Keeley Laforme Email & Phone Number

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

• Create strategic public relations plans based on business and nonprofit clients’ goals; execute plans using tactics including media relations, community outreach, content creation, social media, etc.• Pitch media and place stories in media including the Tampa Bay Times, ABC Action News, FOX Tampa Bay and Charley’s World, WTSP Ch. 10, the Tampa Bay Business Journal and the Montgomery Advertiser• Develop content including press releases, media advisories, talking points, shareholder letters, blog posts, Facebook ads and social media posts• Major accomplishments include:o Garnering media coverage for Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts programs, from Cultural Encounters to the scholarship programo Facilitating a relationship between local pup-fluencer Ezra the Yorkie and SPCA Tampa Bay, with Ezra now serving as an SPCA Tampa Bay Ambassadoro Creating a Snapchat account and geofilter for the Knight Parade, which earned 50,000 views during the 2017 paradeo Organizing dinners at Marlow’s Tavern for Tampa-area food bloggers and social media accounts, leading to positive coverage in outlets like Tampa Bay Eats Out, Never Have I Ever Tampa Bay and This Jenn Girl• Received awards and commendations for work with SPCA Tampa Bay from the Florida Public Relations Association and Public Relations Society of America Florida chapter in 2017. Awards were received for a PR and marketing campaign about a fee-waived pet adoption event held in December 2016. Secured media coverage for the event, which resulted in 181 adoptions over a three-day period• Started as account coordinator at B2; promoted to account executive November 2016• Regularly speak to journalism, communications and marketing classes at local universities about careers in communications and internships available at B2

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

• Increased coverage of the museum in area publications by pitching stories on exhibits and programs, resulting in consistent coverage of guest speakers and major exhibits in organizations like the Tampa Bay Times, Creative Loafing and WMNF• Wrote copy for press releases, e-blasts, mailers, fundraising campaigns, event programs, flyers and other marketing materials; drafted, designed and published quarterly newsletter• Oversaw production of printed materials such as event invitations (including annual gala fundraiser save the date cards and invitations) and quarterly event mailers • Managed and updated museum’s website and social media accounts• Organized panel discussions featuring Tampa Bay Times film critic Steve Persall and area film professors, and Times columnist Ernest Hooper and NPR television critic Eric Deggans, Power Broker editor Gypsy Gallardo and photographer/activist Herb Snitzer• Served as photographer at museum events

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

• Wrote and contributed to front-page stories while working as night reporter in Hillsborough County covering breaking news, crime and general assignment stories for the Tampa metro section• Covered community news and features in Hillsborough County; contributed to the paper’s popular Deal Divas blog. Stories include:o The dedication of a new memorial honoring fallen officers in Hillsborough Countyo A FishHawk Ranch woman who found joy after surviving a brain tumor in being a mermaido A group of friends who started a Brony convention in Tampa to raise money for All Children’s Hospital in Brandono A long-time Valrico business owner who sold the property he’d bought for $400 in 1951o Interviews with the family of a young woman who was raped outside the Bloomingdale Library in 2008 and required intense medical care• Worked up from position as editorial assistant compiling community news and school briefs and handling newsroom tasks like petty cash and assisting callers

Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area

• Wrote story for print on the issue of civil citations for first-time youthful offenders• Covered St. Petersburg City Council, Pinellas County Board of Commissioners, other Pinellas and Hillsborough County public meetings, local protests for Daily Loafing blog

• Wrote news on deadline and features about local school districts• Assisted in school board/budget vote reporting on deadline

M.A., Journalism

Activities and Societies: campus newspaper• Served as editor of The Crow's Nest student newspaper • Worked as a graduate assistant.

B.A, Anthropology, English, Journalism

Activities and Societies: The Spectrum Student Periodical Inc., Generation Magazine• Served in editor roles at The Spectrum student.