Erin Wommack: Alumna showcases art of networking, negotiation

Erica Martin

Erin Wommack knows how to set herself apart from a crowd through networking and negotiation.

Using techniques she learned at FSU Panama City, she is responsible for bringing tenants to the Longview Mall in Longview, Texas, as a leasing manager for Simon Property Group. Wommack earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Communication in spring 2013.

 

“She is a perfect representative for Simon,” communication instructor Dr. Sandra Halvorson said. “She exudes professionalism in everything she does.”

The “dynamo” has proven to be an achiever, bundle of energy, go-getter and risk-taker with an “on-top-of-it” approach as a student and a professional, Halvorson said.

“Establishing good rapport and relationships with prospects is the key to being successful,” Wommack said. “Being in a sales-related position, following up is a must. … I have maintained an active and full pipeline, and I am confident that many deals will happen this year at the Longview Mall.”

Wommack was an active student with internships at WMBB, Innovations Federal Credit Union and Powell Broadcasting. She worked as a production assistant at WJHG, a jewelry consultant at Zales and a leasing agent at Pinnacle Property Management Group. She also volunteered with the American Cancer Society and the Panama City Beach Relay for Life Committee.

Halvorson said the diversity of Wommack’s interests helped prepare her for working with the public. Internships open the door to full-time employment and are a great way to network, she said.

Wommack also credited courses, such as Interviewing (SPC4360), for which she was a teaching assistant, with helping her develop a professional rapport with clients.

The Interviewing course is an analysis of the interview process in a variety of contexts. It aims to develop communication skills and is a required course for all Professional Communication students.

“It was a great experience, especially right before graduation,” Wommack said of her time as a teaching assistant for Halvorson. “It helped me reiterate my interviewing techniques in front of a class, which helped prepare me for the real world.”

Halvorson said Wommack was a “spunky” teaching assistant who went above and beyond with presentations and other assignments. “She was always upbeat, and her enthusiasm was contagious,” she said.

As a leasing manager, Wommack has traveled to cities such as Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Rogers and Little Rock, Ark., to persuade retail officials to expand their business to the Longview Mall.

During her travels, she has stayed in contact with Halvorson through email and social media, such as Snapchat.

Wommack said she began applying for jobs a few months before graduation. She completed five phone interviews and an in-person interview in Dallas before Simon officials offered her the job.

The Panama City native said her YOLO (“You Only Live Once”) outlook on life helped her to accept the job so far away from home.

“To be successful in life, you have to be willing to take those leaps of faith and roll with it. I know it will all be worth it in the end,” she said.

Wommack said she would like to continue moving up the corporate ladder at Simon, moving on to larger properties. She said she would like to become a permanent corporate leasing representative, leasing inline spaces to national big box tenants.

“I am willing to do whatever it takes to get to the next level,” she said.

“Erin’s vivacious personality and her professionalism will take her far up the business ladder,” Halvorson said. “As a student, she possessed a natural ability to network. That ability is a must in her line of work.”

Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) is an S&P 100 company and a leader in the global retail real estate industry. The company, which is headquartered in Indianapolis, owns or has an interest in 326 retail real estate properties in North America and Asia, and it employs about 5,500 people in the U.S.

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