My role as the lead for JLA's Marketing and Business Develoopmemt is varied and fun. I lead promotional activities for the firm, foster new connections that make our work stronger, and contribute communications and engagement expertise to figuring out how we meet project, client and community needs. I use my background in strategic communications, audience engagement and writing/editing/design every day, and spend lots of time engaging with clients and communities around the region.

JLA Public Involvement is a consulting firm dedicated to building constructive two-way communication between government agencies and the communities affected by their planning and decision-making efforts. I put my skills as a professional writer and editor to work in designing and implementing stakeholder engagement programs for public projects around Oregon and southwest Washington. Working exclusively on projects for public agencies, I love being at the nexus of policy, planning, work on the ground and community.

After moving back to the U.S., I was very happy to continue working with Ecocreative in a freelance capacity.

Ecocreative is a sustainable design and communications studio with a broad client base in the private, community and government sectors. I was initially brought on as a professional writer and editor, but the growing team and my own natural inclination towards client contact and team management saw me soon take on the position of project manager. During my time at Ecocreative, I worked closely with the Director and 8–10 person staff to ensure the success of projects, measured in terms of client satisfaction, design value, integrity of the message and sustainability outcomes. Key responsibilities: • Work closely with clients to define and meet desired outcomes • Coordinate a large number of projects, including management of timelines, budgets and deliverables• Employ an adaptive management style to ensure collaboration within Ecocreative’s diverse team• Manage external resources including creative freelancers and production suppliers • As an editor, understand the interaction of visual and written content and ensure integrity of the message in each communication piece • Play a key role in Ecocreative’s self-promotion activities

This challenging role saw the establishment of an online advertising system for the international real estate company, Harcourts. At its beginning, this included a roll-out across two states during which I was responsible for all client contact and management of brand integrity. After this initial period, I managed the daily operations of the internal design and technical support team as well as remaining the account manager for more than 150 offices. Another important aspect of the role was to support the Account Director in servicing the client at a corporate level, which included attendance and presentations at key meetings and conferences. Key responsibilities: • Act as main point of contact for clients in more than 150 offices across two states • Supervise production of monthly magazine, daily newspaper insertions and direct mail campaigns• Manage design and technical support team, including development and implementation of new internal systems • Assist Account Director in management of client at the corporate level