North Dakota professional communicator Jeanine Larson excels in many communications venues

She was the 2014 North Dakota Professional Communicators Communicator of Achievement and represented her state well at the national conference. Jeanine Larson is a hard worker who is constantly looking for ways to improve and excel in everything she does. She has a diverse skill set in communications. She started as a TV anchor and reporter where she received the William Randolph Hearst Foundation Journalism Award. Today she is winning awards for her work for Bell State Bank and Trust. Meet this exceptional communicator and unique and unbelievable NFPW member, Jeanine Larson.

Name: Jeanine (Noce) Larson

Jeanine Larson

City and State: Fargo, ND

Affiliate and any leadership positions:

NFPW, member since 2008

Education fund board member (2011 – present)
Won many national awards
Attended several conferences

North Dakota Professional Communicators (NDPC), member since 2008

Second vice president of the NDPC communications contest (2012 – present)

Southeast District Director and Fargo Moorhead Professional Communicators president. As SE district director I organized and hosted state conference. As FMPC president, I organized speakers and facilitated the FMPC meetings. (2010-2012)
College Contest Chair (2009–2011)

Years a member of NFPW: 9 years, I joined in 2008.

Tell us a little about you.

Communicating is what I was born to do. By the time I was a freshman at Bethel Park High School in Pennsylvania, where I was born and raised, I was anchoring the high school morning news to a student body audience of nearly 2,000. I continued to grow as a communicator while attending college at Penn State University in University Park, Pa. While taking classes for my dual major of broadcast journalism and communication arts & sciences, I was named Arts and Entertainment editor for the college newspaper, The Behrend Beacon. I jumped at the chance to study abroad at Manchester University in Manchester, England my junior year at Penn State. I was fortunate enough to obtain internships in London at the Associated Press Television Network (APTN) and at Channel M Television, which produced a nightly broadcast similar to America’s “Entertainment Tonight.” Studying overseas was one of the best decisions I have made, both personally and professionally.

Jeanine Larson anchoring the 5 p.m. newscast for the Fargo FOX-TV affiliate, KVRR.

Upon graduating, I sent out anchor and reporter resume tapes across the country, and was offered a position at the ABC-TV affiliate in Fargo, N.D. I moved to Fargo with the thought of living here for a few years and moving to a larger market. Then, I met the man who would become my husband. Television news provided me the building blocks to being a professional communicator, but I discovered a desire to engineer a longer-range future in the field. That led me to Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, which was expanding its communications efforts. I accepted a newly created marketing and communications position that allowed me to use my diverse skill set—writing, editing, creating podcasts and video blogging—to communicate with an entirely new audience. In 2009 I joined Bell State Bank & Trust, where I manage all online and social media content. Our company has been named to the Independent Community Bankers Association national list for Top 50 Community Banks each year since the list was developed. I have been asked to present the bank’s social media strategy by The Exchange for Financial Institutions, (http://www.theexchange4fis.com/contributor/jeanine-larson/) as well as by the Independent Community Bankers of America

http://www.icba.org/lead14/content.cfm?ItemNumber=181584. I thoroughly enjoy developing these presentations, as well as being the person to deliver them.

When I’m not busy communicating at work, you can find this Italian at home with my husband of six years, enjoying time with my 4-year-old daughter, Addison, and my 1-year-old son, Peyton. My family is in the minority when we wear our Pittsburgh Steelers gear in a town full of Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers football fans. (I’ve even converted my North Dakota native husband into rooting for my home team!) I am also an advocate for the American Diabetes Association. My brother has type-1 diabetes. I serve as marketing and communications chair on the ADA Community Leadership Board.

Any career advice you would give?

Be authentic. I believe wholeheartedly that you can be successful when you do things for the right reason and remember to serve others, both at work and at home.

So what does being authentic mean? Well, the dictionary describes it as being genuine and original. It also means being true and trustworthy. Bottom line, anyway you look at it comes across in a positive light.

