Experience

Nacha

• United States
• Banking
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Director Communications

  • Nov 2021 - Present

  Develop and execute communications efforts in support of the ACH Network and payments enablement initiatives. Conceptualizes, develops and executes multi-faceted Marcomm strategies and plans. Draft and execute earned media plans, including writing press releases, statements and articles. Prepare subject-matter experts for media interviews and serve as Nacha's spokesperson when appropriate Offer strategic counsel on thought leadership and speaking engagement opportunities Develop and execute communications efforts in support of the ACH Network and payments enablement initiatives. Conceptualizes, develops and executes multi-faceted Marcomm strategies and plans. Draft and execute earned media plans, including writing press releases, statements and articles. Prepare subject-matter experts for media interviews and serve as Nacha's spokesperson when appropriate Offer strategic counsel on thought leadership and speaking engagement opportunities



Beer Institute

• United States
• Government Relations Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Director, Public Affairs

  • Jan 2018 - Nov 2021

  SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS:------------------------------------------✔Accelerated Institute’s earned media placements by 20%, securing interviews with the Beer Institute CEO with CNN, CNBC, Fox, Fox Business, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.✔Awarded first place in the “Governmental or Public Affairs Media Relations Campaign” category of PR Daily’s Media Relations Awards and increased the reputation score with the media partners.✔Led efforts to increase the earned media presence significantly, especially our broadcast earned media getting our CEO interviewed on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, MSNBC, and Bloomberg.✔Directed the launch of a very successful webinar series during the COVID-19 pandemic, "You Ought to Know a Beer Industry Employee," based on educating Capitol Hill staff and members of the public about the jobs in the beer industry, webinars are on the Beer Institute, website HERE, webinars have been viewed.✔Directed a public affairs team with lobbying efforts to prevent a $130m annual tax increase for the beer industry, which included working with multiple reporters to attain news articles that pulled through our messaging, conducting public polling, managing a targeted paid digital ad campaign, and placing earned media from third-party stakeholders.✔Manage the Beer Institute's largest program budget to ensure multiple projects with various deliverables, including our members’ work on social responsibility, Hill events, our annual membership meeting, digital media campaigns, member webinars, and the annual report and completed on time and budget.✔Oversaw events, including the annual "Beer Jobs Showcase" with employees brought in from dozens of member companies to showcase the depth of jobs in the beer industry from agriculture to can and bottle manufacturing. Show less

• Communications Director

  • May 2016 - Jan 2018

  SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS:------------------------------------------✔Collaborated with the Vice President of Public Affairs to implement the public affairs plan around legislative priorities resulting in positive stories, op-eds, and editorials in support of tax reform for brewers.✔Created and implemented Beer Institute policy initiatives, including the Voluntary Disclosure Initiative, Beer Serves America, and National Beer Day, which resulted in several positive media placements.✔Oversaw the Beer Institute’s social media accounts and worked with the public affairs team to grow our Facebook followers by 900% to more than 20,000 followers through quality content and promotion.✔Spearheaded efforts to raise the visibility of Beer Institute member companies’ responsibility initiatives, including a National Park video and working to create innovative social media content resulting in 2,000 video website views. Show less



U.S. House of Representatives

• United States
• Legislative Offices
• 700 & Above Employee

• Congresswoman Karen Bass, Communications Director

  • Nov 2013 - May 2016

  SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS: ------------------------------------------ ✔Successfully pitched and prepared the Congresswoman for over 80 television interviews, including NBC Nightly News, BBC, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, C-SPAN, and local Los Angeles news stations. ✔Created the pitch and placed profile pieces on the Congresswoman in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and Roll Call resulting in positive editorials in The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. ✔Selected as Congresswoman Karen Bass on the record Spokesperson and wrote press releases, media statements, floor statements, and op-eds to promote the Congresswoman's priorities. ✔Advanced the Congresswoman’s Facebook followers by 200% and her Twitter followers by 30% + through planning and executing an aggressive social media strategy. Show less



Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee

• United States
• Political Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Communications Director

