David Crosby Email & Phone Number

Sunderland, Gb

Durham, England, United Kingdom

Local government authority | £1.1billion budget | 513,000 residents

Local government authority | £200million budget | 200,000 residentsSenior leader responsible for the strategic media relations and social media activities of the Tees Valley’s biggest council.Lead officer for management of media crises, advising and briefing Cabinet Members and Senior Management Team on all aspects of our response.Promoted in October 2019 (job title unchanged) to take lead responsibility for the Council's 50+ social media accounts.Key achievements include:Transformed comms approach, shifting emphasis to growth of social media channels as funnels to the Council's news pages, alongside more traditional media engagement.Oversaw year on year growth of hits to Council's news pages from 87,000 in 2016 to more than 250,000 in 2021 (while reducing the number of press releases issued as part of content shift to socials).Doubled Facebook and Instagram follower numbers within two years of being handed responsibility for the Council's social media presence (drove growth across other platforms too).Modernised press release, headline and thumbnail styles with increased use of listicles as well as "all you need to know" and "call to action" type pieces, complemented by eye-catching pics or collages.Introduced share buttons for multiple platforms on news pages, plus a shares counter so we can easily see how our press releases are performing at a glance.Brought sharp focus to analytics and insights data so we learn from content performance and adapt to ever-changing social media algorithms.Introduced a 28-day metrics report to track social media performance and engagement across the Council's 50+ accounts, incorporating a "Top 3 posts" section for each platform to share best practice.Trained team in shooting and editing video for digital channels - telling human stories and showing our staff working hard for residents.Edited the Council's residents' magazine, managing all aspects of production.Deputised for my Director at CMT meetings.

Local government authority | £150million budget | 152,000 residentsDeputy team leader responsible for team management duties in the absence of the Principal Press Officer.Led all comms and media engagement on the £298million refinancing of Newcastle International Airport Limited (on behalf of the seven local authorities that collectively hold a majority shareholding).Trusted "go to" contact for management of media crises – often of a highly sensitive nature and with a political dimension – including Serious Case Reviews and high profile legal cases.Singled out by CEO and Senior Leadership Group to write the CEO’s regular staff bulletin and messaging to 4,500 employees throughout the process of a one-third reduction in the Council's workforce.Provided media advice and support to Council partners including BT South Tyneside and South Tyneside Homes.

Leeds-based PR consultancy with an established national reputation for advising the utilities sector.Delivered sensitive community relations programmes for major clients including National Grid, NEDL and YEDL.My main focus was on providing public relations support to South Tyneside Council’s economic development service.I secured regular media coverage for the work of the service, covering stories on business grants, jobs creation, business expansions and relocations, inward investment, strategic partnerships, training and skills, and more.Managed the company’s prospective client database and website.

Daily newspaper | Sunderland and County Durham | Circulation approximately 33,000Broke stories relating to crime, environment, health, education, local government, community matters and more – district reporters are not restricted by a specialism.Reported on court cases, council meetings, inquests, murders, public inquiries and community events ranging from protest meetings to pop concerts.Won the Eric Dobson Scroll at the 2004 North East Press Awards for scoring the highest marks of any North East candidate in that year's NCE Journalism examinations.