Communications Specialist for Child and Family Services

This was a lovely job! My duties included marketing for Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center and The Medical Group in Hartsville, SC including: website content for both sites (hospital site to be revamped in 2019); social media; advertising; promotional items for new physicians; sponsorships in the community; assisting with community outreach. During my tenure social media doubled, attendance in onsite events increased, and Lunch & Learn series resumed.

As Gardner's Marketing and Lifestyles Coordinator, promoted the store's line of healthy foods, gardening, livestock and other products.

The News & Press is the Pee Dee Region's oldest independent newspaper, serving Darlington since 1874. This community-orientated family owned newspaper publishes weekly. Morrey Thomas, News & Press publisher/general manager, was elected President of the South Carolina Press Association in 2014.My duties as editor included: research and writing features; photographing community and sporting events; covered municipal and government meetings; managed social media and updated website; edited stories from staff and freelance writers and advertising copy.South Carolina Press Association Awards 2016: (Division Weekly under 4,500)1st Place, Profile Feature Writing or Story: Roosevelt Scott: A forty-year career in the art of brick masonry3rd Place, Lifestyle Feature Writing: Boykin Farms: A family hobby farm with the prettiest blue-eyed goats in Darlington County2nd Place, Reporting in Depth on Hurricane Matthew coverage shared with staff writer Samantha LylesSouth Carolina Press Association Awards 2015: (Division Weekly under 4,500)2nd Place Lifestyle Feature: My little brother is Downright Perfect3rd Place Profile Feature: Transplant for TorianaHonorable Mention Lifestyle Feature: Cemetery restored by help of detention center lawn crewSouth Carolina Press Association Awards 2014: (Division Weekly under 4,500)1st Place Feature Writing: Jefford’s Millpond1st Place Enterprise Reporting: Gillespie’s Peanuts – locally grown and oh, so good3rd Place Photo Series, Honorable Mention Photo Page DesignSouth Carolina Press Association Awards 2013: (Division Weekly under 4,5003rd Place Feature Writing: Strangers to Brothers

Assist with fundraising, public relations, website and community awareness. The Darlington County Disabilities and Special Needs Board is a private non-profit organization that serves people with intellectual / developmental disabilities and related special needs from birth through senior-age. The phrase "intellectual / developmental disabilities and related special needs" refers to mental retardation, autism, head & spinal cord injury (HASCI) and related lifelong disabilities.

Provided assistance in law office with reception, research, trial exhibits, transcription, preparing documents, and advertising.

Weekly column entitled "Everybody Calls Me Jana Banana" and occasional photos and articles in The Messenger, a small bi-weekly newspaper in Hartsville, SC that is owned by Media General.

This position is part of the "Hartsville...The Art of Good Living" marketing campaign, through a grant by the Byerly Foundation for the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce.

University of South Carolina students and Newsplex advisors teamed with the twice-weekly Hartsville Messenger to expand community coverage by recruiting and training citizen journalists to contribute reports, video and audio to the now-defunct www.hvtd.com website. The efforts resulted in a how-to guide for smaller news organizations seeking to embrace citizen journalism.

Coordinated Christian education and activity programming for children and youth of the church; certified Lay Reader; member of Altar Guild, Trustees; assisted with newsletter, bulletins, website and advertising; planned and supervised VBS; assisted in Soup Kitchen Mission.

Provided art history and art classes to homeschool students age 3 to 18 with studio instruction including hand built & pottery wheel clay sculpture; 2D and 3D mixed media; acrylic painting; fiber/textiles; print making; and sketching.Also taught creativity classes to adults, and hosted art parties for children’s birthdays.

Provided case management for community members with intellectual special needs, autism, or deemed medically fragile.