Member of the school’s senior leadership team, responsible for formulating communications strategies to build public awareness and understanding of the institution locally, nationally, and internationally. Oversees all aspects of marketing, advertising, public relations, media relations, alumni and parent relations, print and publications, graphic design, and digital marketing for the school, including search engine optimization and social media. Manages Communications department of seven. Key ResponsibilitiesStudent Recruitment: Develop customized marketing campaigns to increase applications and enrollment for the school’s residential pre-college program, dance program, Community School, and Conservatory. Audience Building: Develop, implement, and manage initiatives to build audiences and generate ticket sales/attendance performances and events.Fundraising Support: Partner with the Advancement department to develop communications vehicles that recognize donors and support fundraising goals.Brand Management: Maintain and enhance the school’s image in all written and graphic communications, including print and online, implement image and branding strategies.Institutional Communications: Manage the dissemination of all institutional news using Colburn communications vehicles as well as the media. Oversee the preparation of news and feature stories, media events, press conferences, press releases, and related activities; serve as institutional spokesperson when necessary. Manage the development and implementation of strategies to encourage internal communication among the school’s Board, faculty, staff, students, and parents.Board Relations: Work with the President and Board of Trustees on major communications and public relations strategies and concerns; staff the Communications Committee of the board.

Responsible for schoolwide external communications strategy and institutional positioning, including marketing for 200 free and ticketed performances each year. Oversee alumni and parent relations and digital content production, including social media.Key responsibilities include:Determine content priorities and messaging for all external communications vehicles, including press materials, social media content, web content, bi-annual magazine, program books, marketing campaigns, and other online and print communications. Manage crisis and contingency planning and communications. Help identify challenges, emerging issues, and trends; advise senior leadership including President and Trustees. Produce video content in support of fundraising and awareness campaigns: determine key messages, work with internal and external production teams, oversee filming and editing, and develop distribution strategies for sharing online.Conceive and implement public programming to support communications objectives, including co-hosted events with peer organizations in Philadelphia such as the Wharton School and National Museum of American Jewish History. Oversee public relations strategy and work with opinion leaders within the organization and industry — including board committees

Oversaw all public relations, marketing, and patron engagement work for performances as well as online offerings including livestreams, HD video content, and online courses. Key accomplishments included leveraging the Curtis Symphony Orchestra tour to Europe as a way to reach new audiences, influence local opinion leaders, secure relationships with presenters for future tours, generate international media attention, and create excitement among Philadelphia audiences. Worked with international publicists to generate robust media coverage in all countries, ensured high-fill rate for self-presented concerts in Berlin and London, worked with local presenters to ensure full halls for concerts in 6 other European cities, produced tour preview video for Philadelphia gala, and secured extensive Philadelphia Inquirer coverage via an embedded reporter on the tour.

Positioned Curtis as a forward-thinking leader in music and benchmark of artistic excellence by crafting institutional messages, developing strategies to raise global public awareness, and integrating key messages across all communications; worked in close partnership with President and Vice President of External Affairs and Patron Engagement. As leader of PR team, maintained positive public image of Curtis by managing crisis communications, breaking news, and announcements of major initiatives; developed communications strategies to inform stakeholders inside and outside the organization. Working with the marketing and patron engagement team, increased attendance for over 200 performances annually in Philadelphia and drove ticket sales through patron care and follow up strategies. Developed marketing strategy for 14–15 and 15–16 seasons, including all email and web campaigns, advertising, and print collateral. Launched strategy to draw audiences from across the globe to Curtis on Tour performances; managed publicity and marketing campaigns for performances in major cities including Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, Dresden, Boston, New York City, San Diego, and Miami.Served as staff liaison to the trustee-led Communications and Patron Engagement Committee comprised of donors, alumni, and industry leaders; lends PR and patron engagement expertise to discussions and implemented committee ideas. Direct supervisor of Patron Services Manager, PR Assistant, and student workers.

Promoted to Director of Public Relations at Curtis in 2010. In this expanded role, developed and led multifaceted media plans for key initiatives, including the opening of a $65 million new facility; an international touring initiative; launch of new programs in conducting, string quartet studies, and guitar; and the first MOOCs (massive online open courses) to be offered by a classical music conservatory through Coursera. Other accomplishments include building strong relationships with local and national press contacts, resulting in consistently positive and frequent coverage of Curtis in high-circulation general interest news outlets and trade publications. Recent placements include the Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, U.S. News and World Report, the Atlantic, Performance Today, BBC Music Magazine, 6ABC, WRTI, and KYW Newsradio 1060.Spearheaded social media campaign to increase public profile of Curtis. Launched Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts; created InstantEncore-powered music apps for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and all other mobile web devices. Title changed to Director of Public Relations and Online Engagement in July 2012 to reflect work done with social media and online engagement of audiences. Also trained and supervised PR Assistant and student workers.

Served as principal PR contact for the Curtis Institute of Music, a top classical music conservatory in Philadelphia. Pitched stories to and handled press requests from local and national newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV; coordinated interviews, scheduled photo shoots, and accompanied journalists and photographers. Wrote publicity materials, including press releases, media alerts, web features, magazine articles, student and faculty biographies, and press kits; managed “About Curtis” section of the website, posting press releases, web features, and general information about the school.

Implemented publicity strategies for a variety of technical clients nationwide for a boutique PR firm in Chicago. Wrote feature-length articles on technical topics for trade magazines, wrote and distributed press releases, pitched journalists writing for trade publications, developed media lists and managed databases for multiple clients, tracked press coverage, and supervised and trained new employees and interns.