Experience

Blank Page Marketing, LLC

• United States
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Content Manager

  • Jan 2022 - Present

  Blank Page ("BLNKPG") Marketing is an agricultural marketing and advertising agency in Indianapolis, IN.• Writes marketing and promotional content for clients as diverse as animal health products manufacturers and seed companies. Content includes thought-leader articles, social media posts, white papers, advertisements and video scripts, among others.• Serves as chief proofreader for all written and visual content produced by BLNKPG. Blank Page ("BLNKPG") Marketing is an agricultural marketing and advertising agency in Indianapolis, IN.• Writes marketing and promotional content for clients as diverse as animal health products manufacturers and seed companies. Content includes thought-leader articles, social media posts, white papers, advertisements and video scripts, among others.• Serves as chief proofreader for all written and visual content produced by BLNKPG.



JDR Solutions Inc.

• United States
• Business Consulting and Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Director of Marketing and Business Development

  • Nov 2015 - Nov 2020

  JDR Solutions Inc. is an equipment lease management services company in Indianapolis, IN.• Led all marketing and corporate communications activities, including maintaining company web and social media pages, public and media relations, news release production/distribution, and advertising.• Created printed and electronic marketing resources, including brochures, fact sheets, white papers, PowerPoint presentations and videos.• Established and oversaw company’s first comprehensive marketing strategy that included a redesigned company website, development of company Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn pages, production of updated promotional materials and company promotional videos, advertising and trade show management.• Contributed to new business generation, through collection and documentation of sales and customer service data, and client and prospective customer relations.• Handled various executive tasks, including producing client and business prospect term sheets/service agreements/external correspondence, and procuring promotional giveaway items. Also built and maintained a business leads database in Salesforce CRM.Impacts• Marketing efforts contributed to increased brand awareness, indicated by growing website and social media engagement, and client/prospect testimonials.• Client accounts increased more than $5 billion in assets under management.• Promotional videos and resources viewed by hundreds online.• Led company’s efforts to secure business partnership agreements with leading equipment lease management software platform vendors, as company moved toward becoming “software agnostic.”



Leer Marketing & Communications LLC

• Owner

  • Mar 2013 - Mar 2016

  Leer Marketing & Communications was a public relations and marketing company in Camby, IN. • Provided public relations and marketing consulting services for private/public sector clients, including news releases, promotional materials and media placement.Impacts• A marketing project for a Lafayette, IN, iPhone application developer yielded a feature story in the local newspaper and product reviews in 11 tech news websites. Leer Marketing & Communications was a public relations and marketing company in Camby, IN. • Provided public relations and marketing consulting services for private/public sector clients, including news releases, promotional materials and media placement.Impacts• A marketing project for a Lafayette, IN, iPhone application developer yielded a feature story in the local newspaper and product reviews in 11 tech news websites.



Equipment Technologies

• United States
• Machinery Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Copywriter/Public and Media Relations Specialist

  • Jan 2014 - Nov 2015

  Equipment Technologies manufactures agricultural self-propelled sprayers in Mooresville, IN. • Wrote and copy edited company news releases, promotional materials, web and social media content, advertising copy, newsletters, white papers and blogs.• Coordinated company involvement in trade shows and other agricultural events, including reserving exhibit space, ordering electrical and Internet service, carpet and booth supplies, and arranging hotel accommodations for employees.• Handled media and public relations with agricultural press and customers.• Planned and executed promotional activities, including public and media tours of company facilities, the Morgan County (IN) 4-H Fair, local festivals and charitable events. Impacts• An annual farm show in Louisville, KY, resulted in four sprayer sales during the event, dozens of sales prospects, and several news media interviews.• Dozens of company mentions in farm news reports in the United States and Canada.• Organized an August 2014 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that involved company employees being doused with water from a company sprayer. The video was viewed 15,000 times and generated hundreds of dollars in donations to the ALS Foundation.• Developed a user manual for an online sprayer parts catalogue that was lauded by dealers for its ease of use and sales potential.



Purdue University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Communications Consultant/Senior Writer

