Sarah A. H. Oomen

Sarah A.H. Oomen is the Manager of Communications for ADAC Plastics, Inc. in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  She is responsible for all facets of corporate communications including public relations, marketing and corporate giving. Oomen, a 1997 graduate of Grand Valley State University's Advertising and Public Relations program, has been with ADAC for nearly five years.

She serves on Grand Valley's Alumni Board of Directors, Grand Valley's Alumni Marketing Advisory Team, the board of the West Michigan Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, is the chairperson of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Business Exchange Luncheon committee as well as a participant on the Member Events Council for the Chamber. She also participates in several philanthropic events throughout the year on behalf of ADAC Plastics.

"I was the only professional student I knew," Oomen says, recalling her days as a Grand Valley student. She worked full-time for two mortgage companies and a car dealership while taking classes. "I really liked the professors I had, who were willing to work with me as a professional student. They also all had experience in the field and were able to tell the good and the bad about the profession. I didn't want an idealistic view of public relations and then enter the field with blinders on."

That relationship with professors continued for Oomen even as an alumnus. She remembers being frustrated with her job six months after college and meeting with former public relations professor Fred Chapman for advice. He told her to look at the job as an opportunity and not a burden.

"So I left that meeting with a new attitude, made some calls to the vice president and others and made some suggestions about changing my job," Oomen recalls. "I basically counseled management about what PR is and that we should be more proactive and open in our communications."

Oomen likes the School of Communications' anniversary theme of "Inspiring Thought, Perfecting Practice." She plans to continue to do both the thinking and practice in her career. Next year she intends to take the APR (Accredited in Public Relations) exam and also has set goals to help her company reach into the Detroit market.