Fast 15: Tori Pohlner Bogner
by May 13, 2019 10:35 am 2,225 views
When Tori Pohlner Bogner left the University of Arkansas for the construction industry, the move was not so much about construction as it was about people.
A native of Weiner in northeast Arkansas, Bogner was a major gift development officer for the UA when she received a job offer from Baldwin & Shell. At the time, the UA was going through leadership changes, and she felt as if she couldn’t be involved in other charities but could in the private sector.
In November 2016, Bogner joined Baldwin & Shell as Northwest Arkansas director of business development after graduating from the UA with a master’s degree in higher education administration earlier that year. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in 2013.
She became director of strategic marketing in February and works to tell the story of the company and its clients, taking a custom approach for each one. As a woman in an industry with a male majority, Bogner said she brings a fresh perspective and one to which they can relate. She grew up on a farm, drove tractors and had farmer’s tans.
Her biggest accomplishment is being trusted to guide the direction of the future for a 73-year-old company. “Being given that responsibility at 27 is huge,” she said.
Since joining Baldwin & Shell, Bogner has helped the company land $47.4 million in projects comprising 235,000 square feet. She is helping to secure $76 million in projects comprising 243,000 square feet.
She’s one of three employees in marketing and looks to expand the department by four or five employees and offer marketing and public relations services beyond the existing scope of the company and its clients.
She started working at the UA in February 2014 and was assistant director of development before joining Baldwin & Shell. In 2013, she worked for an information technology staffing firm in Dallas. While attending the UA, she was student body president for the 2012-13 school year and an intern for U.S. Sen. John Boozman in 2012.
She’s chairwoman of the NexT2 committee for TheatreSquared, chairwoman of provisional training for The Junior League of Northwest Arkansas and serves on the National Board of Directors for the Arkansas Alumni Association. She enjoys kayaking, traveling, reading and cooking.