Digital Content/PR Specialist, JLL

​2014 -- Present, Houston, Texas

Works as part of a three-person team that distributed more than 600 press releases in 2018 highlighting commercial real estate transactions. Process includes authoring, managing approvals, pitching exclusives, and releasing to national and international media outlets. Efforts resulted in nearly 10,000 individual media coverage items for 2018. Other duties include:

• I managed the company blog, HFF Insights, which consists of sourcing, editing, coding, publishing, and promoting articles in addition to authoring listing and trends pieces. Blog was shut down on 7/1/19 when JLL purchased HFF.

• Authors articles for publication on JLL's Investor website. 

• Led the HFF's Twitter efforts and contributed to the overall social media strategy by creating posts for Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Promotes social media internally to collect content that highlights offices and employees.

• Created the daily marketing message broadcast to approximately 1,000 employees.

• Writes video scripts and advertising copy and edits copy from our CEO and other executives to key stakeholders.

Director of Communications, El Dorado Chamber of Commerce

​2011 -- 2014, El Dorado, Arkansas

Responsible for the redevelopment and overseeing the redesign of the city’s website, which included managing the RFP process, learning and then training staff members on the custom CMS, copy writing, photography, sourcing professional photography, creating policies and procedures for keeping the website updated, communicating with Chamber members, and promoting new features such as the community calendar and job listings. Once the site went live, I oversaw daily copy and photography updates, which received more than 101,000 site visits in 2013 with a 37.8% visitor return rate. Additional duties included:

• Designed via Constant Contact and composed electronic newsletters sent to more than 1,000 people multiple times a week. Emails averaged approximately a 30% open rate.

• Drafted and distributed press releases and media alerts in addition to setting up interviews between local and regional press and key Chamber executives. Acted as a spokesperson when necessary.

• Directed the Chamber’s Internship Awareness Campaign that was instrumental in El Dorado winning a state award for workforce development in 2012.

Communications & Media Relations Manager, Memphis University School

​2008 -- 2010, Memphis, Tennessee

Acted as the main point of contact between the private all-boys school and the media. This meant writing press releases and media alerts; pitching stories to local, regional, and national media outlets; promoting school events; and setting up interviews. Other responsibilities included:

• Edited a magazine-style school newsletter published bi-monthly with an annual budget of more than $100,000; managed and edited the school’s summer programs promotional book, a multi-page four-color magazine; and worked as the associate editor of the triannual alumni magazine, which included writing articles featured in the magazine.

• Assisted in the redevelopment of the school’s marketing materials and new viewbook along with coordinated, edited, and wrote copy for annual reports and a monthly electronic newsletter.

• Composed copy for the school’s official website, which included daily news updates.

• Wrote and coordinated external award submissions.

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Publishing Consultant, Wimmer Cookbooks

​2006 -- 2008, Memphis, Tennessee

Position was a combination of a traditional sales, project management, and marketing role where I secured contracts with individuals and organizations to develop self-published cookbooks, guided clients through the production process, and trained clients on how to market their finished products. This included prospecting potential clients, cold calling, following up on qualified leads, creating and conducting sales presentations, and drafting contracts. Notable job details included:

• Simultaneously managed 35-plus books in development, 11-plus books in their sales cycle, and 30-plus qualified leads at any given time.

• Sold more than $1.4 million in printing (fiscal year ending 3/08).

• Conducted cookbook development training seminars and marketing seminars to large and small groups and used printing expertise to advise customers on specifications for cookbooks and accompanying marketing materials.