Elliott Kozuch Email & Phone Number

Portland, Oregon, United States

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

- Increased traditional media coverage of the agency by 71% within six months of joining team, and increased positive/neutral media coverage by 41% by developing and implementing strategies that enhance the public understanding of DGS, its services, programs and events, and value to Washingonians - Executed high-profile events, including mayoral press conferences for District groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, drafting remarks for the DGS director, while facilitating press access and coverage — liaising with District and Federal Government agencies, dignitaries, and community groups.- During escalating incidents such as weather emergencies, led agency efforts in gathering, verifying, coordinating, and disseminating accurate, accessible, and timely information in the District's Joint Information Center, including handling inquiries from the media, public, and internal communications – utilizing training by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in advanced public information strategies- Managed government-contractor business partnerships for the external affairs department as a contracting officer’s technical representative (COTR), holding official oversight on contracts associated with DGS external affairs, ensuring responsible use of taxpayer dollars, and monitoring contract payments

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

- Collaborated with District leadership to craft strategic and impactful communications for the Executive Office of the Mayor, ensuring alignment with goals and priorities across District Government agencies – including during key moments such as District budget rollouts, major capital project announcements, and cultural moments like the LGBTQ Pride Parade and Festival- Advised District agencies on messaging strategies, including in cross-agency initiatives, coordinating and fostering coherence and consistency across communications efforts- Supported the overall operations of the communications team, particularly in drafting and reviewing content across platforms, and conducting comprehensive analysis of press and social media coverage to inform strategies utilizing Meltwater (media monitoring software)

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

- Led Reproductive Freedom for All's (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) state communications work across the country, with a focus on Arizona, California, Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada, including leading state communications strategy in the aftermath of the fall of Roe v. Wade, earning the organization $1.8 million in media appearances across 63 news stories, according to Critical Mention- Represented the organization in key external coalitions, including the California Future of Abortion Council and the Arizona Reproductive Rights Coalition, offering media training to and drafting materials in the voices of coalition spokespeople, including providers, lawmakers, storytellers, advocates and others- Managed a team of one full-time staff member and one full-time intern, as well as three consultants, coordinating state-level communications work across the organization, including adhering to campaign firewall rules- Created media opportunities to highlight the organization's opposition research program, including in The Guardian, Business Insider, The Daily Beast, and The Hill, among others- Co-created and co-led national and state-focused trainings for members on how to spot and combat disinformation, given to over 1,000 participants, including collaboration with elected officials, and partner organizations

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

- Created and launched educational resources to reporters, editors, columnists and more through Reproductive Freedom for All's (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) Tell the Whole Story initiative, including news analysis, best practice memos, briefings, and one-on-one support–including collaboration with partner organizations- Recognized as a leading organizational subject matter expert, championing an inclusive vision of reproductive freedom at the intersection of LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, and voting rights. Demonstrated expertise through a published chapter in 'A War on My Body: A War on My Rights,' alongside op-eds in outlets such as Rewire, The Advocate, and Washington Blade, while serving as an media spokesperson

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

- Led organizational communications response to violence in the transgender community as co-chair of the Trans Justice Working Group, has trained dozens of journalists in one-on-one settings on reporting on transgender and non-binary communities, including the National Press Club. Efforts resulted in more than 160 media hits in June 2020, including stories in Reuters, USA Today and Marie Claire- An organizational voice in print and on radio and TV media, commenting on HRC initiatives and priorities with on the record experience in outlets including the New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, Essence, The Daily Beast, Los Angeles Blade, Out Magazine, among others- Maintained press portfolio and acts as a background source on key organizational initiatives including transgender and non-binary justice; Corporate Equality Index; State Equality Index; Municipal Equality Index; Healthcare Equality Index; the Children, Youth & Families program; among other high-profile rollouts and efforts

Washington D.C. Metro Area

- Held editorial control of HRC’s daily tipsheet, #AM_Equality, increasing the list by 136% and maintaining an above-average open rate for non-profit emails. Utilizes Mailchimp to design email, maintain metrics and create strategy to expand- Maintained press portfolio and acts as a background source on key organizational initiatives including the Corporate Equality Index; State Equality Index; Municipal Equality Index; Healthcare Equality Index; the Children, Youth & Families program; and Time to THRIVE- Created multi-faceted press plans for key rollouts, such as HRC’s 2018 Youth Survey, which had a press reach of at least 119 million across online and print stories, op-eds, press conferences and press garnered through a direct action campaign

