Erika Mantz sits at her desk in her office at the old New
England Center at The University of New Hampshire. The wall facing out at the other offices is
made of glass allowing Erika to look out at everyone and everyone to look in at
her. Her desk has a collection of
notebooks on it as she sits in front of the computer. Her once idle phone rings.
Erika Mantz is the director of Media Relations for UNH but
her past in reporting the news isn't behind her and is still a part of her
daily life. When conducting media
registration for the primary debates for the 2000 Presidential Primary for New
Hampshire Public Television Mantz found herself in the Johnson Theater at
UNH. She had no staff but found the
event exciting. While doing the event,
Mantz caught the eye of Kim Billings who was the director of
Communications. She had a staff member
who was leaving the job and offered the position to Mantz.
Billings said she first met Mantz at the presidential
primary debate. Billings said she was
dealing with around 450 members of the media from around the world. Billings said Mantz was incredibly
organized. “It was a combination of
attributes I witnessed that day - organization, kindness, media savvy, the
ability to say no to a NYT reporter - where I knew she would be my next hire in
Media Relations. And that opportunity arrived shortly after that debate,” said
Billings.
Mantz's career as a reporter started back in junior high
school. Mantz has always enjoyed writing
and has always been passionate about words.
Mantz recalls the exciting times back when she was a reporter for her
junior high school paper. She would go
around with a notebook interviewing teachers.
She used a point and shoot camera.
There weren't any classes on reporting; they would meet after school. Mantz' mom still has clips of articles
written for the paper.
Mantz recalls being incredibly proud when her first story
ran in the local Allenstown, PA paper.
It was a book review on an Encyclopedia Brown book which was published
with her head shot.
In high school Mantz continued writing for the school paper,
The Canary. She learned how to do layout
and got to take Journalism classes. At
Syracuse University Mantz majored in Journalism.
These skills are very much used by Mantz today in her
current work. The experience she has had
as a reporter has been a huge benefit to her in public relations. Most of the people working in the field don't
know what it is like to have to bring a story in for deadline. Mantz tries to be honest when she can get the
information needed. And in her heart she
is still a news person. She is a news
junkie, reading the news in hard copy format as well as online. She watches the news on television.
She uses her news reporting skills in two different ways in
her current position. When creating a
press release, she tries to find the true story. And for issue management. When she gets questions about a death on
campus or questions on the pool she has to find the best person for a reporter
to talk to and helps the reporter connect with the person.
Beth Potier, writer for “The Campus Journal” and science
writer/public information officer for Media Relations, said she has seen Erika
manage many challenging projects.
If the information is not available, for instance with a
student death, Mantz tries to help the reporter understand why the information
is not available.
“I think any time there is a student tragedy on campus is
the toughest assignment, and she has had her fair share,” said Billings. Tragedies are the toughest because of either
dealing with the media looking for more information than can be given or
working with grieving families said Billings.
She said Mantz handles this with
grace.
Mantz feels strongly about the University of New Hampshire. She thinks that the land grant mission of the
university is important and loves that the university gives back to the public
as a resource. Whether it is helping a
faculty expert advise on stormwater, information on tick season or for
strategic planning or helping to inform on research and why it is
important.
Mantz recalls when she did a story on David Matthews, the
Portsmouth High School principal who was found dead at Cathedral Ledge. She found the story hard to write. She wanted to do the story justice and felt
that he deserved more than 8 to 10 inches.
She tried to find the bigger story and to tell about him as a person.
“Erika is, at heart, a reporter...she can anticipate better
than anyone what a reporter will ask,” said Billings.
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