  • Oct 2006 - Aug 2013

  The Department of Agricultural Communication provides external/internal communications support for Purdue’s College of Agriculture and Cooperative Extension Service in West Lafayette, IN.• Wrote news releases and magazine-length articles for print and web audiences, promoting Purdue’s College of Agriculture and Cooperative Extension Service. • Managed production of Extension publications, from initial planning through web posting and/or printing. • Provided media and public relations assistance, handling inquiries from journalists, agricultural industry professionals and the general public.• Contributed to College of Agriculture Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages. • Represented the College of Agriculture in presentations before public and student groups on such topics as writing, interviewing, media relations and social media.• Served as interim supervisor of College of Agriculture’s news and media relations team, managing five full-time writers, two student writers and a secretary.• Coordinated and oversaw production of a Purdue-Ohio State University electronic newsletter for farmers. Wrote 2-3 stories per week, edited other content, formatted newsletter for email and satellite news versions of newsletter, and updated website.• Collected, edited and uploaded audio clips from Purdue Extension specialists onto a special news website for farm broadcasters. Established the audio service in 2001.Impacts• A 2012 news release and video promoting an on-campus retail butcher shop received more than 4,000 web views and helped increase sales nearly 20 percent.• Led a project team that produced a 2012 fact sheet on raw milk that became a resource for members of the Indiana General Assembly considering changes in milk pasteurization laws.• Live tweeted annual Purdue state fair crop report, growing readership to 3,000.• During interim supervisory position College of Agriculture web page views reached 3.27 million – an increase of 40.6 percent.

• Interim Coordinator

  • Mar 2009 - May 2010

  • Oversaw news and media relations efforts for Purdue College of Agriculture, in conjunction with the head of Department of Agricultural Communication (AgComm), fellow departmental unit coordinators, the communications specialist for Purdue's Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture and various College of Agriculture and Purdue Extension specialists.• Supervised five full-time writers, two AgComm student writers and a unit secretary. The News and Public Affairs Unit produces 20-30 news releases per month, twice-weekly Ag Answers electronic production agriculture newsletter, monthly Purdue Agriculture Report electronic newsletter, and quarterly Agricultures magazine and Connections alumni publication. • Edited news releases written by full-time and student writers for Associated Press style, content and clarity.• Conferred with AgComm Internet content specialists weekly on Web page news updates and special postings.• Produced weekly work list of expected News and Public Affairs Unit news releases, for Purdue Marketing and Media.• Mentored student writers on news writing techniques and media relations practices.• Tracked agricultural and economic development news sources, both for Purdue College of Agriculture and Extension media placements, and developing trends.• Served on Dean’s Advancement Council, AgComm Strategic Planning Committee, Purdue Agriculture Impact Committee, AgComm Marketing Committee, Purdue Extension Energy Theme Advisory Group (TAG), and Purdue zipTrips Content Committee.• Maintained professional relationship with state commodity groups, agricultural organizations and agencies, and stakeholders, such as Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Indiana Farm Bureau Inc.

• Ag Answers Coordinator/Editor

  • Nov 2000 - Oct 2006

  • Oversaw production of twice-weekly Purdue-Ohio State University production agriculture newsletter. Duties included selecting and editing agriculture stories from Purdue and Ohio State, formatting and issuing e-mail and DTN/FarmDayta versions of newsletter, and updating Ag Answers Web site (www.aganswers.net).• Wrote 2-3 Purdue-related agriculture stories per week for use in newsletter.• Collected, edited and uploaded audio clips from Purdue Extension specialists onto a special Ag Answers Web site for farm broadcasters (www.aganswersaudio.net). Was instrumental in getting the audio service started in early 2001.• Coordinated marketing and promotions programs at farm shows, agricultural conferences and workshops. Efforts resulted in a more than 45 percent increase in Ag Answers e-mail subscriptions and a surge in Ag Answers Web site page views.• Supervised a Purdue agricultural communications student serving as a part-time marketing assistant.• Provided media relations support for Purdue's College of Agriculture.



Gaston Gazette

• State Editor/Business Editor

  • Aug 1992 - Feb 2000

  The Gaston Gazette is a daily newspaper in Gastonia, NC, within the Charlotte, NC, metro area.• Planned and managed government and political news reporting• Wrote news articles on local, state and national government and politics• Supervised state capital bureau reporter in Raleigh, NC, and edited news stories• Wrote weekly political satire column, “Politics as Usual”• Assisted news and features sections with reporting and editing The Gaston Gazette is a daily newspaper in Gastonia, NC, within the Charlotte, NC, metro area.• Planned and managed government and political news reporting• Wrote news articles on local, state and national government and politics• Supervised state capital bureau reporter in Raleigh, NC, and edited news stories• Wrote weekly political satire column, “Politics as Usual”• Assisted news and features sections with reporting and editing



Charlotte Eagles

• United States
• Spectator Sports
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Media relations assistant

  • Apr 1996 - Sep 1999

  The Charlotte Eagles are a semi-professional soccer team.• Prepared news releases and media guide articles for a Charlotte, NC, professional soccer team.• Served as team's official statistician and scoreboard operations supervisor.• Assisted media on game days. The Charlotte Eagles are a semi-professional soccer team.• Prepared news releases and media guide articles for a Charlotte, NC, professional soccer team.• Served as team's official statistician and scoreboard operations supervisor.• Assisted media on game days.