Tracy Bachman has been attending FPRA meetings and events as a guest for almost a decade and recently joined as a member. She was encouraged to join by her mentor, Terry Van Nortwick. Tracy is the president and CEO of PRO iNK Communications, a boutique communications firm in Gainesville that focuses on land use, utilities and natural resources. She is very passionate about Gainesville and North Central Florida and is committed to helping organizations communicate the importance of water, energy and land issues. Tracy holds a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Flagler College.
As the owner of a public relations and marketing agency, she uses PR and social media every day. Whether it’s to communicate what PRO iNK is doing or communicating on behalf of PRO iNK’s clients, not a day goes by that she isn’t using those tools to deliver messages. As a PR practitioner, Tracy loves building relationships. “We’ve been working with some of our clients for more than 20 years,” Tracy said. “I also love being out in the community, talking to folks and understanding what makes them tick. I especially like connecting the dots between different groups. I think we have a responsibility in this business to create productive and honest dialog.”
Tracy has so many favorite things about Gainesville that it is hard to choose just one. She loves the ease of living in the city and after living in Chicago for several years, she is still amazed that it is possible to get across town during rush hour in less than twenty minutes. Tracy also appreciates that there are so many other passionate and engaged people in town who genuinely care about what is going on.
FPRA members might not know that as a Marine brat, Tracy has lived all over the world, and her home in Gainesville is her twentieth house. She was born in California, but considers Gainesville her hometown after living in so many different places. Tracy also moonlights as the communications director for her family business, Camp Highlands for Boys, which is the oldest private boys camp in the country. In her very limited spare time she hangs out with her husband and three kids. They enjoy being outdoors and enjoying everything that Florida has to offer including traveling, live music and food.