I support federal and state public affairsteams with planning and executing media crisis response campaigns, most recently related to the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. I manage a dedicated team of both military and civilian personnel, and closely collaborate with more than 54 state-based public affairs officers regarding taskings and high-quality deliverables. I regularly engage with national, regional, local and trade press. My branch’s Executive Media Training program prepares senior military leaders with advanced media engagement techniques and strategies through motivating, coaching, and leading by example.

Nested within Budget and Appropriations Affairs, I served as OUSDC's authoritative source regarding strategic communication and engagements, and as the subject matter expert for strategic communications overseeing written, printed, and digital communications, and collateral materials. I developed communication strategies and recommend innovative solutions to meet communication and outreach goals. I prepared the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary and Department of Defense (DoD) senior leadership for posture hearings, budget rollout briefings, appropriations and audit related hearings and congressional engagements with key Members and staff. I collaborated with Public Affairs and other OUSDC program offices while ensuring alignment with Department communication objectives and messages, and engagements. I also developed and executed a senior leadership external engagement strategy focusing on interagency partners, academia, industry, Military/Veteran Service Organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other key stakeholders. And I developed and executed DoD senior leadership congressional appropriations engagement strategy to garner congressional support for DoD priorities.

As Chief of Public Affairs, I planned and executed coordinated marketing & public affairs campaigns related to ESGR's programs, predominantly the employer outreach & recognition programs, the ombudsmen services, and military outreach. I provided consultation & communication plans to headquarters leadership & management officials while also working closely with the 50+ ESGR public affairs specialists & volunteers located throughout the United States & territories. As ESGR's primary spokesperson, I coordinated regularly with Reserve Component and other DOD public affairs agencies, as well as national & local traditional media representatives.

As the Deputy Chief of the USEUCOM Communication Synchronization Division within J5/8, I ensured alignment for all key leader engagements, and associated messaging with USEUCOM strategy and leadership priorities while working collaboratively with USEUCOM senior leaders, stakeholders and other staff, as well as other US government agencies and NATO allies and partners to address communication challenges and reach mutually agreeable solutions. I served as the senior civilian strategic engagements coordinator for the Commander's Communication Synchronization Working Group for the US European Command, supervising a staff of 25 personnel, ranging from contractors to military personnel/Reservists, and interns.

I managed the command's digital communications program using official websites and social media platforms, and provide social media guidance and analysis in the development of media operations, communication planning, public affairs guidance, news or press releases, and senior leader prep packages. I was a government spokesperson who responded to media queries for information about USEUCOM programs, plans, policies, operations, and activities. I provided training and recommendations for official web content managers throughout the command. I also worked with other military commands worldwide, NATO, and allied military partners to support their communication campaigns and objectives. I also worked closely with the Defense Media Activity (DMA) and American Forces Network throughout the theater to synchronize multimedia content and strategy on behalf of command senior leaders.

I was a public affairs specialist for the Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs (ASPA) office at the Department of Health and Human Services, supporting HHS strategic communication goals for information programs, web sites, blogs, and social media platforms related to health care, food safety, mental health resources, smoking cessation, and more. This includes HHS.gov, HealthCare.gov, FoodSafety.gov, BeTobaccoFree.gov, Vaccines.gov, StopBullying.Gov, and more.

I was an Individual Mobilization Augmentee Reservist, serving a few weeks a year at the military headquarters. I wrote and edited articles for the official Air Force News Service, published on www.af.mil with more than 3.4 million viewers worldwide.From 2009 to 2012, I served at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, as a traditional Air Force Reservist. I created and managed web content for the official 445th Airlift Wing web site and newsletter. I also interacted and communicated with followers of the wing’s social media presence on Facebook, while providing consultation about social media for Reserve Airmen worldwide. I supervised military writers, provided on-the-job training, and ensured proper record management and Air Force standards.

I wrote and managed web content material for the official Department of Defense web site (defense.gov) and Armed With Science blog. (science.dodlive.mil). I also produced a social media strategy for Armed With Science, and developed social media campaigns designed to invite and engage with followers of DOD’s official science and technology blog/social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. I also provided frequent social media and web content management training to military and civilian organizations.

As an Air Force public affairs non-commissioned officer, I contributed to the development of the Air Force's first official social media policy. I frequently conducted social media training and writing sessions at various workshops and presentations. I developed multimedia products (articles, images, photos) for official Air Force social media sites: Air Force Live blog, Air Force YouTube/BlueTube, Facebook, Twitter, and more. I also organized training events for Airmen, such as annual writing and multimedia workshops.

During this Air Force public affairs assignment, I produced more than 500 U.S. Air Force press releases and images for local, national and international audiences. I routinely wrote official Air Force articles for www.af.mil with more than 3.4 million viewers. I was also a frequent writer for senior leader Congressional speeches and internal/external communication products. I also deployed as a combat correspondent to Qatar, Iraq and Afghanistan, documenting military missions through various multimedia products for both military and civilian publication.

As editor, I led a staff of writers and photographers to produce the award-winning weekly base newspaper, The Vigileer. I also was the web content manager for the base web site. I produced and edited articles, photos and graphics for internal and external audiences. I appeared weekly on the local American Forces Network radio morning show as the base spokesperson on current key issues. I also planned and participated in various community relations events to promote American and Italian partnership, to include frequently speaking at local Italian schools and groups as an Air Force representative. I was regularly consulted to provide news media training thru an intensive media training program used by senior military leaders and personnel in the region.

I provided award-winning public affairs and media support in response to crisis events such as the 2000 terrorist attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, the 2000 Kaprun, Austria ski-lift fire, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and more. As a result, I regularly engaged with American and German media representatives, such as Reuters, Associated Press, CNN, NBC, Today Show, Late Night with David Letterman, MTV, Air Force Times, Stars and Stripes, etc., to promote base and Air Force missions. In the meantime, I also produced more than 150 articles and photos for the local base newspaper with 44,000 readers.