Nonprofit
Scholarship America, Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, and Junior Achievement: Branding, Media Relations, Media Training, Public Relations, Executive Communications and Positioning, Special Events, Employee Communications, Integrated Marketing Communications, Development/Fundraising, Management/Administration, Technology, Crisis Communications, Public Affairs, and Measurement & Evaluation. Photo Credit: peace.mahidol.ac.th
SCHOLARSHIP AMERICA, a $10 million global nonprofit, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN
Vice President, Public Affairs & Communications (PA&C), 2/01-4/04
Senior management team member responsible for initiating/integrating all public affairs and
communications strategy/tactics for Scholarship America, its programs and initiatives and
executive staff liaison to PA&C Committee of Governing Board of Trustees. Supervised 8. Budget: $1M.
- Raised function to new level within two years based on client needs assessments interviews. Reconfigured team emphasizing customer service, value-added results, and evaluation metrics. Doubled budget and staff. Upgraded infrastructure. Assumed responsibility for web technology. Initiated integrated communications model for entire organization and its constituencies.
- Led re-branding and re-positioning initiative for parent organization and operating programs launched in January 2003 and implemented over a three-year phase-in period.
- Repositioned president as subject-matter expert in scholarships that resulted in first-ever media placements in Business Week, New York Times, USA Today, Worth Magazine, in 2001.
Work Samples:
Scholarship America Rebranding and Repositioning 2000 2001
Steps for Students Fundraising Initiative in MN, IOWA and ILL Summer 2003
- Increased awareness five-fold of National Scholarship Month by focusing on scholarship recipient profiles, affiliate event participation, and by gathering private-sector support for the first-ever four-color info kit and a specific National Scholarship Month website in 2003. Note: Initiative was discontinued in 2005, and domain name was not retained.
Work Samples:
National Scholarship Month Initiative Collateral
- Launched the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund for children and spouses of 9/11 victims. Served as primary liaison to n to communications strategists of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, co-chairs. Thirty-year fund raised $125M in 12 months. Distributed $10M in scholarships to more than 500 students since founding.
Work Samples:
Families of Freedom Launch, Relaunch, and Interim Reports
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT-NORTHWEST WISCONSIN DISTRICT, District Director, Northwest District serving 20 counties in northwestern Wisconsin. Led six-person staff with a half million dollar budget to serve 21,000 students in service territory. 6/06-4/08
- Worked with outside board to create Strategic Plan for 2007-2010 to reach next level of operation.
- Implemented Strategic Plan to meet program and fundraising goals amidst change management.
