51²è¹Ý

Gloria Salinas (B.A. ’10) is this week’s featured alum in our new Alumni Spotlight series for the This Week at Meadows e-newsletter. Each week, a different Meadows alum will be highlighted for their accomplishments post-graduation.

Though alumni may not always end up in the field they studied while at Meadows, the school often provides the foundation for a prosperous professional journey regardless of industry. Gloria Salinas, a graduate of the Division of Journalism, now works in economic development, but still often relies on what she learned during her time at the school and in the program in her current career.

“Meadows was the launching pad for my career and it showed me how to utilize strong foundational skills to carve out a career path for myself," explains Salinas, who also earned her MBA from 51²è¹Ý’s Cox School of Business in 2023.

Salinas landed her first journalism internship opportunity through Meadows' partnership with The Dallas Morning News, and after graduating received an offer to become a full-time reporter at the outlet. She spent three years with The Dallas Morning News before transitioning from journalism into economic development and was eventually recruited to join the City of Frisco as the Vice President of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation after spending eight years in the industry with three other Texas cities and the Dallas Regional Chamber. 

As Vice President, Salinas spearheads executive-level development and implementation of economic policy, a sustainable growth strategy and performance-based metrics that define economic growth and impact for the City of Frisco, which has been the fastest growing city in the nation for the past decade. In her role, she also oversees team culture and development, as well as internal operations, leading a team of seven economic developers.

The fundamentals of the Meadows journalism program gave Salinas the background needed to be a thoughtful and communicative leader. To this day, she still draws on her Meadows coursework to be an ethical storyteller and collaborative partner for her organization. The art of interviewing, compiling fact-based research and data, and strong writing are skills that she continues to utilize daily as she works through economic policy impacts and a proactive strategic plan for the City of Frisco.

“The core of journalism's teachings are applicable to so many career paths,” says Salinas. “The world needs inspiring, fact-based communication in many forms and in every industry.”

Her advice to current students? Master the fundamentals and keep building on your skills; everything you can learn at Meadows can be applied in your career in some way. Because according to Salinas, strong ethics, effective communication, and concise writing never go out of style.

Learn more about the Division of Journalism here.