Dalene Abner Email and Phone Number

➢ Transformed every key university communication tool, including visual identity, web site, magazine and brand messaging, through a variety of titles including Assistant Director of Publications, Assistant Director of Integrated Communication and Director of Development Communication.➢ Former editor of Today magazine, circulation 71,000 print and 22,000 emails, the university’s primary donor and alumni publication, developing new strategy and maintaining quality through three budget cuts. Directed its transition from a quarterly alumni tabloid into a broader university-focused magazine, including both print and expanded online presence, resulting in increased alumni engagement, improved university academic reputation, first-time donor gifts, and regional and national CASE awards.➢ Conceived and wrote branding campaign, Mules: A Confident Breed, winning a CASE Circle of Excellence Gold and judges’ praise as a “courageous communicator.”➢ Conceived and developed print and web materials for Scholarships NOW, the first formal fundraising initiative launched in several years by the university. Developed multimedia platform for gift publicity as well as proposal process for high-level gifts and donors.➢ Developed and implemented editorial style guide consistently used in all media platforms.➢ Led team to repurpose university’s web site, ranging from writing the proposal for bids, to proposing reorganization of the web’s administrative responsibility, to launching the new site; acted as project coordinator, writer, art director. ➢ Implemented consistent, campus-wide visual identity, resulting in new publication and printing guidelines, as part of managing the university’s publications program, including yearly production of some 100 publications targeting president’s office and key student recruitment while also providing services to 50-plus administrative and academic offices.

➢ Developed and implemented communication strategy for Iowa State’s fundraising activities, the third of three universities’ capital campaigns, each at the time the largest in their institution’s history, and when combined, totaling $800 million in private support.➢ Responsible for development communication program including publications, media relations, marketing, speech writing, web and video development, and strategic planning for organization that raised more than $150 million annually in private gift receipts and commitments. Program awarded CASE Seal of Excellence as a national model.➢ Spearheaded the creation of three visual identities: the first for a $425-million capital campaign, the largest in Iowa State history; the second to establish a unified, comprehensive identity for various foundation entities (annual gifts, major gifts, planned gifts) and the third, when the current campaign concluded in 2000.➢ Developed/managed annual budget of more than $500,000 for publications, advertising, direct mail, web and other communication projects.➢ Spearheaded communication strategy and coordinated development of the foundation’s first web site.

➢ Recruited through national search as principal writer for five-year, $250-million capital campaign, the largest and most comprehensive private funding drive in history of Purdue, Indiana’s land-grant university with a system enrollment exceeding 65,000. ➢ Led nationally award-winning publication effort to communicate fundraising goals to more than 100,000 Purdue donors, including alumni, other friends, corporations and foundation. To kick off campaign, developed concept, researched, wrote and coordinated publications within five-month span. Publications won a CASE bronze.➢ Conducted communications and publications audits including market research through focus groups, demographic analyses and surveys to market several major areas and to overhaul publications in Krannert School of Management and School of Education.➢ Acted as writer and catalyst to overhaul admissions viewbook, for many years updated and reprinted, and other major student recruitment publications. New viewbook received 1993 CASE silver award for Publications Program Improvement as well as local and international awards.

➢ Managed a charge-back publications area including staff of six editors and designers and several freelance professionals. Supervised production of 400 publications per year, from writing and design concept through all production and printing stages to final delivery.➢ Refined and extended a consistent university editorial and graphic identity, which resulted in enrollment and fundraising records.➢ Developed multi-media advertising campaign to recruit nontraditional students.➢ Created publications for $100-million campaign, at the time the largest in WSU’s history.