Kate Newton Schmelyun Email & Phone Number

Baltimore, Maryland Area

Baltimore, Maryland Area

Working closely with the head of MOED's Youth Services division, I plan, coordinate and execute a wide range of projects (all with a strong writing component) in support of MOED's efforts to prepare Baltimore City residents between the ages of 14 and 24 for the workforce. These initiatives include the YouthWorks summer jobs program; Youth Opportunity Baltimore, serving young people who are disconnected from both school and the workforce; and the PACT program, which addresses the over-representation of African-American youth in juvenile detention. Responsibilities include grant writing and funding reports, social media management, newsletters, brochures, flyers, mailings, PowerPoint presentations, and speech writing.

I was hired for this temporary role, which was made permanent in October 2011 after I proved myself to be a valuable team player. I was responsible for a variety of activities that served to promote and market MOED, the City of Baltimore's workforce development agency, which serves adult and youth jobseekers as well as local employers. My projects included: developing content for and managing the production of the agency's quarterly newsletter; interviewing adult and youth customers, employers and partners/stakeholders and writing feature stories and profile pieces; writing press releases, working with reporters, and assisting with press events to secure coverage of MOED in a variety of news outlets; preparing talking points and correspondence for the agency director and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake; researching and growing the agency's social media presence; and creating the Baltimore City Foundation's Annual Report.

Media and public relations: I was responsible for identifying, developing, and managing multiple projects that supported the company’s brand and enhanced public awareness of its mission and product lines through news coverage placed across the spectrum of print, broadcast, and web-based venues. This included working with national media as well as local outlets in Baltimore and other U.S. cities for the corporate Erickson enterprise, individual Erickson communities, and The Erickson Foundation. I was also updated the company’s online press room and news blog, and wrote articles for external marketing pieces.Internal communications: I oversaw a weekly e-newsletter for Erickson’s more than 12,000 employees; planned and developed content for a monthly print newsletter and biannual employee magazine; and assisted with employee relations projects as needed.

This position involved handling media relations as well as writing and editing publications and marketing pieces for various stakeholders, including students, alumni, faculty, and staff.