20+ years of experience leading branding and omni-channel marketing teams in Fortune 100, non-profit, and public sectors. Expertise across brand creation and governance; strategic planning; agency management; stakeholder management; project management; budget management; creative direction for digital/social/print/events; coaching and mentoring employees.
WORK EXPERIENCES
The Math Learning Center Portland, Oregon, 2023-Present Director of Communications and Marketing
Led first brand strategy in the organization's 50-year history, aligning products, thought leadership, and customer value under a primary identity.
Successfully evolved communications master brand narrative, establishing communications guidelines for executive, employee, and external audience integration.
Directed competitive research and positioning of master brand and product portfolio.
Oversaw agency partners to up-level and deliver complete brand refresh of collateral, trade shows, digital/social in four months. Currently directing agency partners to refresh brand across all websites, including new copy, imagery and user experience.
Developed brand standards, currently rolling out brand guidelines across brand portfolio to all employees.
Launched succession of product campaigns, which led to 4x site visits and deepened customer engagement to 5.5-minute average time on site.
Led new events planning & logistics process to successfully grow from 20 to 60+ trade shows and conferences per year, supporting $40m annual revenue across 48 states.
Partner with Business Development to simplify outreach processes and optimize communications to increase curriculum adoption, including supporting a successful California curriculum adoption campaign.
Collaborate with senior leaders to shape enterprise-wide strategic direction.
Lead internal communications.
Lead the communications team (content, events, product marketing) in strategizing, planning, prioritizing, and executing projects, collaborating with subject matter experts across the organization to understand MLC’s priorities and goals and driving marketing and communications to reach targets.
Freelance Portland, Oregon, 2020-2023 Creative Director, Marketing Strategist, and Copywriter
Translated complex scientific case studies into a series of public-facing brochures aimed at helping legislators and everyday Oregonians understand the Nature Conservancy of Oregon’s tactics and strategies to fight climate change across the state.
Researched topics, interviewed experts across the organization to identify audiences, crafted talking points, creative-directed design, developed communications strategy.
Led Nature Conservancy science and field staff through 12-hour in-person communications training to learn how to overcome communications barriers, avoid fraught political conversations, maintain scientific accuracy while engaging diverse audiences, and foster productive, connective dialogues.
Metro Portland, Oregon, 2015-2020 Senior Communications Specialist for Marketing and Branding
Creative directed the rebranding of Metro, Portland’s regional government.
Wrote their first ever Parks and Nature strategic marketing plan.
Launched the new brand across digital, social, print, physical assets.
Wrote the strategic internal communications plan to align 1,200 employees around the new brand.
Established, stewarded, maintained brand guidelines process and execution across the government. Worked across departments and throughout the org chart to help all employees understand the importance of brand consistency and accountability.
Trained employees using elevator speeches and media communications training.
Initiated, concepted, launched Metro’s first human-resources-based recruitment campaign.
Co-led yearlong communications research project to identify communications barriers for people of color and the best methods and approaches to reach them.
Initiated, concepted, creative directed the first-ever video explaining who Metro is. After 40 years, anyone, anywhere can understand Metro’s role in the region.
Worked with 30+ stakeholders across the region to initiate, produce, creative direct and project manage an interactive touchscreen experience at the Oregon Zoo.
Launched an Instagram Park of the Month campaign to showcase Metro’s parks and natural areas to new age groups and direct users to the Park Finder for further inspiration.
Creative directed and produced an innovative, intriguing educational experience at Oxbow Welcome Center.
Designed the space to pique visitors’ curiosity by emulating the observational skills they’d need to find local wildlife and navigate natural spaces.
Throughout all of these projects, hired and managed freelancers, negotiated contractor agreements, managed budgets, met timelines, and had a great time building things that will last for decades to come.
Pop Art, Inc. Portland, Oregon, 2012-2015 Editorial Director Pitched (and won) largest Agency of Record account in the agency’s history. Wrote and supervised writers on projects across all the agency’s accounts, including re-launching Freightliner Trucks and Detroit Diesel sites.
Winborn & Company Portland, Oregon, 2005-2012 Founding Writer, Strategist and Creative Director Led clients through the branding process; wrote strategic marketing plans; creative directed and project managed building websites, social media, print; researched and wrote case studies. Clients included: Sun Microsystems; IBM; HP; SBC/AT&T Communications; Hyatt Hotels and Resorts; DIRECTV; Mitsubishi Motors; and Brinker International.
Javelin Direct/Rapp Collins Worldwide Irving, Texas, 2000-2005 Associate Creative Director Promoted from Copy Editor to Associate Creative Director in 4 years. Established the voice of AT&T’s online Permission Marketing program. Completed over 600 projects/year, managing seven writers and art directors to brainstorm content, conduct online research, design, write and edit an interactive newsletter and promotional emails for AT&T.
EDUCATION
Harvard College Cambridge, Massachusetts 1995 A.B. in English and American Literature and Language with a focus on Romantic poetry and Walt Whitman. Additional coursework in creative writing, photography studio courses, and French.
HOBBIES
Avid gardener, cook and restaurant hopper; furniture designer & builder; papier-mâché creature maker; co-founder of the annual Portland Fermentation Festival; workshop and class instructor on topics ranging from urban chicken-keeping to creative ideation.