Project Director Kelly Cedroni knew she wanted a career in marketing ever since she graduated from Oakland University in 2011. What she didn’t know is that she would find so much more than just a job at Basso.
She would soon learn that working at Basso is like coming home to a family, and her organizational and social skills with clients, managers, and employees alike have made her a pivotal part of the agency since Day One.
Today, she celebrates her seventh anniversary with Basso, and her influential role has only gotten stronger with time. Along with Managing Partners Greg Basso and Dan Santonocito, Kelly also has taken the lead to ensure that the family-like, fun, philanthropic culture here at Basso continues.
It all began when she learned that Basso was hiring in 2011 and was excited about all the things she could learn from working here. She definitely wasn’t expecting to go right into managing projects, but being so organized and focused on details, Dan and Greg almost immediately decided she was the perfect person to join the team.
“The guys made me feel welcome right from the beginning,” she said. “They never treated me as a fresh-out-of-college type of kid. I also was really drawn to continue working here when I found out just how focused they are on family and how if something were to come up with family, there are no questions asked.”
She recalls a time early on in her career here when she experienced a family tragedy, and not only did the managing partners not hesitate to allow her that time she needed to spend with her family, but even checked on her regularly to make sure she was OK.
It’s that type of atmosphere that Kelly aims to carry on through the Basso staff.
But make no mistake: With a personality somewhere between her spirit animal the dragon and the princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast, she insists that others take care of their business and take care of it right. Ever since she began, she has been setting up processes to improve the way projects are handled, and she rarely takes “no” for an answer without putting up her best fight.
Kelly said she has always been the type of person who takes the lead in projects and gets things organized, whether it’s here at Basso, at school, or in her personal life. Her keen ability to take things apart and figure out the most seamless ways to put them back together has served her well here over the years as she’s worked on many different projects on various platforms.
She said the management team has always been extremely open to hearing different ideas about how things can be handled more efficiently and cost effectively, what more the agency can do for its clients, and how to continue the positive culture here at Basso.
Along those lines, Kelly has helped set up philanthropic drives like a Toys For Tots campaign and a food drive for Michigan Animal Rescue League, one of Basso’s longtime clients. Now, she has her sights set on additional fundraising opportunities for veterans’ organization and children’s charities.
Working here has only gotten better with time, she says.
“Knowing that your coworkers are your friends outside of the office is amazing,” she said. “I like coming into work and knowing that you’re hanging out with your friends and your family. And it’s also been pretty awesome to see some of the work that we’ve put out for our clients over the years.”
She’s also a self-proclaimed “health and fitness nut” who loves being super active, whether it’s working out, boxing, scuba diving, or ziplining. Later this summer, she will experience skydiving for the first time with her husband.
So join us in wishing her a Happy Anniversary – and a safe adventure!
