EXPERIENCE

Avid Core, Woodbridge, VA 
Creative Director | October 2021 — March 2026

Impact: Drive mission-aligned marketing and communications strategies that strengthen stakeholder trust, expand audience reach, and support revenue growth for public-sector and mission-driven organizations.
  • Collaborate with the CEO and senior leadership to create and direct annual communications strategy to strengthen thought leadership positioning, align with firm priorities, and build stakeholder trust.
  • Lead content strategy and integrated communications for federal, state, and mission-driven clients—delivering award-winning branding, messaging, and cross-channel campaigns that drive action and revenue in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.
  • Manage end-to-end project execution—from proposal response and contract development to project management, client engagement, budgets, timelines, and quality control.
  • Oversee development of multimedia campaigns across digital, print, and experiential platforms (websites, apps, advertising, social media, email, video, podcasts, presentations, reports, signage, and more), ensuring brand consistency.
  • Develop data-informed campaigns grounded in audience research and KPIs; continuously optimize performance to maximize reach, engagement, and ROI.
  • Direct stakeholder engagement efforts—including interviews, focus groups, and surveys—to inform strategy development and strengthen community alignment.
  • Mentor and supervise creative staff of three; source and direct external specialists to scale capacity and expertise.
  • Shape and steward firm brand identity, marketing collateral, proposal responses, and thought leadership content to support business growth.
  • Design and support firm and client websites, ensuring SEO optimization and accessibility compliance.
  • Manage vendors, freelancers, and subcontractors, including contract oversight, performance management, and client satisfaction.

Awards
MarCom Awards
2025 Platinum Award Winner – Marketing Toolkit
2025 Gold Award Winner – Social Media Campaign
2024 Platinum Award Winner – Creativity – Toolkit

Hermes Creative Awards
2024 Gold Winner – Print Media, Design, Publication Overall
2023 Gold Winner – Print Media, Design, Publication Overall

Viddy Awards
2024 Gold Winner – Appraisal Subcommittee
2024 Gold Winner – International Joint Commission Water Quality Board
2024 Gold Winner – Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop

National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), Arlington, VA         
Associate Director of Communications for Editorial and Creative Services | April 2003 – October 2021

Impact:  Strengthened brand, expanded membership, engagement, and revenue, and positioned the organization as a leader in the national education landscape.
  • Partnered with directors and internal teams to develop and execute integrated national marketing and communications strategies across digital, print, and multimedia channels, supporting events, membership, advocacy, training, and development (donor/sponsorship) programs.
  •  Partnered with executive leadership to drive membership growth from 7,000 to 25,000 through targeted content, segmentation, and audience research.
  • Developed and oversaw brand governance and trained staff on editorial and brand standards; managed copyright, trademark, and ISBN processes.
  • Partnered with the development team to strengthen fundraising and sponsorship efforts through strategic messaging, integrated campaigns, and creation of donor- and sponsor-facing materials—including proposals, case statements, impact and annual reports, and stewardship communications.
  • Led marketing, content, communications strategy for national conferences and other leadership, advocacy, and education events, creating branded marketing and program collateral, advertising strategies, presentations, talking points, and scripts to ensure cohesive branding and mission-aligned storytelling to bolster registrations and participant engagement.
  • Attended national conferences and other leadership, advocacy, and education events to serve as the media contact, provide presenter and leadership training, liaise with AV, run presentations, meetings and photoshoots, conduct interviews, take photos and videos, and post to social media.
  • Directed end-to-end content planning and production for all external-facing communications, such as magazines, newsletters, blogs, case studies, videos, annual reports, and more.
  • Planned and drove social media strategy, increasing posting frequency, increasing engagement by 33%.
  • Served as Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of College Admission for 18 years, expanding scope, leading two rebrands, and increasing engagement by 2,700 unique readers.
  • Oversaw cross-functional writing and editorial teams; ensured high-quality, audience-aligned content across all platforms.
  • Led annual national college fairs marketing campaigns reaching 100,000+ students annually, using data-driven insights and segmentation to maximize impact.
  • Collaborated with fulfillment team to develop systems and calendar for publications and merchandise sales, creating and executing adjoining marketing campaigns.
  • Led media relations, promoting coverage, writing press releases, media advisories, and connecting leadership with national media outlets.
  • Advanced national public awareness campaigns, overseeing press, messaging, events, and partnership coordination.
  • Built and managed external media and stakeholder relationships; established an Experts Bureau and delivered media training and strategic messaging.
  • Managed creative communications budget, vendor contracts, and cost-saving initiatives, including transitioning the journal online to save $100K annually.
  • Led cross-organizational communication with partner groups, aligning messaging and identifying opportunities to cross-support brands and messaging.
  • Collaborated with 23 state and regional advisory groups and Communications Committee to identify trends and develop content aligned with audience needs and organizational goals.

CURRENT FREELANCE WORK
  • Designer of Insights magazine for the Independent Educational Consultants Association, Fairfax, VA

SKILLS & ABILITIES
  • Expertise in graphic design, photo editing, illustration, and typography with Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, PowerPoint, and Canva. 
  • Expertise in designing for accessibility, incorporating best practices for color contrast, legibility, alt-text, etc., and remediating PDFs for compliance.
  • Expertise in writing, editing, and proofreading, and utilizing style guides. 
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, SharePoint, Salesforce, and other data/website CMSs; and analytics suites, such as Google Analytics.
  • Proficiency in creating calendars and content, influencer collaboration, and assessing growth for major social media platforms.
  • Proficiency in designing websites in WordPress, Wix, and Weebly.
  • Experience with collaborative project tools, such as Figma, Asana, Plannable, and Monday.
  • Experience segmenting, targeting, delivering, and evaluating product messaging via appropriate digital platforms, such a Constant Contact, Mailchimp, and Pardot, and print media.
  • Experience using Meltwater and Cision to track media relations and send press releases.
  • Experience training staff and clients in branding, design, writing, and communications fundamentals.
  • Experience managing all aspects of project delivery while maintaining high group morale.
  • Flexible, effective, and efficient under tight deadlines with a focus on fast problem-solving.
  • Self-guided learner adept at problem-solving by learning new skills needed to execute projects.

VOLUNTEERISM
  • Communications Consultant, Ms. Moxie’s period positivity and uterine wellness shop and community education center
  • Leader, Girl Scout Troop 56055

EDUCATION
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA  ⎸ May 2002
Bachelor of Arts, Media Arts and Design | Minor in Creative Writing
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