Margo Cerrone, UMD Comm Blog

Aaron Zeiller Takes on Criminal Legal Reform

Aaron Zeiller discusses criminal legal reform, skills for communicating for social change, and
his love of cruises

COLLEGE PARK, MD -- On a bright, sunny day on April 7, Aaron Zeiller enlightened a

class filled with future Public Relations professionals at the University of Maryland, about his
life journey as an advocate for criminal justice reform. He currently works at a successful
nonprofit organization that aids in the criminal justice reform systems, and loves what he does
every single day.

Humble Beginnings
Zeiller revealed that even though he got his BA in Public Relations and MA in Mass
Communication, his true passion for PR arose through his original plan of wanting to become a
lawyer, which quickly fizzled out.
Just like he did today, when he attended the University of Florida, a University of
Maryland grad spoke to his class about their career path and in that moment he realized he was
interested in the Communication track. Opening up to those opportunities to take classes and
build relationships with professors helped him realize where his passions lie.
“This is something that is a viable career and merges my passion through communication
and my passion for social change,” Zeiller said.
While attending the University of Florida, Zeiller interned for three different
organizations, and created strong relationships with those whom he worked with. All of the
students eagerly listened as he advised them to look for fellowships that go beyond the internship
and develop strong communication skills.
So, his career search began when he moved to the DC, Maryland, Virginia area for a
public interest in communication, such as research based communication opportunities for
meaningful social change.
Spitfire Strategies
His career choice to focus on nonprofits and agencies that work with nonprofits have
influenced his every move. Zeiller started at Spitfire Strategies in 2019 and worked there for a
little over two years. This organization almost exclusively works with nonprofits and
foundations. These include, but are not limited to, the Ford Foundation, whose goal is to reduce
poverty and injustice, and the Art for Justice Fund, whose goal is to disrupt mass incarceration
by funding artists and advocates to combat the criminal justice system.
His job as an Account Executive included social media management, graphic design,
copy editing, project management, and so on. In the interview, he shared how he enjoyed
working with his clients equally, as they each claimed a special place in his own personal
development. He enjoyed reaching out to people and finding out what their values are, as well as
seeing how those values and the ones in the criminal legal reform system differ.

Civil Rights Corps

Beginning in January of this year, Zeiller took his position as Communications Manager
at the Civil Rights Corps. This is a nonprofit organization dedicated to challenging systematic
injustice in the United States’ legal system and strives to put an end to mass incarceration. Zeiller
commented on how the core values at Spitfire Strategies differ from the ones at the Civil Rights
Corps.
He said, “At a nonprofit, you’re able to have a much more distinct position and are able
to take more steps to achieving that specific goal.”
This differs from working at an organization that helps numerous nonprofits, as those
must be far more conservative in order to have a more general approach to issues that fit the
needs of all clients involved. Generally speaking, the largest difference between nonprofit
organizations and for-profit media relations, in his words, are as follows,
“Are you trying to sell a product or experience,... or are you trying to sell an idea and
trying to get people on board with it?”
Social Media and Media Relations
When students asked about where he sees media relations and social media fitting into his
field of work, he explained how it’s everywhere and extremely prevalent. Media relations seems
to be the most ubiquitous with what people in general think of a public relations team. It is one of
the most prominent ways you can get your message across to audiences.
He elaborated how the media is a vital segway in reaching your long term goal. “Media
relations is the balance game of really important things and people identify you with more first,
but media is a vehicle to getting to your longer term goal.”
With social media, he implemented this into his work as a digital communication
coordinator.
“Having knowledge of social media, even if you don’t do that work every single day, is
important to overall programmatic strategy that policy and litigation teams do.”
Social media outlets are channels that you own; what goes on there can be unfiltered and
solely yours. Lastly, it doesn’t only have to be a news port, it is also a place to interact with your
audience.
How to be Successful
One of the biggest concerns among the class was how to continue to be successful and
keep up your performance once you land your dream job. Zeiller responded in a few ways, the
most important one being, “Show you know your stuff.”
You should show you’re constantly ready to go and get stuff done, which can be fueled
by the need to prove you belong there. While being hired for the job proves you belong there
right off the bat, every job comes with a learning curve, so it’s essential to keep up momentum
and your drive to be successful.
 One student asked Zeiller how he ensures he succeeds and excels at whatever job he
does, and he responded with one simple answer about another way to ensure success:
“Self-care is huge to job performance because you’re more than just your job.”
The key to remaining on top of your game has everything to do with your personal
strength; you need to show you’re constantly ready to be a go-getter and get the job done, which
is fueled by your need to prove you belong there.
Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a “slump” that many employers and
employees around the globe have experienced. You need to remember that your job will give you
time off, so take advantage of that if that’s what you need. Set breaks for yourself, because
recharging will let yourself work better. Lastly, set boundaries; this will allow you to be aware of
what you can and cannot handle not just in your field of work, but in general in life.
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