From Marketing Executive to Educator: How Gary Futrell Connects Students with Industry
Current Role: Associate Professor of Marketing, Valdosta State University
FPRA Member Since: 2025
Originally from Virginia’s tidewater region, Gary moved to Tallahassee in 2006 to pursue his Ph.D. at Florida State University. Before entering academia, he spent more than 15 years working in the services and retail industries, including serving as vice president of marketing for a long-established construction and project management firm. Today, he teaches consumer behavior and personal branding at Valdosta State University, where he helps prepare the next generation of marketing and communications professionals while staying actively connected to industry trends and practitioners.
We asked Gary how he stays inspired and engaged in the ever-evolving communications and marketing field.
Why FPRA?
“I actually stumbled onto FPRA by accident. I live in Tallahassee and teach in Valdosta, so I was looking for a professional organization in town that I could plug into. I’ve always been a member of some type of professional organization. I naturally started by looking for a marketing group but didn’t find anything, so I broadened my search and found FPRA. I attended a few events, and it felt like something I wanted to be part of. Being part of FPRA allows me to stay connected with practitioners and professionals, and it’s energizing to engage with people who are actively practicing in the field. It helps keep my teaching and perspective fresh, but the best part is being able to use those professional connections to help students build their own bridges to the industry.”
What advice would you give to someone starting in communications?
“I have to admit that I’m a bit jealous of the younger generation just starting out—there are so many opportunities and so many free tools to learn and gain exposure. If you want to create content, then create content and put it out there. If you want to do PR, then do PR for yourself or for an organization and grow it. I try to help those interested in the field see that there are no rules and no gatekeepers. There are so many avenues for entry, so much information at your fingertips, and so many free tools that there’s really no reason not to do it. Paraphrasing Seth Godin, you don’t need to ask for permission anymore—just do it and put it out there; it doesn’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t have to please everyone, you just have to find the tribe that needs what you have to offer. Do that, build your network, and success will follow.”
What inspires you most about your work?
“Overall, I’m inspired by life itself and the possibilities of what can be done—by me, by others, or by nature. I’m thankful each day for the opportunity to try to do better than yesterday. I think it’s awesome that every day we’re alive, we get a chance to correct what didn’t go right yesterday, try again, be and do better, or make someone else’s day better than the day before. Whether I’m working out, working, or with family, another day and another chance to improve means everything. As a college professor, I love talking with and interacting with students. I have a front-row seat to the future as I watch the next generation of marketers and communicators take shape. I get to see them come up with new ideas and learn about their perspectives on things, and hopefully I can even help them shape new ideas and perspectives of their own.”
Fun Facts
- Favorite way to unwind: Road cycling, gardening, strength training, and yoga.
- Go-to industry resources: Seth Godin’s work, Ahead of the Game, The Digital Marketing Podcast, and Under the Influence.
- Current guilty show/podcast: True crime podcasts and documentaries.
More About Gary
Gary’s professional journey has taken him from fashion merchandising and design to military service, corporate marketing leadership, and higher education. He studied fashion design at Middlesex University in London before earning degrees from Radford University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Florida State University. Along the way, he served more than eight years as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and built a successful career in marketing and business development.
At Valdosta State University, Gary has taught marketing for many years, served as faculty advisor for the collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association, and earned multiple nominations and recognitions for teaching excellence. Beyond the classroom, he remains committed to community service through mentoring, fundraising, and volunteer leadership. He currently serves as the public relations officer for American Legion Post 13 in Tallahassee.
