Join us for an insightful AMA Lincoln Skill School panel, where up-and-coming marketing experts will share first-hand advice for those just starting their careers. This panel-style event is geared toward young professionals, especially those in college or recently graduated. If you’re a manager in advertising, marketing, or PR, this is a great professional development opportunity for your younger team members!

About the Panel:

This panel features rising marketing professionals across social media, PR, design, web strategy, and more, sharing insights for early-career success.

Catherine Knopik

Catherine Knopik, a Nebraska native, graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018 with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and minors in Business and Fashion. She gained diverse experience through internships in fashion and marketing in Lincoln, New York, and London.

After graduation, Catherine worked as a digital advertising strategist for the Omaha World-Herald. She then moved to South Korea in 2019 before returning to Lincoln in 2020 to join the FinTech industry. Catherine now works as an advertising consultant at Nymbus, helping banks and credit unions launch online banking brands. She also serves as VP of Special Events on the AMA Lincoln board.

Erica Sesay

Erica Sesay is the Associate Director of Communications at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, overseeing event and project management, internal communications, database management, and media relations. She joined the Institute in 2021 as a Public Outreach Communications Specialist. Previously, she worked for five years in the Nebraska Athletic Department and interned with the Los Angeles Chargers and the Wisconsin Athletic Department.

A proud native of Stoughton, Wisconsin, Sesay earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she double majored in broadcasting and advertising and public relations, with minors in theater and Spanish. She also holds an MBA from UNL.

Cassie Gowen

Cassie Gowen is a Senior Project Manager at Swanson Russell. She handles day-to-day communication between clients and internal teams and manages project timelines to ensure deadlines are met. At Swanson Russell, Cassie has worked on several accounts in the green industry and outdoor recreation such as SiteOne, Moultrie Mobile, Nosler, Irish Setter, Bushnell and Fix It Sticks. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Kearney with a bachelors degree in advertising and public relations.

Sean Flattery

Lincoln native and unrepentant nerd, Sean Flattery is a UNL grad who spends his days kerning, cropping, and placing copy with the fine folks at Eleanor Creative, where he’s served as Creative Director since 2018.

Unsurprisingly, his worldview is food-based. For Sean, design, branding, and life are the same — and they should all be filled with color, and flavor, and a healthy amount of salt.

Whitney Hansen

Whitney Hansen serves as an account supervisor at Swanson Russell, where she specializes in creating omni-channel marketing plans, fostering authentic brand connections, and driving successful campaigns for some of the agency’s largest outdoor recreation clients.

Hansen is also a part-time lecturer in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she shares her expertise in marketing strategy, brand building, and consumer insights. She earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising from UNL in 2012.

Prior to Swanson Russell, Hansen spent seven years as a marketing manager at Nelnet where she directed corporate marketing strategies and initiatives. Hansen is co-president of the Lincoln American Marketing Association, leading a team of volunteers to deliver award-winning programming and mentorship for marketing professionals.

Parking Information:

Metered street parking is available and garage parking is available at University Square Garage.