A regular feature highlighting the individuals who make up the membership of BMA Colorado. This month we'll meet Tarah Speck - Marketing and Communications Specialist, aWhere Inc. Background: Tarah Speck came to Colorado BMA recently as a Young Professional who already has a sophisticated and international background. Her journey began while growing up in Texas, Georgia and Tennessee and then attending the University of Arizona where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in international studies, Spanish and creative writing.  After graduation, she moved with her husband to Mexico for a full-immersion experience founding an after-school tutoring program and becoming passionate about helping others in the non-profit arena. She had envisioned a career in foreign policy and international development, yet her interests in marketing took off with positions in the Washington, DC, area at USAID, Urban Strategies and the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa. In 2012, Speck moved to Colorado where she first freelanced for non-profits, such as Greater Impact LLC, and then took a position at the WINGS Foundation before finding her dream job at aWhere Inc.

Current Position: Speck currently is the marketing and communications specialist at aWhere Inc. a company that delivers agricultural intelligence to farmers, commercial growers and policymakers around the world.  The information drives decision-making and can be produced for a single field and aggregated across areas to inform national policy or corporate objectives—from California’s Central Valley to small farms in Ghana. She was the project manager for the company’s January 2015 move from Wheat Ridge to Broomfield, as well as for a company rebrand, which added to her responsibilities, such as tracking timelines, budgets and managing vendors.

Family: Tarah Speck lives with her husband in Broomfield, Colo.

BMA Membership: Speck has dual goals for her Young Professional membership. “I want to be a sponge at this juncture of my career,” she says, “soaking up information and insight from other professionals.” She also feels that it is her responsibility to share her experiences with other young members.

Advice to Marketing Professionals:  She encourages other marketers to embrace change. “You will be a richer employee when you have a more diverse background and more awareness of different cultures,” she notes. “When you become passionate about something, your output improves.” Speck believes that she never would have found her current position at aWhere if she had not grown through the experiences she had before. “See the big picture, not just the here and now,” she explains, “and you will grow into your profession.”

Indispensable Insights:  “Be open-minded when you are in your 20s, be flexible and try new things. Through a range of experiences, you can refine what you are good at and what you love.”

Thank you Tarah Speck, and all members for all you do for the BMA.

By Jill Lewis, president and marketing director for Integrated Writing LLC, a consultancy providing integrated marketing strategy, public relations and content, as well as social media and crisis communications services.