NMU Dining recently welcomed 2003 alumna Marina Dupler as the new marketing manager, something Dupler calls “a dream come true.”
The marketing manager “provides communication management for the overall marketing strategy of Auxiliary operations; including, Simply Superior catering & events, Superior Concessions, Residential and Retail operations within Dining Services, NMU Golf Course, the Wildcat Express Center and the University Operations,” NMU Dining Director Sharon Carey said. The manager, now Dupler, will accomplish this through the web, social media and written communications.
In addition, the marketing manager leads discussions with the Auxiliary Senior Management Team in order to identify marketing strategies that are cost effective but also effective to the establishment while adhering to guidelines in place by NMU, Starbucks and Smoothie King License Corporate Brands, Carey said.
Lastly, the marketing manager hires and oversees a group of student designers, and assigns and reviews projects given by the manager to the group.
Auxiliary Services is excited to have Dupler as their new marketing manager, Carey said.
“In Marina’s former position as assistant director of alumni relations, she advanced her Northern Michigan University knowledge, made connections with alumni and built relationships with campus departments,” Carey said. “Add this to her passion for food, event planning, and guest services, offers us new relationships to foster while enhancing the services offered through the Auxiliary Services operations.”
Dupler was hired through an interview committee comprised of senior management. One member acts as the search chair, who is the contact for interviewees and reviews the criteria and description for the position.
The previous marketing manager left the Marquette area due to her spouse accepting a job in Iron Mountain, opening up the position for Dupler.
For Dupler, there is a significant difference from when she was eating at NMU’s old cafeteria to the new Northern Lights Dining facility.
“Back then we called it “the caf” and [it] was much like the cafeteria you’d find in a high school. There were trays, a few meal options and that was about it. Students would line up for the coffee machine in the old Jamrich building that you plunked coins into and watery coffee or cappuccino would spit out,” Dupler said.
Dupler hopes the excitement from all the new renovations is translated into her work with the student marketing team.
“The opportunities that lay before us are endless,” she added.
Dupler noted that she doesn’t want her connections to NMU alumni to halt now that she works in a different office.
“My world orbited around our alumni for nearly seven years and my paradigm has shifted to being very student focused,” Dupler said. “It’s an interesting change, but I don’t want to completely lose my alumni lens. Any time I can connect students to alumni or highlight alumni success to students, I want to.”
