Mission Control Season 6: Jae Margetson on Community, Leadership, and Making Things Happen
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For five seasons, Mission Control has focused on the leaders behind nonprofits–the executive directors, changemakers, and visionaries working every day to strengthen their communities.

Season six is a little different.

As UnoDeuce Multimedia celebrates 25 years of storytelling, we’re turning the camera around. This season explores the people, relationships, and moments that shaped the company from the very beginning. Some of those stories are about mentors. Others are about clients who became lifelong friends.

Few people embody that better than Jae Margetson.

Long before UnoDeuce had decades of nonprofit experience, Jae trusted us with one of our earliest major projects. Over the years, she became more than a client. She became a collaborator, a trusted partner, and someone whose passion for community continues to inspire everyone around her.

On this episode of Mission Control, Jae reflects on a career built around one simple idea: use your talents to make your community better.
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A Career Built on Purpose

Jae’s journey didn’t begin in Michigan. Originally from the Caribbean, she eventually made her way to the Midwest, where she pursued a degree in sport management with an emphasis in public relations at Bowling Green State University.

She arrived with two goals: Graduate with honors. Land an internship with the Detroit Pistons. She accomplished both.

That internship would become the launching point for a career centered on community engagement, relationship building, and creating opportunities for others.

“It was always my intent to use the resources of a sports organization to help the community.” That mindset has remained constant throughout every chapter of her career.
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Learning by Doing

Like many great careers, Jae’s wasn’t built in a classroom alone. Her internship with the Detroit Pistons gave her hands-on experience in event planning, communications, writing, and community relations.

Instead of simply observing from the sidelines, she was trusted with meaningful work. She helped organize community events, supported neighborhood park revitalization efforts, and worked alongside organizations dedicated to improving lives throughout Detroit. Those early experiences reinforced something that continues to define her career today.

Events aren’t just about logistics–they’re about people. Every event is an opportunity to bring a community together, celebrate a mission, or create an experience that leaves a lasting impression.
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One of UnoDeuce’s First Clients

For Paul Schmidt, this conversation is also deeply personal. Jae wasn’t simply another guest on the podcast, she was one of UnoDeuce Multimedia’s earliest clients. One of their first major collaborations involved producing a video for the Detroit Police Athletic League—a project that became a defining learning experience for both teams.

Like many productions, things didn’t go exactly according to plan. Leadership changes created shifting timelines. Deadlines moved. Expectations evolved. Rather than becoming frustrated, everyone adapted.

Looking back, those challenges became valuable lessons in flexibility, communication, and trust. Those early experiences helped shape the way UnoDeuce approaches storytelling to this day. Great partnerships aren’t built when everything goes perfectly. They’re built when people solve problems together.
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Becoming the “Make Things Happenologist”

Throughout her career, Jae developed a reputation for making complex projects look effortless. Whether coordinating intimate gatherings or managing large-scale conferences, she became known as someone who could take dozens of moving pieces and turn them into seamless experiences.

Her colleagues eventually gave her a fitting nickname: “The Make Things Happenologist.” It’s a title earned through years of preparation, organization, and calm leadership.

Successful events aren’t accidental–they’re built through countless conversations, careful planning, and a willingness to solve problems before attendees ever realize they exist. That behind-the-scenes leadership has become one of Jae’s defining strengths.
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A Front-Row Seat to History

One career highlight stands above many others. While working on the Ford Freedom Awards, Jae had the opportunity to serve as journalist Robin Roberts’ personal videographer during the event.

High-profile productions require precision. Every detail matters. Schedules shift. Expectations remain high.

Jae navigated the experience with the same professionalism that has defined her career, balancing vendor relationships, production logistics, and the needs of a nationally recognized guest.

Moments like these don’t happen by chance, they’re earned through years of preparation and a reputation built on trust.
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A New Chapter with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan

Today, Jae continues creating impact in her role as Vice President of Special Events and Projects with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan. Her work now focuses on creating meaningful experiences that invest directly in young people throughout the Detroit region.

One exciting initiative is the continued evolution of Metro Detroit Youth Day. Rather than a single-day celebration, the event is growing into a broader experience that reaches more neighborhoods, engages more partners, and creates more opportunities for youth across the community.

It’s another example of Jae doing what she’s always done best–bringing people together around a common purpose.
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The Power of Relationships

One of the themes that runs throughout this conversation is something we’ve talked about often on Mission Control: relationships matter.

For 25 years, UnoDeuce Multimedia has been fortunate to work with organizations that became much more than clients. They became collaborators. Friends. Partners. People we’ve learned from.

Jae is one of those people. Her story reminds us that careers aren’t measured only by titles or awards. They’re measured by the people you serve, the partnerships you build, and the impact you leave behind.
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Looking Back–and Forward

As Mission Control celebrates UnoDeuce Multimedia’s 25th anniversary, conversations like this help tell the story behind the story. The cameras, the productions, the events…They’ve always been about something bigger. They’re about people who dedicate their lives to strengthening communities.

Jae Margetson has spent her career doing exactly that. From internships with professional sports organizations to community revitalization projects, from award-winning events to youth programming, she has consistently found ways to connect people, create memorable experiences, and leave every community stronger than she found it.