She is a great friend who always goes out of her way to do something for others. On my first trip to South Carolina, she drove many miles to Columbia to meet me and have dinner, show me the town and catch up with great conversation. This year she has put in hundreds of hours helping to organize a fabulous NFPW conference in South Carolina. She is one of the reasons this year’s conference will be outstanding. Meg and her team will show us Southern hospitality at its finest. Read all about this unique and unbelievable woman and you will know why you don’t want to miss this year’s conference.
Name: Meg Hunt
Meg Hunt on a camel in Morocco.
City and State: Taylors, S.C.
Affiliate and any leadership positions: Member of NFPW for 25 years
Media Women of South Carolina (MWSC): President, Vice President, Secretary
NFPW: President (2005-2007), First Vice President, Second Vice President, Hospitality Director, and Director of Publications
Tell us a little about you:
I’m Meg Hunt, and, yes, I told my high school newspaper advisor that the last job I ever wanted was one in journalism. Thirty-four years later, I can’t imagine having lived my life doing anything else!
From the 21-year newspaper career with the New York Times Company to establishing my own company, C2 Solutions, to now also serving as special projects liaison in University Communications at the University of South Carolina Upstate, the skills and lessons learned as a journalist have made it possible and opened doors to experiences and adventures too numerous to count.
In addition to the professional elements, I’ve been blessed to use these talents in work around the globe with Teleios Ministry. Teleios is a Greek word that means “to bring to completion” or “to bridge a gap.” That’s really what Teleios is all about…we help turn God-given visions into present-day realities. Whether it’s working with nearly 300 children in a space for 30 during Vacation Bible School in Kenya, finding resources to build an orphanage and secondary school and drilling a water well in Tanzania, replacing a sewer system in Romania, or coordinating the many partners and various projects in all three countries, being able to tell the story of how lives have been changed has been more than rewarding; it’s been life changing.
Any career advice I’d give:
Never say, “That’s not my job.” Be willing to listen; don’t think you know it all. Respect your co-workers and their experience. Be considerate of what you say and how you say it.
Which talent would I most like to have:
While I can play the piano, I’ve always wanted to play the guitar. I’m confident that enough spare time’s in my future to learn…conference planning can’t last forever, can it? J
Where else would I live?
I have been tremendously blessed to visit most of the United States and much of the world, yet I’m always content to return to my “neck of the woods.”
Books I’m reading:
Reading for me is like eating Lay’s potato chips…I can’t have just one. Currently I’m reading “The Iguana Tree” by Michel Stone (upcoming NFPW conference speaker), “Sum It Up” by legendary University of Tennessee basketball coach emeritus Pat Summitt, and “The Light in the Ruins” by Chris Bohjalian.
Meg Hunt
What people would be surprised to learn about me:
As difficult as it may seem, I’m actually rather shy. My comfort zone is somewhat narrow when it comes my extrovert side. It doesn’t mean that I can’t “rise to the occasion” (my Mama taught me well), but given a choice, I can be just as happy in my known world.
Also, I was the first female athlete to receive an athletic scholarship at Wofford College, and the first woman inducted into the Wofford College Athletic Hall of Fame. (women’s basketball)
Why MWSC and NFPW are important to me:
They say the friendships you make in college are the ones that last a lifetime, and I believe that’s true. However, I can honestly say that some of my most endearing friendships have come from my 25 years of involvement in MWSC and NFPW.
Certainly the professional development/networking connections have been invaluable – after all, there’s something to be said for having direct contacts across the country. But for me, it’s the sincere willingness of fellow members to help, regardless of whether it’s a professional question or the “I’m in town, would you like to get together?” or even “I’m stranded at the airport, can I trouble you for a lift or a place to stay?” kinds of questions.
Beyond those tangibles, being a member of MWSC and NFPW has surrounded me with peers and dear friends who truly understand the communications realm in which we’ve chosen to devote ourselves to and the trials and tribulations that come with the job, as well as the joys and rewards that can only be appreciated and understood by those who’ve experienced this crazy world of deadlines, breaking news, technology advancements, presses and printers, the people’s right to know, and trying to maintain a code of ethics and integrity in an environment that has seen adherence to those traits dwindle.
Despite the attitude of many today toward joining organizations, being a member of NFPW reinforces my belief in the need we all have to belong; to be able to connect because of shared experiences without necessarily having to always explain the in’s and out’s of the business.
Inasmuch as I can’t imagine my life not having been a journalist, likewise, I can’t imagine my life had I not been a member of NFPW and MWSC.
Ways to follow me:
While I can appreciate all the ways to “stay in touch” today, I’m not really one to be too connected. You can reach me through e-mail, Facebook, and, yes, I will even answer an old-fashioned phone call!
Talking with Teri 