Meet Jett Parker | Director of Creative Services, Georgia State Athletics

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jett Parker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jett, what do you want people to remember about you?
When I started at Georgia State Athletics as an intern in the summer of 2020, I came in with one thought on my mind. I don’t want them to be able to live without me. In some ways, I overachieved that goal, but I knew my talent at the time, and I believed in myself to build a reputation of creative excellence.

However, as I progress in my career and enter my second season as Director of Creative Services, I am looking to achieve more. Not only creatively but also in a personal sense. I want to be the type of person known for getting things done. I want to be the type of person known for commitment. But I also want to be the type of person known for helping others grow and achieve more themselves.

This time last year, it was just me. Georgia State was in a transitionary position, and multiple long-tenured staff members had left for other opportunities. As this new Georgia State was being built, I was no longer the new kid learning from others; instead, I had to fill the role of teacher myself. This change especially became true with a new employee hired under me.

Managing someone directly changes how you view a job. Not only are you responsible for yourself, but also others. You have to think about how they are working, how they are enjoying their job, and how they are managing their work-life balance. I have quickly realized it is more than just telling someone what to do. The same can be said for my intern group as well. Managing people can be challenging. They all have individual thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. However, what I have found to be almost as interesting as the creative side of my position, is that of the human side—learning the best ways of management, learning how to create the best means of productivity, and learning how to be a good boss.

To end this question, “What do I want my legacy to be?” I want to be remembered as someone that cared about the people he worked with and cared about their success as much as my own.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always loved to create. Since I was a kid, I have loved running around the house with camcorders or cheap digital cameras. I would invite my friends over to make stupid “movies” where aliens attacked us, or we did stunts by jumping on my couch. I would edit together videos of my dogs or sports teams using Microsoft Movie Maker. It didn’t matter what the subject material was; I was happy as long as I was creating. But, I never found this to be realistic. I came from a family of hard workers and parents that owned their own businesses. While they were always incredibly supportive of anything I wanted to do, a future in “creative” endeavors seemed more like a hobby than a career path to me.

After graduating from Buford High School in the spring of 2017, I enrolled at Georgia State University. I began my time at Georgia State in the psychology department. I believe this would be a practical major and something I might enjoy. After all, my mom graduated from Georgia with a degree in Early-Childhood Psychology. So I went to class, and I learned about the brain and the nervous system and all the studies that shaped the field of psychology. But, it felt empty. I was learning this information, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t what I wanted to do. I felt so anxious about the future because it was here that I would decide the trajectory of my life. So I took a risk. I went to my advisor and changed my major to Film and Media, and I haven’t looked back since.I would be lying if I said that the Department of Film and Media at Georgia State cemented my journey today. I did love my time there and learned a lot, but it was out of the classroom that I came into my own. Shortly after changing my major, I began to look for opportunities in clubs and organizations around campus. Through my research, I stumbled upon GSTV or Georgia State Television. Tucked in a tiny office in the back of the student center, GSTV was the student-led television station at Georgia State. So, I applied and joined the “Primetime Sportz” team. Primetime was a show that covered Georgia State Athletics. They would go to games, interview coaches, talk with players, etc. I began working with Primetime as a videographer. They would send me out to volleyball, football, basketball, and everything in between with a camera, and I would film. It was here that I found a home at Georgia State. I would come into the office every day to work on editing packages, shooting games, or hanging out with the team. Slowly, I began to rise up until I was appointed Director of Primetime Sportz in the spring of 2019. At this time, we also merged with the other news program at GSTV to form Panther Report News (PRN). PRN changed my life, and I don’t think that is an exaggeration. What we did daily at PRN was genuinely influential, meaningful, and essential work at Georgia State. As the Sports Director at PRN, I began to build a team of highly motivated and talented videographers, photographers, and journalists that covered all things Georgia State sports. In addition, I helped bring the PRN brand to the main stage at Georgia State. We marketed ourselves and built a powerhouse of journalism, content creation, and influence like never seen at the station. It was an awesome time. Kevin Sanchez and Kara Nelson, Director and Executive Producer of PRN respectively, became some of my best friends. The three of us were a dynamic trio that brought relevant news to Georgia State students and worked to better the campus around us. We covered everything from the status of COVID-19 on campus to Georgia State’s win over Tennessee to election fraud in student voting and more. While I wasn’t a journalist, I loved watching our brand grow. From a tiny room in the student center, we became the most influential student outlet on campus. But all good things must come to an end. After nearly two years at PRN, I decided to leave the station. I loved Panther Report News. I loved the stories we told, the lives we changed, and the memories I made. However, in the summer of 2020, I knew my time was done.

