The Marketing Industry Mentoring Board (MIMB), established in the Fall of 2010, exists to support the efforts of the Pamplin College of Business Marketing Department to improve and enhance students' marketing and sales education experience at Virginia Tech. All MIMB members bring unique business and industry experiences to the group and are excited to welcome five new members this Fall.

The Pamplin College of Business is thrilled to announce that 5 alumni will join the MIMB this year. Anne Love, Lauren Prociv, Marvin Aylor, Miranda Valentino and Zach Williams will be joining the current board members as they work to strengthen the bond between Pamplin alumni and current students who have a passion for marketing. Each member was chosen to become a part of this elite organization based on their passion for the business world and their strong relationship with the university.

One of the five alumni to join the MIMB is Anne Love. Love graduated in 2001 with a dual degree in Marketing-Management and Theatre Arts. With a strong passion for theatre, she graduated and began working in the entertainment and general management side of marketing. When asked what she’s been pursuing since graduating from Pamplin, she said “Broadway, off-Broadway, and everywhere in between-- before going back to school to get my MBA”.

During her return to school for her master’s degree, Love interned with American Express and secured a full time offer. After around seven years at the company, Love has worked her way into her role as the Director of Marketing for American Express in NYC and says that working at American Express has brought a whole new level to her marketing game. She also touched on how well Pamplin prepared her for her future. In this position, she works to let Card Members know all the places they can use their American Express Card.

In her free time Love enjoys seeing, reading and talking about theatre, and has most recently gotten into the history of the Irish. She also enjoys a good run, even if that is something defined as chasing around her 5-year old! Together, she says she and her husband and daughter loves to travel.

Lauren Prociv, who has fueled her passion and drive for the marketing world, has continued to mature professionally over the years. Prociv graduated first in 2010 with a Bachelor’s in Marketing and again in 2012 with her Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. She was also a founding member of VT PRISM, Pamplin’s elite Social Media Marketing Firm.

Since then, Prociv has spent the last seven years living in Richmond, VA working as the Vice President, Strategic Planning Director at The Martin Agency. Her job responsibilities include digging deep to uncover what matters most to a brand’s target audience.

Prociv mentioned, “I walk a lot of miles in other people's shoes” and explained that discovering what matters most to a consumer helps her make the brand/product/service significant to their lifestyle. She also touched on how this process includes connecting the dots between cultural trends, consumer behavior, category agevity, and combining her knowledge about a consumer and what the product/ brand/ service can provide for them.

In her free time, Prociv explores her passion for art history by visiting museums as often as possible. She also enjoys golf and playing guitar. When asked what previous experiences got her where she is today, Prociv’s answer showed her love for Virginia Tech and her devotion to Pamplin. She said, “Broadly, I wouldn't be where I am today without my Hokies. As a student, I was the notetaker for the MIMB’s meetings, so I can't tell you how honored I am to now be a member. It was the members on the board at that time who helped me network and then it was PRISM that gave me the hands-on experience and skills to have the confidence to grab the bull by the horns when I graduated.”

Also joining the MIMB is Marvin Aylor, graduate of the class of 2010. Aylor graduated with a BS in Marketing-Management and immediately dove into the corporate business world. The majority of Aylor’s experience has been in the sports marketing industry. After moving to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2010, he began his career with the sports agency Octagon and landed himself at NASCAR as the Director of Partnership Marketing. He expressed that every step along the way has helped him get where he is today, even as far back as being a student tutor in Montgomery County Schools with the Virginia Tech Literacy Corps.

“I’ve learned that it’s not just about the experience you gain, but the people you meet,” Aylor said. “I’ve been very fortunate to meet many talented and helpful people that have supported me in my career development.” Aylor’s responsibilities at NASCAR include overseeing partnerships with multiple partners in their sponsorship portfolio, specializing in relationships with Series Entitlement partners and managing the many activation touchpoints necessary throughout the process.

His passions include his family, friends, good food and drinks, music, sports, and his home. Aylor is a huge music fan and DJ’s on occasion. He spends a lot of time cataloging and remixing some of his favorite tracks, in addition to a few hours on the turntables here and there.

After graduating in 2004 with a BS in Marketing-Management, Miranda Valentino has held various roles within sales, brand management, product management and marketing - with the most recent several years of her career being focused primarily on product management and marketing. Valentino expressed that she has worked for companies of all shapes and sizes and feels like that experience has given her a great perspective of developing core competencies.

Valentino began her post-graduate career in Seattle at Trex Company, which specializes in outside sales. She then moved back to Charlotte, North Carolina and presently works as a Sr. Global Marketing Manager, Product Manager at Ingersoll Rand with a heavy focus on B2B marketing campaigns. “I am responsible for leading all of our brand and product marketing teams with the Compression Technologies & Services division at Ingersoll Rand,” Valentino said. “I am responsible for all product related messaging, positioning and content for customer facing communications on our websites, social media and apps. I am also the business leader for our Product Information Management (PIM) system globally.”

Valentino has a true passion for product development, the process of market research to identify consumer needs, working with engineering on product requirements, and the development of product messaging in the marketplace to guide all content development. When she isn’t at work, she enjoys travelling with her husband, trying new craft beers, and practicing pilates. Valentino is also a huge movie and TV buff and cannot wait for the fall sports season.

Also joining the MIMB as a new member is Zach Williams, CEO and founder of Venveo, located right down the road from Pamplin in Blacksburg. Williams graduated in 2008 with a BS in Marketing-Management and a BA in Visual Communications. Before graduating, he built Venveo from his dorm room and after graduating, turned it into the global company that it is today.

Due to his company’s large concentration in the building construction space, he has worked with almost every brand on the aisles of Home Depot and Lowe’s. When asked what his position as CEO includes, he said, “As a CEO, your main objective is to guide the ship and those around you. In other words, to drive the strategic direction of the business and make those around you better than yourself. It’s an incredible responsibility that I’m grateful to have. If I've set up my team and clients up for success and growth, then I know we are moving in the right direction.” Williams says that his greatest goal is greatness, and to get there, he needs to continue learning - which Venveo allows him to do.

Williams has a wife and four children that he loves dearly. He enjoys spending time with them, cooking with them, and staying active. He’s also a big fan of Hokie football! He is most passionate about about people, pushing boundaries and building something significant.

Pamplin is more than excited to welcome our five new members to the MIMB and invite them to join the community of advisory boards here on campus. There is a lot to do, and a large space in the college and in the community to grow, and these marketing mavens are sure to bring incredible things to the table. Best of luck to the board and Go Hokies!