We cannot all be the same, or some of us aren’t needed. We need extroverts to enliven life and moments and stimulate the energy so it doesn’t go stale. We need introverts to keep things real, to provide the bigger picture, and to calm things down. Life is like a musical composition: We need the notes (extroverts) and the rests between the notes (introverts). If a composition is all rests, there’s no music. If it’s all notes with no rests, there’s no pause to breathe, and performers and listeners alike will pass out or gasp for air. Both are authentic. Both are needed.

I think it’s more important that you feel authentic than “appear” authentic to others so that you then perceive yourself as authentic. Authenticity comes from within, never from outside of you. Who are you comfortable being in your everyday life? Who are you—what is your true character or nature—when you face challenges? It’s OK to be who you are and it’s OK to discover who that is as life presents changes to and for you. It’s OK to share as much of your authentic self with others as you feel comfortable with; but be sure to share it with yourself. Know thyself. Love thyself. It’s a good practice, one you’ll appreciate.

Jeanine Larson presenting on the social media panel at the Independent Community Bankers of America conference.

Which talent would you most like to have?

To know how to cook! My husband is the chef at our house, and he does a fantastic job. When I suggest a dish, he searches for a recipe, prepares it, and it always comes out tasting delicious. It seems as though when I attempt recipes, they aren’t always successful.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I hope to someday live by the ocean. I know that may sound humorous to those reading that I live in Fargo, North Dakota – which is only four hours away from the geographic center of North America! We are land-locked here, but thankfully I am still able to order fresh fish at restaurants. There is nothing quite like the smell of the sea and feeling the ocean breeze, and that is why I hope is to move by an ocean one day.

What book are you reading?

I am reading Against the Grain by Bill Courtney. I recently attended a conference where he spoke, and I could have listened to Courtney speak about his philosophy for success for hours. In his book, he shares his convictions on the fundamental tenets of character, commitment, service, leadership and civility. Courtney’s comments about not being a “turkey person” are words to live by. Some people only help others to make themselves feel good, and can be seen as a “turkey person” (For those who don’t know what this means, to Courtney a “turkey person” is someone who donates turkeys to people in need around Thanksgiving, not because they care, because it makes them feel better about themselves). Courtney’s comments are real-life, insightful and illustrate what it takes to be a leader.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I participated in plays and musicals in high school and college. I learned so much from being a part of these teams. When preparing for a performance, I was driven to learn my lines, because I knew that if I forgot something, or made a mistake, that it would not only affect my performance, but also it could affect the entire cast. The cast members came from various backgrounds, and we had to find a way to work together for our end goal, an enthusiastic performance. I was humbled to be cast in a leading role in many of these productions, and I did not take this leadership role for granted. I strove to do the best I could and encouraged everyone involved in the production, no matter how small or large of a role they played, to do their best. If I was only concerned about myself, but didn’t take the time to help others, we all would fail.

The semesters in college where I had my plate full with classes, writing and editing for the Penn State newspaper and rehearsing lines for plays and musicals are the semesters where I obtained straight A’s.

Why is your affiliate and NFPW important to you?

The North Dakota Professional Communicators affiliate is extremely connected, active and engaged. I feel privileged to be a part of such a successful group of communicators. Our monthly professional development meetings have recently been standing-room only, so we’ve recently moved to a larger facility. What a good problem to have! Also, communications experts and media coaches are wait-listed to be in the line-up of guest speakers. I’ve been working diligently to spread the word to other professionals in our area about NDPC, and I will continue to do so.

The National Federation of Press Women organization is a way to receive feedback on my professional work, as well as a great way to learn from others across the country in the communications and marketing field. Each year I look forward to entering my work into the communications contest, as a way to receive constructive feedback. I also serve on the NFPW Education Fund Board. This role allows me to meet the students we award scholarships to and hear their dreams and aspirations.

Way to follow you:

Twitter: @JeanineMLarson

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeaninemlarson/

Professional Social Media Sites to Follow:

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/gobellbanks

https://www.facebook.com/bellmortgage

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/gobellbanks

https://twitter.com/bellmortgage

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/gobellbanks