  • May 2012 - Nov 2013

  SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS: ------------------------------------------ ✔Collaborated with the executive director and staff to build and implement communication plans that resulted in stories in positive stories, The Washington Post, National Journal, The Associated Press, and Reuters. ✔Successfully placed several stories about state legislators and state legislatures that gained national attention, including in The Maddow Blog, Political Wire, Think Progress, and The Associated Press. ✔Produced and edited video for YouTube and created images for Facebook, and grew Facebook followers by 100%+. ✔ Worked with the political staff, finance director, and executive director to write and implement communication plans to meet our political and fundraising objectives. ✔ Pitched to reporters and successfully placed news stories in national and regional newspapers and television that meet our political objectives. ✔Answered reporters’ inquiries and ensure that they receive replies to meet their deadlines and stay on message. Show less



The Nature Conservancy

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Media Relations Manager

  • Jan 2011 - Dec 2011

  SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS: ------------------------------------------ ✔Served as the spokesperson for The Nature Conservancy, speaking on the record for television, radio, and print outlets; pitched stories, and prepared The Nature Conservancy staff to do television, radio, and print interviews. ✔Represented The Nature Conservancy at policy forums on the federal government’s policy on developing renewable energy in deserts in the southwest United States. ✔ Successfully placed several positive stories about The Nature Conservancy’s work, including stories in The San Francisco Chronicle. ✔Wrote and executed media plans, including messaging, outreach, and follow-up on The Nature Conservancy’s policy priorities that led to desired outcomes in both the California State Legislature and local government bodies. Show less



City of Sacramento

• United States
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Chief of Staff

  • Aug 2005 - Nov 2010

  SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS: ------------------------------------------ ✔Served as the primary adviser to the Sacramento City Councilmember, who represented the city’s largest and most complex district in the state’s Capital City. ✔ Represented the councilmember at community meetings and other events, often speaking on his behalf and representing his positions on controversial issues. ✔Staffed the councilmember during his day-to-day meetings and served as his spokesperson when he was not available or when it was strategically beneficial for me to speak for him. ✔Wrote press releases, speeches, talking points and op-eds on behalf of the councilmember, and have successfully placed stories in local and regional media on his behalf. ✔Built a database of over 1500 constituents, researched, wrote and edited a bi-weekly email update to constituents which highlighted the councilmember’s accomplishments. Show less



California Primary Care Association | CA

• California, United States

• Legislative Director

  • Apr 2004 - Aug 2005

  SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS: ------------------------------------------ ✔ Collaborated with legislative staff to pass legislation to reduce bureaucracy for California’s clinics, simplify access to health care for California’s neediest constituents, and ensure budgetary funding for programs that provide essential health care services to California’s diverse populations who rely on California’s clinics for their health care needs. SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS: ------------------------------------------ ✔ Collaborated with legislative staff to pass legislation to reduce bureaucracy for California’s clinics, simplify access to health care for California’s neediest constituents, and ensure budgetary funding for programs that provide essential health care services to California’s diverse populations who rely on California’s clinics for their health care needs.



Office of Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes

• Sacramento County, California, United States

• Legislative Assistant

  • Dec 2001 - Apr 2004

  SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS: ------------------------------------------ ✔ Assisted the Assemblywoman on education, healthcare, and budget issues and oversaw a legislative agenda to reform California's charter school system, provide domestic violence victims protections and reduce bureaucracy for clinics. ✔Managed the Assemblywoman’s capitol press operation, including putting together press conferences that garnered media in The Los Angeles Times, The Sacramento Bee, and television and radio stations throughout the state. Show less



Office of Assemblywoman Carole Migden

• Sacramento County, California, United States

• Legislative Assistant

  • Jan 2001 - Dec 2001

  SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS: ------------------------------------------ ✔Staffed for the Assemblywoman on legislation to extend the time California could investigate a hate-crime from one year to two years and assumed responsibilities including writing committee and floor statements, coordinating witnesses to testify in support, and communicating with the governor’s office. SELECT ACHIEVEMENTS: ------------------------------------------ ✔Staffed for the Assemblywoman on legislation to extend the time California could investigate a hate-crime from one year to two years and assumed responsibilities including writing committee and floor statements, coordinating witnesses to testify in support, and communicating with the governor’s office.