The National Center For Family Literacy is the leading innovator of literacy solutions for more than 1 million families nationwide since 1989. I am providing change leadership to evolve the mission and strategy. The primary objectives involve outlining a new pathway to heighten relevance and impact, envisioning new initiatives and strategies, and implementing new digital assets and offerings. I am sharply focusing on fund development strategy to engage, inspire, and retain major donors. Also, I am conceptualizing new programming to maintain relevance in face of technology advancements. I oversee 7 direct and 20 indirect reports.► Delineated strategy to raise $45 million+, from US and worldwide individual, corporate, and foundation donors. Personally solicited gifts and reinvestments, and secured deep financial support for signature programs.► Innovated and launched Wonderopolis®, a modern literacy platform engaging students, educators and caregivers around nonfiction text and high-interest topics. Sourced world-class strategic partners to develop digital platform.► Wonderopolis® captured 2.6 million users annually. Named among TIME Magazine’s Best 50 Web Sites in the World. Captured USA Today’s 4 stars for content. Won Parenting Magazine’s Best App Award. Featured in The New York Times. ► Developed and unveiled Family Time Machine®, providing a bank of literacy activities for parents/caregivers to utilize with children. Family Time Machine® has been lauded in online communities such as Babble and Education Week. ► Recruited and strategically leveraged pre-eminent, best-selling authors to further the cause of literacy, including Bruce Feiler, Monica Holloway, and Richard Carlson.► Authored numerous print and digital opinion and thought leadership pieces for publications including The San Francisco Chronicle and NBC’s Education Nation.

I advanced to this role to define and execute a formal strategy to engage new corporate donors. I articulated a value proposition to prospective donors such as national booksellers, Unilever, and FAO Schwartz, emphasizing the benefits of an alliance with the organization.► Innovated National Bedtime Story Month® in partnership with Unilever, a registered, trademarked event generating $200K in cash donations and millions of media impressions. ► Translated literacy research and educational content for parents into actionable tips and guidance on bedtime story reading, printed on select product packaging such as Snuggle.► Secured organization’s 1st celebrity spokesperson, Sean Astin, featured in dedicated full-page Parade magazine ad, capturing $350K in new funding and 3 million media impressions.

At this time, my role was to implement the executive director’s fundraising vision, which encompassed identifying and capturing high-profile partnerships, reinvigorating dormant partnerships to win re-investments, and providing philanthropic counsel to funding partners. I provided leadership to the development staff.► Outlined donor engagement and stewardship strategy to maintain consistent funding streams: targeted new individual, foundation, and corporate sectors.► Strategically directed series of fund development and donor retention initiatives that generated up to 80% of organization’s annual budget.

In this role, I defined and drove the PR and communications strategy, and served as organization spokesperson. I fully developed the integrated communications plan, collateral materials, and web presence. As a highly-trained professional speaker, I wrote and delivered keynote speeches, and provided interviews. I cultivated and managed national media relationships.► Captured unprecedented promotion on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Lifetime TV, and The Hallmark Channel. ► Overhauled PR, decreasing spend 50% while simultaneously enhancing media coverage and national recognition.

I was a fundraiser for a US Senate campaign in OH for a candidate seeking to replace John Glenn. I secured financial backing from EMILY's List and other national fundraising entities supporting progressive female candidates.

Here, I principally liaised with agencies and commissions on Cabinet officials’ behalf, and continually cultivated new legislative and executive branch supporters. I composed and designed the Cabinet’s 1st annual report.