I have a B.A. in Communications, Graphic Design & Media Psychology from Guilford College (Greensboro, NC). In order to focus on those particular topics at a small liberal arts college, I elected to pursue a rigorous program that allows you to create your own major. The program has strict requirements, including a minimum 3.25 GPA and a two-semester final project. While a student at Guilford, I also worked as the Layout Editor for The Guilfordian, the student-run newspaper, from sophomore year through graduation. I redesigned the paper in my junior year (2015) and the logo and brand guidelines I established are still in use as of the beginning of 2024.
I graduated from Guilford with high honors in 2016, and then moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland where I worked at a local, family-owned printing and design company. While there, I gained a deep understanding of print design and production processes that has been invaluable in print-based marketing initiatives in various other roles. I also directed the complete overhaul of the company’s website to enhance their online reach and ensure a competitive web presence going forward.
In December 2018, I moved to Santa Fe, NM to begin working as the Marketing & Outreach Coordinator for the City of Santa Fe’s Environmental Services Division (ESD). The Division is responsible for solid waste/recycling services and is the home of the City’s sustainability planning and initiatives. They are the public arm of a public-private partnership with the non-profit Keep Santa Fe Beautiful. I was the graphic designer, photographer, videographer, web editor, social media manager, presenter, community liaison and more for an array of programs and campaigns that all fall under the heading of “ESD.” I also managed the Division’s marketing budget and all advertising contracts.
In early 2020, I was asked to step into a hybrid role as the City’s social media manager in addition to my responsibilities as the Outreach Coordinator. I was the sole content curator and manager for the City’s pages for two years, and helped execute the City’s first social media policies for internal and external use.
In April 2022, I was promoted to the role of Communications Manager and tasked with hiring and leading the City’s first-ever central communications team. Since then, I have overseen all communications and brand strategy efforts for the 1400-person organization, resulting in doubled digital newsletter subscribers, a 350% increase in social media reach, and improved transparency and efficiency in communication with constituents. I oversaw the complete redesign of the City’s website for the first time in over 15 years, and have also implemented the first-ever communications SOPs and brand guidelines for the City.
Over the past ten years, I’ve developed plethora of skills and program/software expertise, including:
Skills Overview
- Diverse communications and marketing experience, with a nuanced understanding of communication best practices
- Management and leadership of professional teams in fast-paced environments
- Start-to-finish project management to achieve big-picture goals using detail-oriented solutions
- Branding and graphic design (development, marketing, customer research)
- Social media management and content creation
- Website content management and design
- Writing, copy-editing, and proofreading, data analysis, SEO, and accessibility best practices
Program/Software Proficiencies
- Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere Rush, Lightroom)
- WordPress, Squarespace, Expression Engine
- MS Office 365 Suite
- MS Teams
- MS Power Automate
- Google Suite
- MailChimp
- Constant Contact
- Sendible
- Eventbrite
- Asana
- Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn/Nextdoor/Twitter (“X”)
And more!