Blake Jelley Email & Phone Number

New York, New York, United States

>Garnered over 550 media mentions in national, state, and city-wide news publications in outlets such as the New York Times, LA Times, Politico, and Forbes; including over a hundred featured articles, op-eds, and scores of TV/radio interviews in outlets like Boston Globe, LA Daily News, Univision, and NBC, ABC, CBS TV affiliates. >Created and implemented dozens of strategic communication plans across five major cities for issue-based and electoral campaigns, which raised public awareness and increased public pressure on decision makers.>Cultivated hundreds of meaningful relationships with reporters, pitching them scores of story ideas and engaging in dozens of background, editorial roundtable, and on/off-the-record interviews from media outlets such as LA Times Español, OZY, Chalkbeat, CNN, Denver Post, Charlotte Observer, and local NPR affiliates.>Constructed organization’s external messaging, including an organizational and policy messaging guide and strategic talking points; resulting in the elevation of core messages during a highly partisan media environment.>Trained and developed the skill sets of scores of students and staff to be effective spokespeople for media interviews, savvy media opportunists, and digital amplifiers on social media.>Founded the Digital Leaders Fellows program; recruiting and training dozens of students in digital organizing/amplifying.

Greater New York City Area

● Drafted over a 100 press releases, advisories, op-eds, talking points, memos, and blog posts, elevating the organization’s message in the national media and through statewide public education campaigns.● Pitched news stories, town halls, public events, speaking engagements, and a national book tour to targeted reporters, resulting in dozens of national, state, and local media hits.● Crafted messaging targeted towards diverse audiences with unexpected messengers such as conservatives, southerners, people of faith, and first responders. ● Fact-checked and researched information for reporters and monitored opinion polls, marriage litigation, legislative history, and opposition tactics.● Tracked and compiled daily media coverage of Freedom to Marry and identified relevant news stories and reporters for future coverage.● Worked extensively with programs such as Blue State Digital, Cision, Vocus, Word, and Excel.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• As the first fellow for the newly staffed bi-partisan Caucus, I served as a resource for Members of Congress, their staff, and the public on LGBT issues, and worked legislatively to extend rights, repeal discriminatory laws, and improve the lives of LGBT people in the US and around the world.• Drafted LGBT issue talking points, legislative one-pager summaries, and Congressional letters on behalf of the Caucus to the President, federal agencies, NGOs, & members of Congress.• Created and maintained the Caucus’s digital communications, including the website, Facebook, & Twitter.• Assisted Congressional staff with identifying legal opportunities for federal agencies to implement US v. Windsor broadly & the Department of Education to insure school bullying surveys was LGBT-inclusive.• Worked with the Caucus to create strategies to pass LGBT-related legislation and researched Congressional districts to identify support within a targeted Member’s district.• Organized Congressional briefings to raise awareness about LGBT issues, legislation, and talking points for Members to use.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

•Worked with political team to research and analyze the viability of over 30 LGBT candidate campaigns across the country; including fundraising goals, budget plans, voter demographics, primary/general election goals, previous comparable elections, polling numbers, potential donors, and opponents. •Wrote and presented extensive reports and recommendations on LGBT candidates that were reviewed by the Victory Campaign Board.•Participated in the coaching of LGBT candidates on voter contact, allocation of funds, and potential risk factors.

Portland, Maine Area

•Recruited 4,650 volunteer shifts, trained over 2,500 volunteers for phone banking and canvassing, and developed over 100 volunteer leaders to run phone bank trainings in York County for a historic campaign.•Developed and implemented the campaign’s most successful get out the vote effort, winning by more votes than any other county in the state and by double the number votes from the previous 2009 campaign.•Created coalitions with local high school Gay Straight Trans Alliances (GSTA), business leaders, church leaders, the Democratic Party, and other LGBT support groups. •Wrote scripts, created trainings, and developed volunteer trainers for over a 150 phone banks, 75 door-to-door canvasses, and 50 in-person volunteer recruitment events which I managed in multiple locations.•Worked with local business and churches to leverage low-cost or donated office and training spaces.

Cincinnati, Ohio Area

•Planned and promoted fundraising and community events for Cincinnati’s first openly gay city council member.•‘Ghost-wrote’ Seelbach’s media responses to current events in the city.•Applied for endorsements from LGBT, labor, reproductive, environmental, & other progressive organizations.•Recruited, mobilized, and trained over 25 volunteers for door-to-door canvassing and phone banking.

Bachelor Of Arts & Science, Sociology

Minor in Political Science; Concentration in Public Relations

Bachelor Of Arts And Science, Political Science