After PRN, I began to look for new endeavors. I was entering the twilight of my college career, and I knew I needed something else before graduating. So, I applied… and applied. I applied to countless internships, but all yielded nothing—all but one. In the summer of 2020, I applied for an internship at the Georgia State Athletic Department. And to my surprise, I was accepted. And yet again, I fell into something that would change my life. My role in the athletic department began small. I would make a few graphics here and there for soccer or volleyball. I would sit in on some meetings but rarely had anything to say. Over time, I became more confident and made more and more content. It was through basketball that I began to shine, however. I went to every basketball game to film and take photos. I came in hours before games to create content for the video boards. I made graphics, animations, and highlight videos for social media. It was here that I began to really see a future in college athletics. I started to fall in love with what I did all over again. In the spring of 2021, I graduated from Georgia State University with a film and media degree. I was awarded Magna Cum Laude and Advanced Honors distinction from the University. However, I wasn’t ready for my time to be over with Georgia State. After a year of working as a graduate assistant while doing school part-time, I was offered a full-time position in the Georgia State Athletic department as Director of Creative Services, where I remain to this day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a lucky person in the world of college athletics. Most large colleges are located in small, backroad, board towns where the only thing to do is go to school. Me, I work at Georgia State, located in the heart of Downtown Atlanta, and Atlanta is full of fun things to do.

Obviously, you’ve got your classics: Piedmont Park, Beltline, Centennial Olympic Park, etc. Those are the tourist spots, though. To really understand Atlanta, you’ve got to hit the spots only the locals know. One of my favorite spots to head to in Atlanta is the Westside. Full of new businesses, the Westside is full of nice restaurants, bars, and fun things to do.

For drinking, you’ve obviously got Buckhead bars, which are cool, but some of the coolest bars are in the city. My favorites are Hotel Clermont in Poncey-Highland, Red Phone Booth off Peachtree, Ticonderoga Club in Inman Park, Sister Louisa’s in Edgewood, and Georgia Beer Garden in the Old Fourth Ward. Not only that, but it seems like something is going on every weekend, from bar crawls in Decatur to music festivals in O4W to pop-up markets in Virginia Highlands. There really is always something happening in Atlanta, and that’s not even mentioning all the teams we have here. Atlanta has got something for everyone.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are several people I can thank for helping me to the position I am in today. First and foremost, I need to thank my parents. Without them and their unwavering support, I would most definitely not be here today. Additionally, I want to thank my wonderful girlfriend, Chelsey Odendahl, who has always been so supportive of me and my career.

Professionally, however, I began my journey at Panther Report News, formerly Georgia State Television. Panther Report News or PRN is the student media outlet of Georgia State University. It was here that I began discovering what I wanted to do in life. It was here that I first started working with cameras and editing content. It was here that I began to manage people and grow a brand. I would not be in the position I am today without PRN, and I must thank Kevin Sanchez Farez and Kara Nelson specifically for being a part of my journey. The three of us made PRN a force for student news at Georgia State and in the City of Atlanta.

Shortly after my time at PRN ended, I saw a posting from the Georgia State Athletics social media account about a Game Day Marketing Internship. I decided I’d give it a shot and was given an interview. However, the interview wasn’t for the marketing position but something entirely different.

Will Smith, former Marketing Manager at Georgia State Athletics, brought me onto the marketing team in the summer of 2020. My role as an intern revolved around creating graphics for the numerous team at Georgia State. But as I’ve mentioned before, this role quickly escalated into something much bigger. But without Will, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity. Others I must thank at Georgia State include Will Owens, former Digital Media Coordinator, who believed in my talents and helped me grow as a person. Brian Kelly, former Senior Associate A.D. for External, entrusted me to helm the brand new Creative Services Department. Mike Holmes, former Associate A.D. for Sports Communications, helped to guide me in the world of athletics. Ivan Konon, Creative Services Specialist, is my right-hand man and someone I know I can always count on. Kelly McKay and Sequoia Robins, Directors of Strategic Branding, have worked hand in hand with me in this new, chaotic world we have at Georgia State.

Website: https://www.jjettparker.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jettparker_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jett-parker-090163163/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jettparker_

Image Credits
Some of the images were taken in association with the following individuals: Ivan Konon, Kyu Edminster, Cole Carter