Casey Lessard Email & Phone Number

Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

• Oversee content management and publishing for the government's communications in all official languages, plus media relations and communications planning• Provide strategic advice and guidance to the Premier’s Office, Deputy Minister, senior and middle management, and colleagues on sensitive communications and policy decisions• Manage team of four communications, media relations, and marketing specialists as direct reports, and provide communications support and training to leadership and staff in 11 government departments• As web lead, directed the final year of a three-year transformation of government's website from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9, including content verification for all programs and services in four languages• Led the planning, contract management, and on-site oversight for the signing of the Nunavut Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement – a nationally-televised ceremony with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier P.J. Akeeagok, and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Aluki Kotierk – and the celebration of Nunavut's 25th anniversary, ensuring both events aligned with brand identity and Inuit societal values.

Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

Department of Environment | Government department charged with promoting sustainable use of natural resources• Managed one employee and oversaw strategic planning, drafting and delivering of all announcements, statements, media lines, public education, engagement, and outreach• Planned, implemented, monitored, and assessed communications plans and strategies for key campaigns, projects, and activations using appropriate communication tools and channels• Planned and managed production and publishing of high-quality, on-brand content, including procurement, budgeting, translation coordination, reviews, and distribution

Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs | Communications Division is the voice of government, issuing and vetting all communications• Edited and issued Government of Nunavut public relations materials, including press releases, public service announcements, social media, advertising, and employee engagement products• Grew brand position through innovative and creative approaches to audience and stakeholder analysis, communications plan implementation, and success metrics monitoring and evaluation• Ensured adherence to brand and quality standards in all published and written communications

Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

- Copy editing and proofreading for Inuit-focused Northern clients- Photography services for clients such as Northwestel, Nunavut Tourism, The Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, Mental Health Commission of Canada- Creator of Iqaluit101.com business directory and house finder (fka SikSik Iqaluit City Guide)

Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

- Taught document and template design to new users of Microsoft Word

Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

• Edited and managed multilingual content for print, digital and social media by reporters and contributors• Using a data-driven approach, helped grow the newspaper’s Facebook follower base from 500 to 10,000 in 2 years while increasing the email newsletter’s open and click-through rates by 2x

Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

• Sought and received a year-long strategic communications assignment to increase digital engagement by producing a proof-of-concept website and app to move the newspaper chain to digital-first delivery• Recognized regionally as the best Online Special Project (2016 OCNA awards)

Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

• Travelled across the North – Nunavut, NWT, Yukon and Alaska – and gained an understanding of Inuit culture and concerns• Won Canada’s top national community newspaper award for reporting (2015 CCNA)

Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada

- Raised charity’s public profile to break records at fundraising concert and art sale- Represented centre publicly, wrote media releases, and managed web presence

Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

• Coverage of food security and fatal Whiterow fire earned regional awards (2013 OCNA)

London, England, United Kingdom

- Represented and promoted international brands – including Chanel, Gap, Radley, Hush Puppies, Broadcast Awards – through the operation of luxury photo booths at events in the UK and France- Solicited new business through luxury wedding shows and industry events

Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada

• Self-driven publishing experiment grew in three years to be one of top newspapers in Ontario• Built a newspaper from nothing with community spirit, volunteer helpers, and no budget• Published 50 issues in three years, earning a profit from issue one• Crafted a people-first, community-centric newspaper that earned 21 national and regional awards, including 10 in 2010, more than any other Ontario newspaper

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Provided creative, editorial and InDesign advice to teams of 15-20 final-year students producing Humber Et Cetera, named one of North America’s best student newspapers

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Taught photography and Photoshop to 90 first-year and 60 post-graduate Journalism and Media Communications Specialist students annually

Haliburton, Ontario, Canada

- Created photographs for Haliburton Echo and Minden Times, one weekly summer newspaper, and vertical publications- Worked with amazing people – Martha Perkins, Lance Crossley, Greg Hoekstra, and Jessica Young – and brought home a lot of awards (see awards section)

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

- Supervised video report workflow from assignment to broadcast- Managed personal and staff workloads to meet strict deadlines

Elmira, Ontario, Canada

- Community newspaper reporter

London, England, United Kingdom

- Wrote news copy and edited interviews to provide complementary sound-bites - Performed fact-checking on breaking news from international correspondents

London, Ontario, Canada

- Led team that received Canadian Interuniversity Sport's 2000 Fred Sgambati Award for University Sports Coverage

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba

Facebook Journalism Project

- Trained in search engine optimization and marketing, Facebook advertising, email newsletter optimization, user experience.

Hivuliqtikhanut Leadership Development Program, Supervisor Series

Nunavut History and Governance - Studied Nunavut governance and culture, with strong emphasis on the Nunavut Agreement (NA) and Inuit.

Diploma, Broadcast Journalism

Diploma, Photojournalism