QUALIFICATIONS
Award-winning strategist, innovator, manager, and leader with decades of experience helping organizations leverage their brand, communications, and technologies to tell compelling stories, inspire audiences, support existing business operations, and capitalize on new opportunities
EXPERIENCE
Communications Systems, Platforms, and Tools Consultant
Scenic Hudson | Poughkeepsie, NY
Jan. 2022 – Feb. 2024
Hired on a contract basis, I helped Scenic Hudson's communications team elevate and expand their overall communications strategy and supporting operations. Introducing and/or standardizing the use of production and collaboration tools like WordPress, MailChimp, Zapier, Tandem Vault, Asana, Slack, New/Mode, and Raiser's Edge, we streamlined and formalized how the team approaches its production work and how it interfaces and collaborates with the rest of the organization. I also managed Scenic Hudson’s web team and projects, including overseeing the development and launch of major new initiatives, including:
- DefendTheValley.org
- Heartof.ScenicHudson.org
- ScenicHudson.org/viewfinder
- Scenic Hudson’s Digital Parks Guide
Senior Digital Strategist
The Rolfson Group | Albion, ME
Nov. 2016 – May 2019
This consulting group recruited me to help clients develop web, social, and other digital strategies to improve their fundraising efforts, capital campaign execution, and overall organizational success.
Responsibilities:
- Evaluate and generate reports on the implementation and execution of client’s existing digital communications channels, including websites, social media accounts, and email communications
- Work with clients to develop digital communications plans that maximize impact on overall communications and organizational goals
- Educate client leadership and staff on best practices for effective digital communications
- Train client leadership and staff on best practices for using organizational and personal social media channels to support their goals
- Work with other consultants within the group to ensure that digital strategy plans are integrated with and supportive of all strategic recommendations
Managing Editor of Digital Communications
Colby College | Waterville, ME
Feb. 2004 – Sept. 2016
I led the transformation of Colby’s digital content, strategy, and channels from one static website maintained by a small, centralized team into an integrated suite of dynamic, responsive websites, web systems, mobile channels, and social outlets with responsibilities distributed among offices and departments throughout the College. I directed Colby’s digital strategy through several historic milestones, including a $275-million capital campaign, a yearlong bicentennial celebration, a major art-museum renovation and opening, and a high-profile presidential transition.
Responsibilities:
- Work with communications staff and executive staff to ensure Colby’s digital communications strategy is closely aligned and integrated with all other aspects of the College’s strategy, supporting strategic messages, publications, events, and branding
- Create and manage the creation of text, image, and video content for the College’s digital channels, including web, social media, digital signage, and more
- Write, edit, proofread, and publish long- and short-form content for digital and other channels • Analyze key web and social media metrics to inform the development of engaging, effective, and timely content and features across digital channels
- Mentor and consult for the entire College community—from faculty and staff to students and alumni—on matters of web and social media content creation, strategy, best practices, and policies
- Manage and mentor student workers and interns in various aspects of digital communications, including writing, curating, measuring, reporting, and strategic planning
Executive Producer
SchoolSports, Inc. | Boston, MA
Sept. 2000 – Aug. 2001
I built a digital operation from the ground up for this publishing and data company as we moved their previously outsourced digital-publishing systems, staff, and operations in-house. I then lead the continuing maintenance, integration, and evolution of that operation.
Responsibilities:
- Work with outside vendor to document their custom-built CMS and create a migration plan
- Hire a product team to migrate, maintain, and continue to develop the publishing system
- Hire designers to develop and maintain more efficient UX and UI for frontend and backend interfaces
- Work with senior management to develop a content strategy, revenue plans, and strategic roadmap for digital operations
- Work with the print-publications team to integrate digital publishing concerns and processes into their workflow
- Work with advertising/sponsorship-sales team to integrate digital products into their operations
- Manage digital content partnerships with outlets such as ESPN.com, AOL, The Sporting News, USA Today, and more
Program Director
TechTarget, Inc. | Needham, MA
Jun. 1998 – Aug. 2000
The success of one of my projects at United Communications Group (see below) led directly to the creation of TechTarget as an angel-funded startup that eventually became a very successful, publicly traded company. In addition to managing TechTarget’s product roadmap and development team, I was also responsible for onboarding all new employees—from sales to editorial to product development to c-suite executives—as the company grew from six to 180 employees in approximately 18 months.
