December 10th, 2019
Laura Howlett, the marketing and communications superhero with our Nova Scotia Division is visiting us at Commissionaires National Office in Ottawa for the very first time! As she approaches her eighth year with Commissionaires, we decided to catch up with her to find out more about her career and to get a brief reflection on her time with the organization thus far.
When I first joined, I had tonnes of misconceptions about what the company was. I didn’t realize it was a not-for-profit organization with a social mandate. There was also a steep learning curve for me about military culture and slang, since the majority of our employees are veterans of the RCMP and CAF.
I was hired for a newly created marketing role and for a number of years it was just a business team of two; me and my Director, Jerry. Our Division has grown and I’m now part of a larger business unit. My role has expanded quite a bit over the years and I now regularly work with our National Office in Ottawa on larger-scale communications initiatives, as well as lend neighbouring regions marketing support. I wear two hats in this role, both of them promotional in nature. My aim is to promote the cause of Commissionaires by attracting employees and promoting our extensive line of services provided by incredibly experienced commissionaires.
I work with an amazing business team at our beautiful new (well two-year-old now) Division head office in Bedford Commons. I love going to work as I have a number of mentors and colleagues that have become my friends.
One day I may be designing an ad for the newspaper. The next I might be engaging with our audiences on our social media platforms, developing new business line messaging, organizing events, promoting a job fair, or writing press releases.
One of the most impactful experiences I’ve had is supporting the Soldier On initiative by way of a golf tournament fundraiser this past summer. Proceeds from the charity event go to a Canadian Armed Forces program that helps serving members and veterans overcome their physical and operational stress injuries through physical activity and sport. I got to meet with some wonderful soldiers and hear their victorious and heart-felt stories of overcoming obstacles.
We have some really interesting and valuable partnerships with our clients. One of our longstanding clients is Halifax Regional Police. A few years ago, I had a co-op student and I wanted to create some neat experiences for her. Together we had a tour of the HRP Headquarters and we each got to go on a ride-along with a cop.
In addition to work, I love to sing! On the weekends I’m a worship leader at my church in Halifax – nothing in the world gives me more joy than singing! I’m also a poutine connoisseur … which probably qualifies me as incredibly Canadian.
Welcome to Ottawa, Laura, and thank you for your years of dedication!