Phalen Kuckuck
Editor’s Note: The Happy Beginnings series features recent College of Arts & Sciences graduates who are getting started in careers, graduate school and service.
by Alex Paoletti ’20
Phalen Kuckuck ’16 is working as a director on the digital team at FP1 Strategies, a political consulting firm, and its sister company, PLUS Communications, in the Washington, D.C., area.
Kuckuck has run online advertising campaigns and developed digital content, recently helping to create content that was retweeted by the official White House Twitter account. He says that each day is unique and every client has distinct needs and objectives.
“What I enjoy most is how much I continue to learn and grow, and how professionally fulfilling this makes my days,” he said.
Working on Campaigns
After graduating from Ohio University, Kuckuck managed Riley Moore’s campaign for the West Virginia House of Delegates, coordinating press releases, op-eds, social media, direct mail, robocalls, and television advertising.
After this, he spent time as a legislative aide at the Joint Committee on Government and Finance in the West Virginia Legislature, where he helped draft bills.
Kuckuck then moved on to managing the statehouse political campaign caucus and worked as a consultant for JB Akers for Mayor, arranging volunteers, fundraising, communications, and expenditures.
Following the 2018 election cycle, he was a lobbyist in West Virginia for various clients from the Humane Society to the Vapor Technology Association.
His OHIO Experience
Kuckuck earned a B.A. in Sociology-Criminology, a minor in Political Science, and a Certificate in Law, Justice & Culture from the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio University.
He feels his time at OHIO allowed him many opportunities to succeed. In particular, he learned through participation in campus organizations how to interact and grow professionally, which has proven invaluable to him in networking and advancing his career.
Kuckuck is grateful for the professors in the Sociology & Anthropology Department at OHIO, who work hard to inspire students to learn and grow as members of society.
“I’m confident I wouldn’t be where I am today if I wasn’t a Bobcat.”
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