Tod Meisner
Senior Corporate Communications Analyst, State Farm
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Tod Meisner
Senior Corporate Communications Analyst, State Farm
My name is Tod Meisner, just call me Tod. I am delighted to serve as your online professor for this term. I look forward to getting to know each of you. In turn, I am happy to share a bit about my background so that we can become better acquainted.
Education and Experience
During my nearly 20-year career, my experiences are diverse when it comes to branding and advertising. I have practical experience in digital and traditional marketing strategy, brand and advertising content creation, public and media relations strategy, social media management, sports information, and employee communications.
In April 2023, I joined the Public Affairs team at State Farm. In my role as Sr. Analyst, I’m responsible for identifying and improving the brand’s communications goals to drive business and communication efficiencies. My detailed reports are used to provide actionable insights to various business partners across the enterprise to make data-driven decisions and communications improvements.
Prior to State Farm, I concluded a six-year stint at Aflac as Brand Manager, leading and driving the company’s social media strategy as part of the national brand and advertising team. I rebuilt Aflac’s social media strategy from the ground up and grew Aflac’s connected community on its main social media channels, most recently launching the brand’s TikTok strategy in 2022.
My journey began in college athletics as a sports information director with stops at SMU, the Missouri Valley Conference and Conference USA. While I made a strong impact within college athletics, I also created relationships early in my career with professional organizations. I worked for both the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks in the early 2000s and continue to work Maverick’s game day stat crew to this day.
I possess a deep level of self-awareness honed through the 100X Leadership System by Culture Wins and I practice its teachings daily. Its philosophies encourage me to support and challenge myself, as well as the individuals around me, to become the best versions of ourselves. A proud ESFJ and Nurturer, I’m also a challenger of people. I remain deeply concerned about the relational health and harmony of my teams. I am committed to protecting values and principles while understanding how certain actions, behaviors, and initiatives affect people.
Academic Interests and Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy focuses entirely on ensuring student-centric success. The main goal of instructions and interactions is to serve as a mentor, guide, and facilitator of knowledge to my students. To that end, I employ the support and challenge model. As a liberating leader, I will challenge you throughout the term, but always be there to support you
Liberators have an uncanny ability to calibrate high support and high challenge. They continually reassess and recalibrate themselves in the five circles of influence, starting from self and extending into family, team, organization, and community.
As a liberator, I am a leader worth following. I am secure, confident, and operate with humility for the best of the greater good not for my personal gains, but for you as a student.
The Life Behind the Work
Outside of my duties with State Farm and UF, I am an adjunct professor for undergraduate and graduate level classes at Auburn University, Arizona State University, West Virginia University, and New York University (NYU). The courses focus on social media campaigns and engagement for public relations, branding, advertising, lead generation, and digital marketing.
Additionally, I’m a devoted husband and father, spending the remainder of my time with my family when at home. I have two sons (Courtney and Clancy) and two Brittany Spaniels (Snoozer and Weagle). I enjoy watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball, smoking meats on my offset smoker, and having the occasional glass of bourbon. My wife Megan and I enjoy working out, taking walks, and raising our boys.
Courses Taught