Experience

Spitfire

• United States
• Public Relations and Communications Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Vice President

  • Dec 2020 - Present

  Washington, District of Columbia, United States - Lead strategic communications for nonprofits, foundations, and socially conscious brands, driving impact in policy advocacy, campaigns, fundraising, crisis management, media outreach, profile raising and coalition building. - Write and edit materials for diverse principals ranging from executive leaders to grassroots activists, with a mastery of capturing unique voices across a wide array of issues. - Drive audience engagement and connection through impactful brand strategies that… Show more - Lead strategic communications for nonprofits, foundations, and socially conscious brands, driving impact in policy advocacy, campaigns, fundraising, crisis management, media outreach, profile raising and coalition building. - Write and edit materials for diverse principals ranging from executive leaders to grassroots activists, with a mastery of capturing unique voices across a wide array of issues. - Drive audience engagement and connection through impactful brand strategies that bring organizations’ values to life across digital and other communication platforms. - Develop winning media engagement strategies to achieve high-profile placement in strategic news outlets. - Facilitate strategic planning and guide prioritization to advance organizations’ missions and maximize impact.

• Director

  • Nov 2017 - Dec 2020

  Washington D.C. Metro Area Serve as a project-lead creating strategic communication plans, and overseeing their implementation, to help foundations and nonprofits meet their goals, overcome challenges, manage crises, and create lasting change. Develop and manage high-quality client relationships through clear and consistent communication, and initiate new partnerships and new business opportunities, including bringing more than $500,000 of business to the firm annually. Direct up to 13 client projects at once, including… Show more Serve as a project-lead creating strategic communication plans, and overseeing their implementation, to help foundations and nonprofits meet their goals, overcome challenges, manage crises, and create lasting change. Develop and manage high-quality client relationships through clear and consistent communication, and initiate new partnerships and new business opportunities, including bringing more than $500,000 of business to the firm annually. Direct up to 13 client projects at once, including managing competing deadlines, supervising project teams, managing budgets, overseeing workflow, and delighting clients with high-quality, creative deliverables. Manage and mentor junior staff members, including coaching professional development and bolstering retention. Serve on recruiting, hiring, and anti-racism committees. Facilitate in-person training sessions to improve communication skills of nonprofit and foundation executives, presenting for groups of up to 120 people on topics like messaging, narrative change, combatting disinformation, storytelling, research and media skills.

• Senior Account Manager

  • Nov 2016 - Nov 2017

  Washington, DC Led implementation on client projects. Executed high-quality communication materials ranging from press releases and media advisories, to messaging materials including talking points and speeches, resource materials including research and policy reports, advocacy materials including brochures, one-pagers and toolkits, and digital materials including blog posts, newsletters, social media content, web pages and emails. Conducted in-depth research to inform communication strategies to identify… Show more Led implementation on client projects. Executed high-quality communication materials ranging from press releases and media advisories, to messaging materials including talking points and speeches, resource materials including research and policy reports, advocacy materials including brochures, one-pagers and toolkits, and digital materials including blog posts, newsletters, social media content, web pages and emails. Conducted in-depth research to inform communication strategies to identify, build or change narratives. Managed project deadlines and budgets. Created and implemented digital strategies to increase audience engagement and build digital presence for organizations.



Media Matters for America

• United States
• Think Tanks
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Associate Research Director

  • May 2015 - Nov 2016

  Washington D.C. Metro Area • Supervised workflow and resources of the rapid response research department, comprised of 20 direct-reports at varying levels, for which I led recruiting, hiring and onboarding. • Spearheaded the organization’s first-ever standardized coaching and development initiatives, and created and executed an organizational succession plan to invest in and capitalize on employees’ varying strengths. Both initiatives resulted in record levels of employee retention with more than 50 percent of my… Show more • Supervised workflow and resources of the rapid response research department, comprised of 20 direct-reports at varying levels, for which I led recruiting, hiring and onboarding. • Spearheaded the organization’s first-ever standardized coaching and development initiatives, and created and executed an organizational succession plan to invest in and capitalize on employees’ varying strengths. Both initiatives resulted in record levels of employee retention with more than 50 percent of my hires serving in leadership positions. • Created and directed crisis communications strategy by taking in vast amounts of complex information and rapidly distilling it into the most important and compelling messages to identify and correct media misinformation and shape news narratives in real time. • Determined and directed editorial strategy to curate MMFA’s website with daily creative content ranging from videos to research reports and blog posts which garnered hundreds of thousands of views. • Conceived, assigned, and directed content production, edited digital content for clarity, accuracy, AP style and maximum SEO impact. • Represented MMFA on the record by writing for the website and participating in radio interviews and panels. • Served as interim program director for MMFA’s Hispanic Media Project aimed at monitoring, fact-checking and shaping Spanish-language media to improve Latinx media representation. Identified, frame and edited high-impact, viral content featured by Univision, Telemundo and NPR’s Latino USA.