Responsibilities:
- Work with a team of c-suite executives to communicate the origin, history, and evolution of our products, and develop complementary, cohesive plans for moving forward across editorial, sales, product development, and business development fronts
- Lead orientation of all new employees during our very rapid, early growth period
- Manage the product development roadmap and team in a very fast-paced, deadline-driven environment as the company launched approximately 20 new enterprise-level web products in less than 18 months.
Director of Web Operations
United Communications Group (UCG) | Dedham, MA
Jan. 1997 – Jun. 1998
I was hired to establish UCG’s inaugural web products operation to support their industry-leading, business-to-business publication, computer-based training, and event products. My most impactful accomplishment was to lead my team in the ideation and development of a suite of highly profitable standalone websites that were spun-off as their own company, TechTarget, Inc. (see above).
Responsibilities:
- Design and develop corporate and promotional websites for UCG’s product lines.
- Lead design and development of innovative, web-based systems for publication and delivery of subscription-based newsletter and magazine content, before content management became commonplace on the web
- Lead design and development of innovative, online system to facilitate event registration, payment, and delivery of conference materials, before online registration and paid-only content were commonplace on the web
- Lead team of writers, editors, sales people, and executives in the conception and development of Search400.com, the first of three innovative, editorially driven websites that eventually became the foundation for a highly successful, publicly traded company, TechTarget, Inc. (see above)
EDUCATION
University of Southern Maine | Portland, ME 1987 - 1991
Bachelor of Arts Program, English
Creative Writing Concentration
Theater Minor
HONORS AND AWARDS
2015 Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District I Silver Speaker Award
Recognized as one of the annual conferences outstanding presenters for an extremely well-received multimedia presentation on the digital communications plans for Colby College’s 2013 Bicentennial
2015 CASE District I Bronze: Academic Department Websites
Recognized for a comprehensive redesign of Colby’s academic department webpages that brought them inline with the College’s brand and strategic goals while preserving academic freedom and flexibility for individual departments
2015 CASE District I Silver: Colby Magazine Website
Recognized for a comprehensive redesign of the website for Colby’s alumni magazine that improved navigation and information architecture, strengthened the college branding, and integrated social media features and content
2014 CASE District I Gold: Donor Stewardship Programs
Recognized for successful, one-day fundraising blitz that integrated print, email, social, and web communications to raise awareness among current students of the impact of philanthropy and to thank alumni and friends of the College for their gifts
2014 CASE District I Silver: Special Purpose Publications
Recognized for a very successful print-mail piece that integrated innovative web and social media calls to action around a live, on-campus event on Colby’s 200th birthday
2014 CASE District I Silver: Digital/Social Media for Alumni and Advancement Programs
Recognized for innovative use of web and social media to enable alumni and friends of the College who could not physically attend Colby’s bicentennial events in Waterville to participate in the historic celebration
2011 eduStyle: Best Integration of Social Media into a College Website
Recognized for our innovative and effective integration of social media content and functionality into insideColby.com, our ground-breaking prospective-student-focused website.
SKILLS
Digital Communications Strategy, Content Strategy, Strategic Planning, Branding, Writing, Editing, Social Media Strategy and Execution, Project Management, Product Management, Program Management, Image Creation and Manipulation, Website Developmen, Information Architecture, User Experience Practices, Web and Social Media Analytics, Programming (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, ColdFusion, SQL), Presenting, Public Speaking
