Meet-A-Staffer: Jacki Lutz

Name: Jacki Lutz
Title: Content Director
Department: Communications
Years at the Association: 5 months
Email address: jacki.lutz@autocare.org
Favorite apps: Splice, LinkedIn
Words to live by/motto: “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” - Aristotle 

How did you get your start at the Auto Care Association?

I was a very active volunteer for the past 6 years or so before being hired on full-time. I started out shyly attending some events and after a year or two I was encouraged to apply for the marketing communications committee. Shortly after I joined, I was also voted onto the YANG Council and just a year later joined the Women in Auto Care Council. I basically drank all of the koolaid and loved the opportunities it gave me to impact a whole industry. I was humbled and honored when Auto Care wanted to bring me on board full time.

What are your work duties at the association?

I am leading the entire content strategy, which is still in the works. It feels a bit like we are building the plane while we are flying. The amount of information and communications that this organization pumps out daily is truly incredible. I am learning the ropes while also creating content and bringing in a member point of view to our style and messaging. I have been given a certain level of autonomy that many only dream of in their careers. I am honestly having a blast.

In which department do you work? What are the key responsibilities of the department?

I work on the Communications team, we are responsible for creating and distributing almost everything you see come from the association. Email, social media, Insider Magazine, the websites… I thought I had a good idea coming in of what I’d be working with, but I really didn’t realize all of the balls this team keeps up in the air. It is very inspiring.

Where did you go to college? What did you study?

I received my Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Saginaw Valley State University and later earned my Master of International Business (MBA) from Mountbatten Institute, which is a unique study abroad program. Mountbatten takes students from the US and brings them to London, UK. While I was there, I worked full time in the marketing department for Thomson Reuters and did an accelerated MBA program. After one year, we finished the program with 4 months in Bangkok, Thailand. We did a few courses on the APAC region and wrote our thesis there. It was a pretty an eye-opening experience that immensely expanded my view of the world and the possibilities for my future.

Where else have you worked (what jobs/positions/locations)? 

I started working in the entertainment and hospitality industry immediately following my graduation with a bachelor’s degree. I started in event planning and ended in sales and marketing. I loved it there, but it was a lot of nights and weekends and not a lot of pay, so I ventured into medical sales. I really grew to love sales but was not intrigued with the medical industry, so much so, that I made the decision to study abroad and kind of start over… trying to discover my next step. After returning from my MBA program, I fell face first into the automotive aftermarket, working at Schrader International as their first marketing hire for their aftermarket business. I helped grow that team for the next 10 years in various global management roles and through the acquisition by Sensata Technologies. It was while I was at Sensata that I was encouraged to get more involved in the industry, so I really have them to thank for where I am today.

I grew up in various town in West Michigan. Most of my childhood was in Greenville. I think the thing that people find most interesting is that I grew up in such a small little bubble. From 2nd grade to 10th grade I went to a very small Baptist school, with about 7 or 8 kids in my class in the later years. After that school closed, we all went to a brand new Charter school called Grattan Academy, where I graduated with 5 other kids. Needless to say, college was a bit of a welcomed shock. I don’t remember feeling like anything was strange about it while I was growing up, I still feel like I had the best childhood, but looking back, it is kind of mind blowing that I lived so long with such a narrow view of life and the world. I do think it benefits me more than anything, I try to maintain those same values I was exposed to, but love staying open to everything else in the world.

What is your favorite part about working at the association? What are the biggest rewards?

Hands down the people so far. I was lucky to know a lot of the staff through my volunteering experience. I loved every single person I knew, so I kind of had a feeling I was going to like the others too. I am surrounded by a passionate, kind, talented, hard-working team, and it is literally company-wide. You can’t beat a good culture of great people.  My biggest reward is knowing that all of the work we do is impacting an entire industry. That is something I have been intrigued by for years and what fueled so much of my volunteering efforts over the years. To get to do what I loved and actually get paid for it now, is pretty rewarding!

What is your proudest professional accomplishment at the Auto Care Association so far?

It’s still a secret, BUT I will say that there are some very exciting things coming down the line in regards to communications at the Auto Care Association in the next few months.

What unique qualities do you feel you bring to the Auto Care Association?

I love bringing a member perspective to our projects. I also bring a lot of experience and passion for authentic communications and story-telling, and there is truly no better place for those than at an association like this. 

What are your long-range professional goals for both you and the Auto Care Association?

I would love to grow into a position of influence. I want to have a seat at the table and help steer the ship and drive real change throughout the whole industry and distribution chain. I want to see the industry be even more agile and at the forefront of radical ideas and technology. Where kids flock out of high school knowing they want to be a part of it.

What do you feel are the biggest rewards of working in the auto care industry?

The people… I have worked in a few other industries and can say from experience that this doesn’t exist everywhere. We are so fortunate to have the networks and healthy competition that we have in this industry. I found some of my greatest friends through working in this industry and that is a rarity as well as a blessing.

Tell us about your life outside of work (family, hobbies, home, etc.).

I currently live on a 500-acre farm in the thumb of Michigan with my husband, Rick, and our two beautiful sons, Ricky (3) and Bryan (2) in a very old, large brick house from the 1800s. I kind of joke that I live on a family commune… it isn’t that far from the truth though. Our neighbors are mostly family. No, I do not consider myself a farmer, the most I see of the farm is the field that surrounds us and, occasionally, I’ll visit the animals. I have picked up gardening though, and I am still trying to earn my stripes. Every year it’s a little less of a slow torturous death for the plants.

Tell us a few fun facts about you that would surprise people (special skills, awards, accomplishments, etc.).