Experience

Standing Partnership

• United States
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Account Manager

  • Jul 2022 - Present

  Clients rely on me to manage projects that enhance growth marketing, internal and external communications, sales enablement, and ESG and DEIBAJ culture change and reporting. My colleagues depend on me to lead projects to completion, encouraging thoroughness, excellence, timeliness, and budget adherence while practicing humility, compassion and reliability. Clients rely on me to manage projects that enhance growth marketing, internal and external communications, sales enablement, and ESG and DEIBAJ culture change and reporting. My colleagues depend on me to lead projects to completion, encouraging thoroughness, excellence, timeliness, and budget adherence while practicing humility, compassion and reliability.



Mareliz Ventures

• Co-Owner and Vice President of Marketing

  • May 1997 - Present

  When I married my Chicago landlord, I joined his real estate investing and property management business. In addition to holding full-time jobs, my husband and I ran a net income-producing Chicago apartment building for 22 years. When we moved to Southern Illinois, we added small-town rental properties. We employ and manage contractors, cleaning staff, and office assistants. Other functions include maintenance, marketing, and sales. When I married my Chicago landlord, I joined his real estate investing and property management business. In addition to holding full-time jobs, my husband and I ran a net income-producing Chicago apartment building for 22 years. When we moved to Southern Illinois, we added small-town rental properties. We employ and manage contractors, cleaning staff, and office assistants. Other functions include maintenance, marketing, and sales.



Say More, A Communication Company

• United States
• Advertising Services

• Chief Consultant

  • Jun 2020 - Jul 2022

  Services included writing, design, branding, identity, social media, advertising, fundraising, marketing, community and employee engagement, events, project management, DEI, ESG, and culture change.•For a global tech manufacturing and solutions company, I performed market analysis and interviewed subject matter experts (SMEs) to write marketing messaging, solution guides, sales guides, and battle cards.•With an international nonprofit, I created mission-driven content for a pilot program to develop future generations of organizational leaders.•Because of low membership, a labor union asked me to lead a marketing research and planning effort. Responsibilities included team leadership, project design, research, writing, interviews, presentations, labor union marketing, project management, and culture change.•To better prepare new Wheaton College students for their transition to life on campus, I documented and simplified communication of 200+ required steps.•Served on the team that revived the local International Association of Business Communicators chapter. As vice president of programming and events, I delivered 10 virtual networking and development programs, including employee behavior change, communications in continuous improvement, and creating employee belief in your mission through inspiring corporate events.•To kick off in-person events for IABC-St. Louis, I worked with the board to plan a creative, celebratory Spring 2022 cocktail party with celebrity guest speaker, signature cocktails and mocktails, and a fun collaboration game. I wrote the marketing plan and served as the project manager for the event, which exceeded our attendance goals.•To encourage local entrepreneurship, I planned and helped implement two community forums with the economic development director of Greenville, Illinois, (population 7,000). We drew more than 100 entrepreneurs, local business owners, civic leaders, and potential investors to the forums.



Greenville University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Communication Project Manager

  • Jan 2019 - Jun 2020

  GU wanted an improved organizational culture unifying 200+ employees in support of marketing and retention. They created this new position focused on executive and internal communications to achieve better employee relations. •I studied the university’s reputation and performance, the higher education market (a new industry for me), the work culture, and best practices. With HR, I administered six focus groups of faculty and executives to document frictions that frustrated collaboration. I analyzed data, recommended actions, and wrote and designed executive speeches and presentations for administration and faculty. •To improve employee knowledge, relationships, and buy-in, I crafted a vibrant internal communications brand personality and established employee channels—a weekly e-newsletter and Workplace (a private employee social media platform)—to deliver predictable, reliable news, details, and messaging.•Additional services included a communication audit, style guidelines, crisis communication, cadence, cascade, paid media, and writing and editing for websites, public relations, event scripting, and fundraising.



Evangelical Covenant Church

• United States
• Religious Institutions
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Communications Project Manager

  • Nov 2017 - Dec 2018

  The ECC created this new position, reporting to the EVP of communications at the international headquarters office, to manage the work and resources of a 17-person creative communication and publications team, which served more than 80 internal clients. •I managed as many as 80 projects simultaneously while encouraging a positive work environment marked by both excellence and compassion. •To address chaotic schedules that diminished productivity, I established a meeting scheduling policy that kept mornings free for creatives to be at their desks producing. •I also supported the team with writing and editing articles and fundraising material, curriculum development, publishing, app development, event management, and translations.



Freelance Communications Consulting

• Communications Consultant

  • Apr 1994 - Nov 2017

  I managed my own consulting business creating marketing and development campaigns and materials. •Clients included churches, schools, law enforcement, and various business and not-for-profit executives. •For an attorney specializing in environmental law, land use, and zoning, I advised on community relations, trained spokespeople, and prepared clients to testify before public boards and in depositions and hearings. I managed my own consulting business creating marketing and development campaigns and materials. •Clients included churches, schools, law enforcement, and various business and not-for-profit executives. •For an attorney specializing in environmental law, land use, and zoning, I advised on community relations, trained spokespeople, and prepared clients to testify before public boards and in depositions and hearings.



Wheaton Bible Church

• United States
• Religious Institutions
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Communications Director

  • 1999 - 2002

  This sizeable suburban church hired me for a new role designed to centralize and streamline communications throughout dozens of ministries. I provided strategic planning assistance, public relations, communications, and event management for a $10 million capital campaign, spokesperson and crisis communications training, and lessons in public speaking before large audiences for lay storytellers. I developed and managed maintenance of the database-driven website and conceived and produced mission-driven newsletters, videos, brochures, scripts, live-action dramas, and more.



American Association of Endodontists

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Scientific & Professional Affairs Coordinator

  • 1996 - 1997

  This exciting promotion allowed me to focus on researching, writing, and editing educational and promotional material for the public, patients, dentists, and endodontists.

• Communications Coordinator

  • 1993 - 1996

  At this international dental specialty professional association, my responsibilities included writing, editing, and desktop publishing newsletters and patient educational brochures, as well as information for and about the profession of endodontists. These dental specialists perform root canal treatment, so, yes, I did PR for root canals! My greatest pleasure was knowing that I helped patients improve their health by saving their natural teeth. I also learned so much about life and business from the endodontists. They were a joy to collaborate with as we cultivated excellent marketing, education, media relations, practice management, and scientific materials and methods.



GE Capital

• United States
• Financial Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Communications Intern

  • Aug 1992 - Mar 1993

  My work with national marketing teams began when I served as a communications intern at G.E. Capital. As a member of a three-person marketing team focused on railcar repair and leasing, I wrote executive speeches, attended executive meetings, produced and distributed spec sheets and other marketing collateral, and handled internal and external communications. I often worked with remote repair shops and successfully managed the media relations surrounding a controversial shop closing in a socio-economically challenged community.