Washington D.C. Metro Area

- Monitored, researched and responded to news on LGBTQ-related policy matters- Supported and executed rapid response needs for a team of communication and research professionals- Worked with media in positive and adverse situations, including extensive pitching. As news unfolds, produced draft messaging, including talking points, statements and press releases- Assisted the press secretaries with the management and execution of events such as press conferences, media availabilities, and editorial board meetings- Designed, wrote and hosted a daily video news program, which, during its eight-week soft launch, reached nearly one million views across Facebook, X/Twitter, and YouTube

Washington D.C. Metro Area

- Assisted the Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing with all administrative duties including answering phones; scheduling meetings, travel, and other appointments; managing department meetings; reporting expenses; and processing check requests- Served as initial point of contact for press inquiries and supporting media outreach efforts- Hired, trained, and supervised 1-3 communications interns at a time during spring, summer, and fall classes—including coordinating and overseeing media monitoring and daily news clips- Maintained robust lists of media contacts across key subject areas utilizing Vocus, Cision, and Meltwater

Washington D.C. Metro Area

- Wrote blog posts and email copy on organization programs and openly LGBTQ elected officials tailored to the organization’s various key audiences- Updated organization’s various website platforms using HTML and Adobe Dreamweaver- Monitored social media activity and prepared weekly reports on social media impact and outreach- Collected press clippings on openly LGBTQ elected officials and Victory-endorsed candidates for weekly newsletter sent to the Victory Fund Board of Directors

Charlotte, North Carolina Area

- Wrote unique articles on Campus Pride programs and other LGBTQ issues in higher education—including "Queer History 101," a series chronicling the lives of LGBTQ leaders, using WordPress, published to Campus Pride’s website, Noodle Education, and Insight Into Diversity- Created and executed social media plans for organization programs

Charlotte, North Carolina

- Coordinated media outreach for Camp Pride, the nation’s premiere leadership academy for undergraduate LGBTQ and ally students, resulting in four print and online stories in the Charlotte Observer, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and BuzzFeed- Wrote and published unique articles on organization programs and other LGBTQ issues in higher education including acceptance of transgender students to single-gender institutions and optional gender identity and sexual orientation questions in the Common Application using WordPress, published to Campus Pride’s website, Little Purple Backpack, Bisexual Women Quarterly, Noodle Education, Washington Blade, and Pride.com- Supervised editorial intern for two months, provided mentorship on blogging and Wordpress- Budgeted and scheduled organization appearances at six LGBTQ Pride festivals, including registration and parade bookings

Chapel Hill, North Caroilna

- Managed yearly events, including recruitment events, educational events, advocacy events, networking events and film screenings resulting in a three-fold increase in membership and improved relationships with other university and community organizations- Led weekly organizational meetings and weekly discussions on feminist issues including street harassment, women in pop culture, intersectional feminism and addressing sexism in academia- Managed administrative duties including renewing university recognition status, updating bylaws and organization constitution and participating in university leadership trainings

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

- Provided customer service and technical support and maintenance for student-owned computers on campus, including virus removal, operating system installs, data backup, program installation and networking issues

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

- Provided general technical support and maintenance for student-owned computers in a residential community of 475 students through BMC Remedy Action Request System- Worked with housing staff to organize events for residents including outdoor movie screenings, open mic nights and “Technology Tune-Ups” (offering virus removal, updates and physical cleaning of electronic devices)

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Participated in the Bill Thorpe Undergraduate Internship Program providing general administrative support to the Department of Public Housing

Washington D.C. Metro Area

- Wrote congressional record statements and press releases on behalf of the Congressman- Drafted weekly newsletters circulated electronically to various constituent groups (veterans, teachers, etc.) on the Congressman’s recent events and votes approved by the House Franking Commission- Managed social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) by posting relevant policy and event details, monitored social media activity- Wrote constituent correspondence using Intranet Quorum (contact management system) on policy and international affairs on behalf of the Congressman

Raleigh, North Carolina

- Wrote press releases, blog posts and speeches focusing on local school district events and the state’s education budget on behalf of the department and for the North Carolina state superintendent of public instruction - Updated media contact sheets, reached out to local school personnel to confirm information posted on department’s website

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

- Copyedited articles and graphics text using AP Style- Corrected the formatting of articles, headlines and graphics using Adobe InCopy for print newspaper with a circulation of 38,000 readers- Uploaded articles to the newspaper’s website using Gryphon (content management system) for online newspaper