AUGUSTA — Nancy Marshall, president of Nancy Marshall Communications, spoke about branding, marketing, public relations and social media on Dec. 3 to two college classes in the Outdoor Recreation Business Administration (ORBA) at the University of Maine at Farmington.

Marshall, who has spent 25 years in Maine doing public relations and marketing, shared her own career path, which has included positions at Maine public television, Sugarloaf, Hinckley Yachts, the Irregular Newspaper and her own agency, which she launched in 1991. Since 1993, Marshall’s agency, Nancy Marshall Communications, has worked with the Maine Office of Tourism handling marketing services.

She talked about the skill sets necessary to pursue a marketing and public relations career and about the change in tools used for communications over the course of the last 25 years, with the emphasis now being on social media.

“I hope that these students gained an understanding of the importance of the technology used for communications while also appreciating that personal relationships are the foundation of all business endeavors, and there must be strategic goals set for communications prior to beginning any marketing program,” stated Marshall.

Professors Frank Engert and Clyde Mitchell were on hand for the presentation. Afterward Marshall met with Engert, Mitchell, Professor Waleck Dalpour and Professor Sheena Bunnell to learn more about the new ORBA program, which prepares students for careers in outdoor recreation and tourism industries.

Marshall is a graduate of Hebron Academy and Colby College with an MBA from Thomas College. She serves as chairwoman of the University of Maine at Farmington Board of Visitors.

The firm’s website is www.marshallpr.com. Marshall’s blog is at www.maineprmaven.com.