hours than they did last year and to volunteer with new organizations. Keep an eye on our team and updates about our community giving activities by following @bigskypublicrelations on Instagram and LinkedIn.
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