Member Spotlight

MEET PRSA AUSTIN CHAPTER MEMBER: RAE BAZZARRE

NAME: Rae Bazzarre

CURRENT LIVELIHOOD: I am the Director of Communications & External Affairs for the LIVESTRONG Foundation, a wonderful organization dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by cancer today.

CHILDHOOD AMBITION: Very early in life I had big plans to be a beautician by day and a ballerina by night. By middle school, my career ambition was to become a civil rights attorney. And by high school, I was actually imagining a career in communications. I initially thought I wanted to work in advertising for a company like Disney, Nike or Coke. 

DRAW TO THE COMMUNICATIONS FIELD: In college, I had a job that I loved as the publicity assistant for the theater on campus. It was there I realized I could combine my love for non-profit causes with my communications skills and make a career of it. So I did!

HOMETOWN: I am a proud native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. My family moved to Dallas when I was 16. I returned to North Carolina for college and the early part of my career. I spent nearly a decade in Washington, DC where I worked at the Kennedy Center before moving to Austin in 2007.

MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL: The week of January 14, 2013. It was the week I stood together with my LIVESTRONG Foundation colleagues in an epic storm. The founder of our organization – Lance Armstrong – would admit to Oprah in an exclusive worldwide interview that he used performance enhancing drugs during his cycling career. Before his interview, he came to the Foundation to apologize to our staff. The media frenzy was at fever pitch and we were caught in the crossfire. We had six days to prepare for it. It was time for high-wire communications. Our small, but mighty communications team swung into action. We constructed a rapid response strategy. We crafted statements. We fielded media inquiries from all over the world. We booked one national on-camera interview for our President and CEO. We got very little sleep. And then we watched and learned – along with the rest of the world – the truth. By Friday, we were weary but proud of our effort and our team. We emerged from that week with a renewed spirit of resilience.

RECOMMENDED READS: Human beings are fascinating creatures. Between kindergarten and sixth grade, I read all the biographies in my elementary school library. I love reading about people and the times in which they lived (or are living). Some of my favorite biographies include Hillary Clinton’s Living History; Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Could Cure the World and The Diary of Anne Frank.

When I visit a book store, I head straight for the children’s section. Reading develops our imaginations, sparks creativity and so many of the lessons learned from children’s books are relevant at any age. I am especially fond of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, Dr. Seuss’s Yertle the Turtle and The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams.

FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT AUSTIN AND FAVORITE AUSTIN RESTAURANTS: A few months ago, I rescued a black lab and named her Trixie Jo. We’re working on her manners now, but I look forward to having her as a running buddy real soon. Look for us on the hike & bike trail!

I’m huge fan of Austin’s eclectic food and music scene and welcome every opportunity to take advantage of it. This spring you can find me at the following concerts: Willie Nelson, Kat Edmonson, Lyle Lovett & Robert Earl Keen (TOGETHER!), the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. I find happiness in dining at Uchiko, Epicerie, Elizabeth St. Café, Maudie’s, the Dock ‘n Roll food trailer and Buenos Aires Café (especially the desserts!).