Grace Stafford Email & Phone Number

Serve as a strategic external communications advisor to leadership, business, marketing and other key stakeholders across the company.- Oversee corporate social media accounts by creating and updating social media schedules, replying to comments from subscribers or liking tagged photos and coordinating with other professionals to determine how to market Bastian’s brand- Assist with writing press releases, presentations and pitches and supporting leaders in their media interviews with key messages and talking points- Develop integrated external communications strategies focused on key business priorities, and execute strategies and plans across priority campaigns to build Bastian's brand in the marketplace- Proactively pitch to industry media about Bastian leaders, thought leadership and client impact stories- Collaborate closely with internal employee communications to support and align communications across the company

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Collaborated with executive team and department leaders to achieve client objectives through media and print recognition.-Completed media pitching and worked directly with large corporate client executives to translate vision into media stories with expanded reach -Pitched press releases and feature ideas by email and phone to regional, local and trade journalists across print, broadcast and online-Built and managed extensive press and media lists to use for pitching initiatives -Updated and maintained social media presence and engaged on CVR’s social media platforms-Managed responses and communication with the public on social media accounts for clients such as Cummins Inc. and Republic Airways, facilitating 100+ inbound inquiries weekly

Indiana

Produced news releases, statements and opinion editorials distributed statewide to ensure customers remain in-the-know with agency happenings while increasing state revenue through compliance.-Increased social media followers by 80 percent in 2018 and 2019 with an average reach of 2,000 followers-Collaborated with external communications division leaders to increase agency announcement subscribers by 50 percent in 2018 and 2019 -Developed weekly communications production reports to distribute to the Governor’s Office for agency awareness -Managed all division projects regarding customer outreach and promotional events, including, state fair booth, customer correspondence letter review and customer feedback portal-Supervised the agency’s web blog, Tax Talk, production by managing content for timeliness, relevance and the publication schedule.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Collaborated with Public Relations Director and agency divisions regarding publications, campaigns and social media accounts.-Designed communications plan for INfreefile campaign, produced news releases, social media content, blogs and articles for campaign promotion -Assisted with developing content for agency’s annual report -Monitored social media interaction and scheduled content using Cision and Hootsuite