Our Community Development Team is comprised of energetic, unstoppable representatives of Ziply Fiber who constantly seek out new ways to engage our Northwest communities. Behind the scenes, supporting their work, is Sr. Manager of Community Development Courtney Bowman. With years of experience in telecommunications and a previous role as Brand Manager, Courtney brings deep industry knowledge and an attitude of positivity and enthusiasm to her role. Learn more about Courtney and what she does in this episode of "A Day in the Life" of a Ziply Fiber employee.
Interview by Emily Keeler
In a few sentences, tell me about your job.
I support a team of seven Community Development Managers (CDMs), who are based across our different regions. They're the face of Ziply Fiber in their communities. We do a lot of local projects that help build community, things like youth sponsorships, toy drives and volunteer events. We also work closely with the sales teams to staff events, because we're always trying to increase brand awareness and look for opportunities to sell.
How did you end up in this role?
I started at Ziply Fiber in August 2020 as the Senior Manager of Brand Marketing. As the brand grew, I saw this position open and decided to go for it. It was a chance to try something new and to manage people for the first time. I already knew most of the CDMs from my brand role, so that made the transition easier.
What makes your work meaningful?
I really love that every day is different. It's not templatized, and that keeps things interesting. I also enjoy getting out into the markets and spending time with our local teams. Seeing the CDMs in their own communities and with their families and friends is incredibly rewarding.
People will come up to me and say how great their local CDM is, and that always means a lot. Our teams really give back to the community and make it a better place. They're constantly looking for new ways to engage and reach different audiences. It's inspiring.
From a sales perspective, it gives people a chance to learn about our service even if they missed an email or mailer. But it's also about showing up and being part of the community. The CDMs have done food drives for people and pets, school supply drives, toy drives, neighborhood cleanups, collections for charities, sponsorships at local festivals and so much more. That kind of impact goes beyond internet service.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My alarm goes off at 6:50, so I can hit snooze until 7. If I'm going into the office, it's set earlier—with no snooze.
During the day, I'm meeting with my CDMs, approving sponsorships, working on strategy—things like helping them narrow down which cities to focus on so they can go deeper instead of wider. We look at how long we've been in a market and the opportunity there.
I also work closely with the sales team, because our community development work directly supports their efforts. I join sales team meetings to hear how things are going locally. I also keep a pulse on the new fiber build plans, so we can be ready to support our fiber internet expansion and check in on other projects with people across the company.
Another thing I'm excited about is managing the Ambassadors team. Before our fiber network goes live in a new area, they go out and request that people connect their homes in advance, so they can sign up to be installed as soon as our service is available.
What's your coffee order?
It depends. I like to switch it up, but my most recent go-to was a salted caramel cream cold brew.
What do you do after work?
If the weather's good, I love to go grab something to eat and then kayak at sunset and watch the beavers around Marymoor Park. I also love line dancing and Zumba. I try to make plans after work so that I don't end up working too late.
Learn more about our community involvement at https://ziplyfiber.com/community.
