Autumn Bates (Olson) has served as Vice President of Communications at POET since August 2006, where responsibilities include brand management, external advertising, project management, strategic planning, team leadership, and various forms of content development. Prior to this role, Bates worked as a Publications Specialist at SAIC/EROS from December 2003 to August 2006 and as a Graphic Designer for the Madison Daily Leader from May 2001 to December 2003. Bates holds a Bachelor of Science degree in English and Multimedia Graphic Design from Dakota State University, completed between 1999 and 2003.