Strother is LCC digital media specialist

By Chloe Gregg
Associate Editor

Many students have come through LCC and worked for its student newspaper, The Lookout. With its founding date of 1959, The Lookout has employed hundreds of different students.

Joseph Strother is a current LCC employee who was recently employed by The Lookout. Strother was a member of The Lookout staff for one year as the advertising manager, from fall of 2018 to spring of 2019.

Although he was not there for long, Strother said it made an impact on his future career as a digital media strategist for LCC’s Public Relations Department.

“(My job) involves developing strategy and content for LCC’s official social media channels and serving as a consultant for folks around the college that are managing social media pages for departments, clubs and other academic programs,” Strother said. “Social or digital media is an ever-evolving field that moves lightning fast, so staying on top of things and informing people at LCC of best practices is critical.

“The Lookout gave me a taste of what it looked like to be a professional. Making sure I met deadlines, invoices sent out on time, and how to develop professional relationships with clients were all handy skills I picked up. I also wrote several articles during my time, which proved immensely helpful as I did a lot of writing when I worked at Michigan State.”

Strother graduated from LCC in 2019 with a general associate degree. He then transferred to Michigan State University to study at the College of Communications, Arts and Sciences. Strother graduated from MSU in 2021 with his bachelor’s degree in advertising management.

Strother said that one of his favorite memories from working at The Lookout was getting playfully scolded by Larry Hook, his adviser then and the current adviser for The Lookout.

“On one particular deadline night, I brought a ping pong paddle and ball into the office and successfully volleyed the ball to myself 100-plus times,” Strother said. “Lots of laughs ensued. We were a pretty tight-knit group during my time there. It was really nice to have some close friends, especially with community college sometimes being hit or miss socially. There are cool people at LCC. Don’t be afraid to get involved.”

In return, Hook said Strother was an integral part of the newspaper staff.

"Joe was only at The Lookout for one year, but he certainly made a strong contribution to our team," Hook said. "Joe was our sales manager and he was very professional and polished in working with our clients while selling ads for our newspaper."

Strother’s current supervisor and director of PR, Marilyn Twine, said Strother has been a wonderful addition to the PR team.

“I was very pleased to bring onboard an LCC alumni,” Twine said. “He is knowledgeable, professional and willing to learn. His pleasant personality and kindness is a plus. Our social media presence continues to grow under his leadership and I am excited to see where he takes us going forward.”

In Strother’s spare time, he enjoys playing “Dungeons and Dragons,” video games, and making music on old keyboard synthesizers and drum machines.

“I’m also an avid fan of the NBA and English Premier League Soccer,” Strother said. “I’ve also got lots of friends and family in Grand Rapids, so visiting there when I get the chance is always a blast.”