SUMMARY:

Strategic communications and government relations professional with a proven background in high profile media campaigns. Deep understanding of government, media and news cycles. Outstanding verbal and written skills. Public relations agency, Capitol Hill office, trade association and marketing management experience.

A REAS OF E XPERTISE

• Media Campaigns Communications Planning Legislative Process
• National/ Local Media Markets Website Content Creation Government Relations

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Marketing and Communications Manager

Confidential, Washington, DC

Responsibilities:

• Drive corporate communications planning and execution, including "news of the day" tie - ins, for core focus areas of cyber security, agile software development, data analytics, health IT, mobility, and cloud solutions that support federal civilian, defense, homeland, intelligence agencies, and Fortune 1000 companies.
• Responsible for website content creation, curation and posting. Website design team member.
• Write press releases and create media pitches. Work with subject matter experts to secure media opportunities.
• Create content for and manage all social media.
• Collect content for quarterly in-house newsletter. Edit copy and photos, design layout and review final copy.
• Use Google Analytics to provide meaningful data for board of directors and business development reports.
• Manage market strategy, brand integration, and thought leadership.
• Provide content ideas to thought leaders for op-eds, and media outreach.

Senior Account Executive

Confidential, Washington, DC

Responsibilities:

• Lead teams to secure media opportunities for more than a dozen C-level executives and subject matter experts.
• Drove full-cycle media strategy from conception to implementation and completion.
• Monitor national, state, and local news of the day and adjust communications strategies as appropriate to accomplish campaign and program goals. Participate in crisis management teams.
• Translated complicated policy issues into messages that resonate with media; identify news hooks and pitch ideas to secure media placements.
• Cultivated and developed media relationships at the national, state and local levels in television, radio and print; arrange over 2000 interviews for high-profile clients including think tank experts, political action committees, a national security and foreign affairs expert, technology experts, authors, trade and technology associations.
• Drafted and edited press releases, media advisories, statements, talking points, social media, press kits, and op-eds. Plan, schedule and execute events.

Director

Confidential, Washington, DC

Responsibilities:

• Independently launched contracting company to provide communication services, government relations, trade association liaison, social media management, website design, and marketing and business development strategy for clients.
• Designed, developed, tested and optimized start-up government relations website targeted to Washington, DC, Capitol Hill; outreach to congressional staff to test-market new product. Designed, wrote and edited promotional materials.
• Services included: idea development, writing, and editing of blogs; outreach to Capitol Hill congressional staff; research, analysis, data compilation; strategizing, organization and presentation using Microsoft Office Suite and Social Engine for a variety of government contractor and private sector clients.

Marketing Director

Confidential, Washington, DC

Responsibilities:

• Operated successful start-up marketing, graphic design and printing company.
• Listened to customers, built relationships. Strategized marketing and communications goals.
• Developed and designed advertising products for clients, integrating brand and unifying messages across all channels.
• Provided outstanding customer service. Successfully grew company with variety of repeat customers, implemented computerized data management collection and provided published reports.
• Made cold-calls in person and by telephone, coordinated all meetings, travel and logistics; researched marketplace for best returns on investment, as well as made presentations to local groups and businesses.
• Created budget and business plan, learned professional sales techniques, mastered computer graphics and accounting software. Managed budget, grew sales.

Director

Confidential, Arlington, VA

Responsibilities:

• Managed staff of three.
• Wrote and edited weekly "News from the Hill" publications, newsletters, press releases and prepared congressional testimony.
• Wrote, developed and compiled multimedia presentations and traveled nationwide to give speeches.
• Designed, wrote and implemented new communications tools, including lobbying materials, brochures, and modernized publication style and format.
• Worked with Board of Directors on hot-button environmental and regulatory issues, and strategized on position for best public relations on Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Wetlands and Farm Bill legislation and more.
• Attended congressional hearings and summarized developments of federal and state legislative communities for distribution to western water community.
• Organized teams for coordinated lobbying on western water issues on Capitol Hill; developed talking points and executive summaries.
• Aided in event and meeting planning, administration of quarterly meetings, travel arrangements and logistics; took notes, organized/provided summaries and action items.
• Developed and managed numerous special projects, took lead to join Clean Water Working Group with other associations and organized grassroots lobbying efforts.

Legislative Director

Confidential, Washington, DC

Responsibilities:

• Managed staff of four.
• Tracked all legislation moving through Congress and briefed Congressman.
• Wrote speeches, statements, talking points and press releases; used Congressional Research Service.
• Met with lobbyists, constituents, lawyers, nonprofit special interest groups, attended Political Action Committee- sponsored events.
• Responsible for all House Public Works and Transportation and Interior Committee issues; attended congressional hearings and summarized developments for Congressman.
• Handled and researched transportation, business, energy, technology, environment, healthcare, taxes, budget, Social Security, Army Corps of Engineers, trade issues and more.