• Research Coordinator

  • Sep 2014 - May 2015

  Washington D.C. Metro Area • Monitored and analyzed key print, broadcast, digital, and social media to identify narratives, distill most important information and create strategies to shape narratives based on organizational priorities. • Conceptualized, pitched, researched, and wrote daily, error-free content published in a rapid-response environment to correct misinformation in real-time and generate high-profile web traffic and reach. • Served as mid-level supervisor on a team of researchers, responsible for… Show more • Monitored and analyzed key print, broadcast, digital, and social media to identify narratives, distill most important information and create strategies to shape narratives based on organizational priorities. • Conceptualized, pitched, researched, and wrote daily, error-free content published in a rapid-response environment to correct misinformation in real-time and generate high-profile web traffic and reach. • Served as mid-level supervisor on a team of researchers, responsible for the team’s training, development and performance. • Work cited by and influenced narratives in The New York Times, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, on MSNBC, CNN, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and more. • Professionally trained in nonprofit management by The Management Center.

• Researcher

  • Nov 2013 - Sep 2014

  Washington D.C. Metro Area Monitored and analyzed key media outlets. Extracted and synthesized critical information and emerging narratives from the news cycle. Critically identified, researched, and rebutted conservative misinformation in a rapid-response environment. Researched, conceptualized, and wrote comprehensive fact checks, creative narrative-building content, and high-impact multi-media content. Generated high-profile web traffic and impact. Work cited by and influenced narratives in The New York Times… Show more Monitored and analyzed key media outlets. Extracted and synthesized critical information and emerging narratives from the news cycle. Critically identified, researched, and rebutted conservative misinformation in a rapid-response environment. Researched, conceptualized, and wrote comprehensive fact checks, creative narrative-building content, and high-impact multi-media content. Generated high-profile web traffic and impact. Work cited by and influenced narratives in The New York Times, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, on MSNBC, CNN, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and more.



POLITICO

• Events Associate

  • Jun 2013 - Oct 2013

  Washington D.C. Metro Area Worked with the events team to design and promote events that advanced POLITICO’s journalistic goals and illuminated the most important and prominent political and policy issues facing the country. Managed, coordinated and produced events from conception to execution. Created proposals and pitched innovative and creative events that aimed to bring the most expert and dynamic voices to all conversations. Initiated and maintained client relationships and collaborations. Managed budgets and… Show more Worked with the events team to design and promote events that advanced POLITICO’s journalistic goals and illuminated the most important and prominent political and policy issues facing the country. Managed, coordinated and produced events from conception to execution. Created proposals and pitched innovative and creative events that aimed to bring the most expert and dynamic voices to all conversations. Initiated and maintained client relationships and collaborations. Managed budgets and negotiated vendor costs. Designed advertisements, developed and promoted web pages and online invitations. Maintained and updated databases. Show less



Washington College

• United States
• Higher Education
• 400 - 500 Employee

• President

  • Apr 2012 - May 2013

  Chestertown, Maryland Lead a team of 6 executive board members while overseeing a budget of $100,000. Created a weeklong leadership training program and served as a liaison to connect student voice with the missions of college administration.

• Director of Variety Events and Collaborations

  • May 2011 - May 2012

  Chestertown, MD Plan, coordinate, and execute events (11 per semester). Manage a budget, chair committee, delegate responsibilities, solicit and connect student voice campus wide, design creative advertisements, write press releases, provide interviews on events to school newspaper.



Center for American Progress

• Press Intern

  • Jun 2012 - Aug 2012

  Washington D.C. Metro Area Supported members of the press team as they carried out a comprehensive communications plan that connects diverse communities including politicians, the press, and the public, with CAP’s publications and events. Wrote event advisories and press releases. Successfully pitched calls to press. Ran event registration. Created informative and educational documents in communications lessons and media skills training. Gained experience in media skills training, media monitoring, customer relationship… Show more Supported members of the press team as they carried out a comprehensive communications plan that connects diverse communities including politicians, the press, and the public, with CAP’s publications and events. Wrote event advisories and press releases. Successfully pitched calls to press. Ran event registration. Created informative and educational documents in communications lessons and media skills training. Gained experience in media skills training, media monitoring, customer relationship management monitoring software, and press list-building and press release-distribution software. Show less