The generic job description for a marketing director is an individual who is responsible for providing guidance, direction and leadership to the marketing department of an organization or business. Taken to a granular level, it entails functions that can be quite specific—bordering on esoteric—occasionally tedious, and rarely without limits.
Being able to handle such a diverse range of duties enables an organization to deliver on its core objectives. For the Business Technology Association, that “behind the scenes” individual who plays a critical role in enabling membership to reap full benefits is Marketing Director Valerie Briseno.
The University of Central Missouri Graduate, who recently attained her MBA from Western Governors University, has worked with the BTA since 2006. She joined the team as a membership sales representative, and since then has dazzled the BTA with her ability to take on a fairly disparate assortment of duties that directly or indirectly impact the quality of experience enjoyed by membership.
“I work hard to find a solution to problems or situations to achieve the desired goal,” said Briseno, a 2020 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “I want to make everyone pleased. If I do not know the answer, I will work hard to find it.”
The many hats worn by Briseno include supporting the BTA’s board of directors. In addition to marketing and promotion, she maintains the association’s website, manages trade show functions and is a liaison for the Select Dealer Group (SDG), a peer organization within the BTA. She credits gaining a great deal of insight into the industry from her work with SDG. Briseno also took on a significant role in three major revisions of the association’s FIX: Cost Management for Service manual.
Good as Goldberg
Along the way, Briseno has enjoyed the counsel (quite literally) of Bob Goldberg, the BTA’s general counsel. Goldberg helped Briseno sharpen her negotiating skills when it came to dealing with hotels hosting association events. Briseno also admires Ronelle Ingram, the BTA’s senior instructor, who brings a positive attitude to all she does and is never shy about sharing knowledge and offering mentorship to Briseno.
One of the pinnacle moments in Briseno’s career occurred in 2008 when the BTA reintroduced networking events. The association had surveyed its membership to gauge what they sought the most, and one of the most common elements cited was the need to bring back the networking functions. BTA Southeast had maintained its district events, but it was clear that members overall desired a return to the national scale networking opportunities.
“In 2016, BTA celebrated its 90th anniversary and hosted a large event in Kansas City,” Briseno noted. It turned out to be a very memorable evening for all. Working out the logistics of the events has been a learning experience.”
Valuable Alternatives
While COVID-19 has unfortunately suspended in-person BTA gatherings, the association continues its support to the dealer channel through pandemic-related resources, Dealers Helping Dealers discussion groups and various educational webinars. Briseno hopes the association can expand its membership among purveyors of IT and managed services while helping current members diversify their offerings.
Ultimately, maximizing the value of a BTA membership is what drives Briseno. “I would like to facilitate greater interaction among the dealer members (by) using social media and, hopefully again soon, in-person events,” she said. “Sharing ideas, best practices and forming strong relationships will be especially beneficial during these times.”
Briseno and her husband, John, have been married for 13 years. Their 11-year-old son, Charlie, is a multi-sport athlete, and Briseno can usually count on her weekends in June and July being spent at baseball tournaments in which he’s competing. With two dogs (Lily, a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix, and Macy, a Labradoodle) and a new kitten (Princess, a Siamese mix), there’s no lack of activity in the Briseno household. Vacations at the beach, kayaking, fishing and biking occupy their free time.
