I help nonprofits increase their donations, volunteers and issue awareness in three ways:* Messaging: I develop strong, consistent messaging, and train employees and volunteers to weave those messages into every conversation.* Storytelling: I craft compelling personal narratives that showcase the need, the charity’s response, and the impact the charity has on individuals and the community – and why the reader should get involved.* Strategy: I'll create a strategy to highlight the right story in the right place at the right time to the right audience. From social media to annual appeals, from speaking engagements to newsletters, from online publications to television to radio and beyond, I’ll be sure your charity is taking advantage of sharing your brand and stories in a way that maximizes reach to your ideal audience.I use these same strategies to help small businesses build their brands and awareness to meet business goals.Visit www.larkinlake.com for more information and a portfolio of projects.

I provide strategic communications, publicity, and marketing insights and support to increase awareness and concert attendance for this award-winning professional symphony orchestra.

Larkin Lake Strategic Communications served as administrator and marketer for Publicity Club of Chicago, one of America's largest independent Public Relations membership organizations, overseeing and developing strategies to grow the financial and membership viability of the organization while implementing marketing and promotional tactics to increase visibility of the public relations profession.

Developed communications initiatives to aid the school’s adaptation to a rapidly changing community and fostered a more inclusive society while generating awareness and financial support for school initiatives.

Leadership:• Managed a staff of nine responsible for communications, philanthropy, marketing and food donations and purchases.• Oversaw a cross-departmental team of three that focused on government affairs. • Member of senior leadership team, making decisions on the operations and objectives of the food bank. Accomplishments:• Developed strategic marketing communications strategies that increased volunteers and donors (financial donations increased from $8.1 million in 2011 to $12.6 million in 2016), and contributed to the nonprofit’s 116 percent growth in food distributions to hungry northern Illinois residents (from 29 million meals in 2011 to 62.5 million meals in 2016). • Oversaw the redesign of the organization’s logo and mission statements, and implemented consistent messaging across the organization. • Increased media coverage for the food bank across its 13-county region. Planned the annual multi-faceted ABC 7 Spirit of Giving coverage for the food bank, researching interview locations and arranging interviews. Created campaign to launch the food bank’s first Hunger Action Day leading to coverage on all Chicago and Rockford television stations. • Negotiated the organization’s first consistent advertising agreements, built a social media following, and created community events that increased awareness and financial support for the organization.

I developed and implemented strategic communications, media relations, government relations, marketing and branding strategies aimed to increase overall brand awareness, encourage the public to get involved in the food bank's mission of feeding our hungry neighbors, and build employees as brand ambassadors. Increased department to include communications manager and online communications manager. • Served as primary spokesperson for the organization and increased media coverage for the nonprofit.• Comprehensive planning and preparation for story on CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. Included adding dimension to the story by including partners as interviewees, scoping shooting locations, providing talking points for interviewees that positively highlighted food bank relationships as solution to food waste/Food Recovery efforts.• Created the organization's first formal annual report, linking financial data with editorial content promoting the accomplishments of the organization over the fiscal year.• Created award-winning media relations campaigns for Hunger Awareness Day.

As the only communications professional, I created and implemented strategies to increase brand recognition of the nonprofit across its 13-county service area, including developing fact sheets and brochures, focused media relations, increased social media, and developing community relationships.Highlights include: • Helped flesh out interviews and filming locations for Bank of America commercial/video featuring Northern Illinois Food Bank. www.BankofAmerica.com/Chicago. (8/2011)• Oversaw creative development of new branding for Northern Illinois Food Bank trucks that bring the "faces of hunger" to the forefront of our branding. (9/2011)

Developed and oversaw publicity efforts aimed at increasing ticket sales and brand awareness across the Midwest for Feld Entertainment brands including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Disney On Ice®, Monster Jam®, Disney Live! ® and Nuclear Cowboyz®, providing media relations opportunities for more than 100 shows in 30 markets annually from Kansas to Ontario, from Colorado to Ohio. Hired and managed 25 local-market publicists.• Lead regional crisis communications strategy and served as the spokesperson for animal welfare issues, explaining Ringling Bros. animal training and care, and responding to protestors’ allegations.• Researched show themes and performers to identify compelling media pitches. • Identified and worked with local charitable organizations to create unique opportunities for underprivileged children to enjoy the shows and obtain media coverage. • Spearheaded development of marketing communications plan for new production, Nuclear Cowboyz. • Created Midwest advance “Tigger Tour” to promote first Disney Live! tour.

Planned and executed communications strategies to increase awareness and support of hunger relief efforts in Cook County:• Developed a strategic and tactical plan for the food depository’s new facility’s grand opening events in May 2004. Media coverage for the grand opening topped 11 million impressions.• Led the graphic and editorial redesign of an external newsletter, which in a 12-month period brought in $145,000 in donations, up from $35,000 the previous year. • Directed the creation of interactive, secured web pages that included an online donation platform. Supervised design and content of refreshed website. Donations through website totaled $100,000 in first year, and increased thereafter. • Developed media spokesperson and crisis communications training for senior staff. • Responsibilities expanded to include oversight of marketing department in 2004.• Member of senior leadership; oversaw four staff members.• Twice named employee of the quarter.

Served as spokesperson for the organization, handling national media such as the Wall Street Journal and Dateline NBC, as well as trade publications such as Modern Healthcare.Helped position the Joint Commission as health care authority by pitching stories, writing news releases and white papers and setting up interviews with professional staff and advisers.

Developed and implemented public relations, media relations and marketing campaigns to promote events and artists at the Centre.Oversaw public relations/marketing budget and negotiated with printers, designers and photographers for event materials.Conceived and staged publicity events for upcoming concerts and other performances.Solicited sponsorships, provided backstage and front-of-house support, wrote grant requests and press releases, developed and placed advertising.Brought Web site in-house, saving hundreds of dollars in maintenance fees.Served as local schools and centre liaison.Supervised two assistants.

Developed and produced community newsletters, brochures, employee publications.Served as media liaison for hospital, wrote and placed media releases and handled media inquiriesHelped coordinate events and supervised outside consultants.Promoted to senior position within two years of

Researched, interviewed and wrote features for newspaper.Served as a staff photographer, proofreader and layout support.

Covered various village meetings and wrote features, including a front-page story regarding the first anniversary of the 1990 Plainfield tornado.