We’re shining a spotlight on Marketing Specialist Anthony Copeland, who’s been with Desert De Oro Foods (DDO) for just over a year. He was referred to us for the position by Beth Vanderheyden, Regional Marketing Director, who worked with Anthony a few years prior at another establishment.
Anthony started his quick service career at Pizza Hut when he was 16 years old. After seven years, he moved on to work at Arby’s for the next 10. He says he acquired marketing skills from both experiences. His position at DDO has created opportunities for growth and creativity. He’s pleased to say he spends about 25% of his time outside the office in the field. Anthony loves sharing in the excitement of grand openings, conversing with customers and simply be “hands on.”
Looking at Life Through a Creative Lens
The marketing specialist role allows Anthony to tap into his creativity on the social media side of the business. Anthony’s passion for marketing was initially spurred by a desire to create a website and flyers for his photography business. Most recently, he ventured into astro photography (moons, planets, galaxies). Far out!
Anthony grew up in Princeton, KY, and appreciated the friendliness of the community, which he hasn’t found to be the case everywhere. The oldest of six siblings, he moved to Denver, CO with his family when he was 13. He spent 22 years there, where he eventually met his best friend, Ryan. When Ryan moved to Arizona, Anthony followed six months later, and has now lived there for the last eight years!
Spirit of Adventure
Multiple moves inspired Anthony‘s love of travel. He has a trip planned to go to the World’s Fair in September 2025 … in Japan! As a language enthusiast, Anthony plans to use the trip as an excuse to learn Japanese. A self-described mythology buff, he also has Greece on his travel bucket list.
Anthony’s mother, Somona, is his role model. She’s overcome a number of obstacles and still perseveres through each challenge with a smile, he says. He takes her wisdom with him every day: Be better than your circumstances.
Anthony’s optimistic spirit is motivating and energizing. His uncanny ability to fix things like televisions and clocks speaks to his desire to know how things work. He aspires to learn about what others do at DDO; he’d like to visit other markets to learn how he can contribute in his current marketing role. To him, every day is a new experience — it’s up to us to get the most out of it!