Resume
Experience
2010 – present | Administrator| Auburn, NY
- Work with a committee to host monthly discussion topics of importance to the community. Assist with website content, membership and committee correspondence. Manage budget and attendance records. Sessions run September – June, at The Center for Wellness, for 80 members. The Auburn YWCA-WEIU is our fiscal partner.
Downtown Auburn Business Improvement District
2010 – present | Assistant Director| Auburn, NY
- Manage social media platforms, website & bi-weekly e-news content, advertising & PR. Help organize special events like First Friday and Founders Day, summer concerts, Family Fun Day & the Holiday Parade.
2006 – present | Writer & Editor | Auburn, NY
- Research and compose monthly features highlighting “good news” for the City’s E-newsletter. Team with a designer on layout and distribution via Constant Contact. Readership includes current and past residents, who reside all over the country.
2010 – present | Project Manager | Auburn, NY
- Work with the Stardust Foundation of Central New York, Auburn Beautification Commission, business owners, resident artists, students and the community to create public works of art.
City of Auburn’s Historic & Cultural Sites Commission
2000 – 2010 | Administrator | Auburn, NY
- Launched the City’s new brand “History’s Hometown.” Campaign components included managing the work of the consulting firm; organizing the public launch; handling the press drive and conducting interviews and executing a multi-media campaign that included billboard and TV advertising. The next phase included revamping the website; creating a Facebook Fan Page; purchasing merchandise; and writing copy and selecting images for a foundation-funded brochure to reinforce the image.
- I also managed the budget; coordinated the advertising and marketing plan; brochure distribution; secured grants; crafted press releases and placed articles; coordinated photo shoots and organized collaborative educational events. These efforts elevated the Commission to a higher level of marketing. Attraction attendance greatly increased, website traffic is up, and the effort was a public and government relations success.
Cayuga County Office of Tourism
2000 – 2010 | Communications Specialist | Auburn, NY
- Wrote and edited the County’s primary promotional tool, its 65-page annual Visitor’s Guide. Content managed additional visitor tools such as maps and trivia booklets. Provided ideas, information and images for regional and state PR initiatives. Organized county-wide travel writer tours; story placements include Wine Enthusiast and About.com. Managed Visitor Information Center and executed interior design upgrades and window displays. Generated treasurer’s report, inquiry statistics, and recruited and trained staff and volunteers.
2004 – present | Creative Consultant & Owner | Auburn, NY
- Commercial and residential client services include color scheme and decorative painting consultations and applications; wall, floor and surface coverings; procurement of art work, home accessories and furniture. Assist with wedding and event planning and décor and clutter control and organization. Home designs featured on HGTV’s “Offbeat America.”
Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce
1999 – 2000 | Co-Special Events Coordinator | Auburn, NY
- Organized “Holiday Lights” and “Festival of Trees,” major Chamber fundraisers. Managed publicity and advertising, secured a wide variety of corporate sponsorships, coordinated committee meetings and responsibilities, and provided on-site event supervision.
Cayuga Museum & Case Research Lab
1997 – 1999 | Educator & Outreach Coordinator | Auburn, NY
- Built up volunteer and membership base. Developed and maintained promotional outreach tools including the bi-monthly newsletter, website, brochures, print-advertising copy, press releases and feature articles. Scheduled and facilitated visitor tours and created outreach programs for all ages. Worked with the Board to develop, coordinate and host exhibition programs, fundraisers and special events. Created a local history teacher’s kit. Offered support with grant writing, capital campaign initiatives and managing the gift shop.
Collins Communications
1996 – 1997 | Account Executive | Auburn, NY
- Developed and implemented customized marketing strategies for a broad range of clients. Formulated press lists and secured print and electronic media placements for international, national and regional publicity campaigns. Conducted research and wrote copy for advertisements, brochures, newsletters, press kits, press releases, public service announcements, and magazine and newspaper articles. Supervised and trained interns and oversaw special projects. Hosted national media events, including C-SPAN’s “Alexis de Tocqueville Tour” at Seward House Museum, and features on the Skaneateles Festival forBon Appetitand Country Living magazines. Assisted with PR campaign for American artist Robert Colescott, in the 1997 Venice Biennale. Placements include Art in America and ArtNews.
Special Projects & Honors
Call to Action: A Blueprint for Our Region’s Future ’07 – ’11
Community Focus Group Originated by Senator Nozzolio
- Identified key challenges and opportunities in the community and implemented action items to move initiatives forward. Wrote copy for PowerPoint presentations for public meetings, and the Blueprint brochure. Chaired the WiFi Committee for Phase I, then served on Marketing and Arts & Culture Committees for Phase II.
City of Auburn’s Comprehensive Planning Committee ’08 - ’10
- Helped create the City’s new vision statement and 120-page master plan. Promoted and attended public input sessions on neighborhoods, arts & culture, signage and business development.
40 Under 40 Syracuse Honoree ’07
- Forty members of Central NY are honored annually for their community involvement, business accomplishments and potential as future leaders of their community.
Creative Core “Real People” Profile ’07
- Syracuse Metropolitan Development Association
- Select creative people were profiled to showcase the area’s talent.
IGNITE, Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce ’05 – ’09
- Founding member of Cayuga County’s first young professional’s group. Wrote copy for brochure, website and press releases. Led effort for non-profit volunteer opportunities. Helped organize events.
Downtown Auburn Business Improvement District ‘05 – ’07
Downtown Art Projects
- Helped facilitate community art projects including “Music for Murals,” a building-wrap benefit, the flower pot painting project and showcasing BOCES artwork in vacant storefronts.
Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center Auburn, N.Y. ’04
“Domestic Bliss: Refrigerator Art & Beyond”
- Designed, installed and curated “The Cronkicles,” an exhibit that exposed the domestic life of a fictional American family, with fellow artists Terry Cuddy and Amy Chamberlain.
Anderson Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond ’95
Project Manager
- Developed, implemented and evaluated a five-week pilot outreach program for inner-city youth. Curated and installed accompanying exhibition of totem poles made from recyclable materials. Assessed the program’s effectiveness to guide future efforts. Findings were published as my thesis project.
Education
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond ’95
- Double Masters in Art History and Museum Studies G.P.A. 3.94
- Concentrations in non-Western Art and Museum Education
- Bachelor in Art History G.P.A. 3.3
- Concentrations in Graphic Design and Arts Administration
- Semester abroad at Scuola Lorenzo de Medici, Florence, to study Italian and the Renaissance.
Computer Skills: Microsoft Office Suite, Contribute, WordPress, Access and Quark XPress
