Cori Ramos wears many hats: manager, director, organizer, planner, hostess, friend, daughter, sister, soror….um…you name it; Cori Ramos is THAT BOSS CHICK!
I’m proud to call Cori my friend because from day one that she and I worked together for my annual Charm School program for young girls at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, then again for Man Camp which we worked together to plan a few events. She’s been the BEST to work with and I grew interested in what it was that Cori did, because it seemed as though she was ALWAYS working! I wasn’t wrong in my assumption…SHE WORKS A LOT!
What is your occupation? I have multiple occupations and wear multiple hats at different times. One is the Director of Sales & Special Events at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture which I have been at the museum for over 9 years; Second, I am the Special Assistant to Councilman Nick Mosby Baltimore City Council District 7, which I have been in the position for almost 3 years; and lastly I am the President of Cori Ramos & Associates, Event Planning & Management, LLC, which I started in 2008.
What is that exactly?
Director of Sales and Special Events: Primary responsibility is to plan and coordinate logistics for all activities at the museum, while managing the budgeting, design, planning and implementation of Facility Rentals and Museum related events. I establish and coordinate all sales functions in accordance with policies and procedures of the Museum in an effort to increase revenue, maximize use of the facility, and assure customer satisfaction. I make arrangements for staffing, rentals, décor, entertainment, beverages and service for special events. On the ‘day of events’, I provide onsite event organization and oversight of staff, volunteers and vendors, including set-up, check-in, tear-down, etc. I serve as principle point person to direct activities and resolve problems.
Special Assistant to Councilman Nick J. Mosby: My primary responsibility is to serve as an advocate for residents in the City of Baltimore. As the Special Assistant/Community Liaison, I attend meetings where residents voice their concerns about new laws, concerns in the community and ways to help their neighborhood. I also work on special projects assigned by the Councilman. Our Office serves the needs of the citizens of Baltimore, specifically those in the 7th District. We work in the office to meet the challenging concerns of our District.
President, Cori Ramos and Associates: Cori Ramos & Associates, Event Planning and Management is a full service special events company focusing on individual and corporate events worldwide. We position ourselves as a resource to clients; allowing them to leave the details to us. We help companies and individuals create unique and memorable events through creative planning and professional execution. We strive for excellence and integrity in every aspect of our event planning process.
Did you have to go to school for that? What was your major? To start at an entry level position you probably do not have to go to school, however you would need a particular skill set or training to be successful in the position. Having a degree would allow you to advance in any of the positions. I have a BA in Economics and a Masters of City and Regional Planning, both degrees I received from Morgan State University.
Let me start by first saying, I thought I wanted to be a Civil Engineer until I realized I didn’t care too much for the science classes (SMILE). I did some research into common professions and came across the field of City and Regional Planning. At the time you could only obtain that degree on the Graduate level, so I had to make a path that was logical in obtaining that goal.
It seems like everything is now coming around full circle with my education and my career choices. My economics degree trained me to apply principals and theories to everyday concepts. This degree has giving me the core skills and structure to analyze situations. My Masters of City and Regional Planning has aided me to think outside the box and see the whole picture. Having this degree has helped me see the greater good of the whole and not just the individual pieces. All these skills sets, opportunities and educational degrees have definitely helped me to help plan events and activities for clients as well as serve as an advocate for residents in the City of Baltimore. I work hard to make sure all parts of an event or situation are thought through from the beginning to the end. Every step is important. Thinking analytically ties right into me working at City Hall to meet the needs of the 7th District. I am excited about the opportunity of looking at innovative ways to help Baltimore continue to grow as a city, and to see progress in our communities and neighborhoods.
What was it about this particular field that struck your interest? What struck my interest was the opportunity to solve problems and help others. My enthusiasm for serving others comes from delivering a world-class customer experience, while discovering how attention to detail creates a consistent and successful environment for everyone! You only have one chance to make a first impression, so you have to do it right the 1st chance you get!
To serve is what I do! I don’t think I have known any other way to be! It is something that my family and experiences have instilled in me at a young age. A passion to serve others is something that is in you or it’s not. So I guess it is definitely in me.
I would say your job is a pretty demanding one. What do you enjoy most from your job?
On the event planning side, I enjoy making things happen for my clients. Giving them the experience they expected and more. From the Public Servant side, I enjoy helping constituents with their day to day request.
What is the most irritating thing about your job? The most irritating thing about event planning is that people sometimes don’t think of it as a career and they don’t value the skill set you need to make things happen. Events just don’t happen; there is a process to everything.
As a Public Servant, the thing that bothers me is that I can’t fix every problem or concern.
Some people would say your job is “boring”. You would say what about your job? I don’t think people would say working events is boring. They would probably think working events is a fabulous job and I would let them know that it can be however it isn’t an easy Job. You have to think on your feet and be prepared for the unexpected. In all positions, every day is different and you never know what to expect.
When people attend a conference/meeting/event at the RFL Museum, what do you want them to know/experience?
I want them to experience a memorable event! I want my clients to know that we are an extension of their team and we want their event to be successful. We will do what it takes to make things happen.
What do you want the Baltimore community to know about the importance of supporting the RFL Museum? The museum tells our stories and shows our accomplishments and we need the communities support in order for it to be successful.
What is it that causes the Baltimore community not support the RFL Museum? I wouldn’t say the Baltimore Community doesn’t support the Museum. Educating people on the importance of visiting museums is one obstacle. Being able to provided offerings such as appealing exhibitions, outstanding educational opportunities and unique public programs is away to be more attractive to broader audiences. Our numbers definitely need to increase for general visitation however it is a learning process for all. Increasing total visitation is an important goal for all museums and a specific goal is increasing visits by members of underrepresented groups.
What project are you the most proud of? I think the projects I am most proud of are those that I volunteer for in the Community.
What don’t people know about the RLF Museum? They don’t know that the Museum has a lot of great programming and activities for families and everyone. I think the museum is one of Baltimore’s untapped treasures.
Silly questions:
What song makes you LOSE YOUR MIND? I don’t think I have one particular song that makes me lose it, however I am a lover of Prince, R&B and Old School Hip Hop.
What is your favorite line in a movie and why? One of my favorite lines in a movie is from Mahogany when Brian (Bill Dee) says to Tracy (Diane Ross): Let me tell you something, and don’t you ever forget it: that success is nothing without someone you love to share it with. I love that quote because it is the truth.
What makes you suck your teeth and roll your eyes? Not much, I try not to pay that much attention to ridiculous behavior.
What is ONE THING about you (you’d be willing to share) that NO ONE knows about you? I don’t think there is anything that people don’t know about me. If anything, people may be surprised to know that I like to spend a lot of time by myself. When you are around people all the time, you need your own space to unwind and decompress. I love people; however I love my down time, which I don’t get to experience much.
What would you want your legacy to be? I would want my legacy to be how committed I am to serving others.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? On the RISE!
If the Cori of 20 years ago ran into the Cori of today, what would she say and how would she respond? She would say you did pretty good and the Cori of today would say “Thank you”.
How can you be reached? (email, social media, etc.)
FB: Cori A. Ramos
Twitter: @coriaramos
IG: coriaramos
Personal email: ramoscori@yahoo.com
Museum: ramos@maamc.org
City Hall: cori.ramos@baltimorecity.gov
Company: cori@coriramosandassociates.com
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