Overview of Skills and Abilities

• Values: Dedicated to the long-term success of the organization with the highest degree of integrity; committed to ongoing professional and personal development; active and engaged; supportive and dedicated; accountable and responsible.
• Communications management expertise: Program development, implementation and measurement, including print and electronic.
• Event and meeting management expertise: Planning, marketing, execution and evaluation.
• Organizational management skills: Program and project administration, office management.
• Association management skills: Board and leadership relations, membership recruitment and retention, and financial management, including budget, AR/AP and routine reports.
• Technical skills: Expert in Microsoft Office and HTML coding. Proficient in CSS style sheets; web site content management; Adobe Acrobat and Photoshop; QuickBooks. And a multi-tasking whiz!

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Detailed Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Communications, public relations and marketing management

• Communications program management: Evaluation of internal and external communication needs and instruments; development and implementation of branding strategies, such as value definition, core messaging and consistent images; integrated development of communications programs, including newsletters, web sites, reports, speeches and other appropriate tools; writing using appropriate message and voice for each element of the communications program; photography, layout and basic graphic design.
• Marketing management: Analysis of current position in market; evaluation of existing and new target audiences; development of marketing plan aligned with organization goals; development budget and monitor expenditures throughout implementation; development of publications, events, partnerships and other tools; recommendation of new products or modification of existing products to meet the needs of the target audience; coordination with internal departments and external vendors to implement all components of the marketing plan, such as publications, events and partnership activities, within budget; evaluate all components of the marketing plan, adapt when needed and integrate results into future activities.
• Web site and electronic communications: Development of informational web sites with integrated marketing and sales messages; analysis of visitor usage; writing web page content, email newsletters and blogs; design and organization of web content for easy visitor navigation; application of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) writing and coding; compliance with federal regulations related to privacy; development of web-friendly graphics; converting photographs for web display; building email lists in compliance with federal regulations; integrating email newsletters into communication and marketing plans; creation of short videos for web site and external sites; implementation of appropriate “Web 2.0″ interactive tools, such as forums, surveys, user contributions, blogging and social bookmarking.
• Public relations and public affairs: Message analysis and development; development and distribution of news releases and direct communications with target audiences; monitoring of media coverage, including local, regional and national media; presentation development; presenting to public audiences; answering media inquiries on the record and on camera; speech writing for senior executives.
• Publication production: Assessment of publication needs; development and implementation of standard editorial styles and graphic standards, matching the needs of the publication and audience; periodical scheduling, such as editorial calendars; coordination with contract and volunteer writers; writing and editing to standard styles; budget development and expense monitoring; print bidding and contract negotiation; coordination with printing companies and mailing services; ongoing evaluation of publication effectiveness.

Event and meeting management

• Meeting and event objectives: Overall analysis of event or training needs; development of meeting and event objectives; development of event to meet learner and/or sponsor needs; evaluation of impact of meeting/event.  Preliminary logistics: Budget preparation and Return on Investment projection; development of site criteria based on event needs, site evaluation; hotel or site contract negotiation; analysis of safety and ADA compliance; solicitation of proposals and speakers; speaker contracts; sponsorship development and marketing.
• Promotion and marketing: Preparation and implementation of marketing plan; printed materials development and production; electronic materials development and production (web site and email), integration of marketing plan with organizational communications; development of promotional materials and registration forms (paper and web-based); registration processing and confirmations (including payments).
• Onsite logistics: Preparation of food and beverage menus and audio-visual schedule, preparation of attendee registration packets and speaker materials; set-up of meeting rooms including audio-visual; coordination with facility staff, speakers and VIPs; monitoring of food and beverage service; verification of service invoices.

Organizational management and administration

• Program administration: Development of program goal and objectives, partnership development, task and staff planning, field testing, program implementation and monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
• Project administration: Project need analysis, development of goals and objectives, resource planning, milestone development and monitoring, staff responsibility planning and monitoring, project evaluation and reporting.
• Staff and volunteer management: Personnel needs analysis, development of job postings, evaluation of applications, interviewing candidates, personnel selection, daily oversight of staff and volunteer, performance goal-setting and evaluation.
• Office management: Allocation of equipment and supplies, office supply ordering and allocation, facilities oversight, records management, including retention schedules; mail management (postage meter, web-based postage, bulk mail, media mail and periodical rates), package shipping.
• Financial management: Development of budgets and operating plans, processing receipts and payments using Quickbooks, preparation of invoices, routine and special reports using Quickbooks.

Association and membership management

• Board and leadership management: Coordination with board and committees to determine organization mission and goals; long-range planning; development of annual action plans; support for board and committee operations.
• Membership management: Database development and implementation, membership needs analysis, member recruitment, member renewal and retention, membership trends analysis and reporting.

Technical skills

• Expert skills in Microsoft Office: Outlook email and contact management, Word word processor, Excel spreadsheet, Access database, PowerPoint presentations, Publisher layout and design. 
• Expert skills in web site software: Drupal and WordPress web site content management systems (including basic hacks to PHP code and basic SQL queries); HTML coding, CSS style sheets; electronic mailing list management (email newsletters); third-party content platforms including Squidoo, Blogger (Blogspot), YouTube, Wikispaces, Vimeo and LaunchTags; social bookmarking sites including Facebook, del.icio.us, Propeller, Stumbleupon and Digg. Intermediate skills in CiviCRM membership management software.
• Graphics and video software: Proficient skills in Adobe Acrobat and Photoshop. Basic skills in Adobe Illustrator. Basic to intermediate skills in short web video production.

If you would like to talk with me about your needs for writing, research, editing or design, please contact me using this handy form. I’ll reply by email ASAP!