Laura Meade Kirk Email & Phone Number

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Responsible for development and oversight of strategic communications and marketing initiatives. Also responsible for ensuring companywide regulatory compliance. • Proposed and implemented a bold new marketing and rebranding campaign to promote the Slater Center as a vital health and wellness resource for approved and prospective medical cannabis patients;• Spearheaded the development of a new, user-friendly, optimized website and mobile app with increased functionality, including online ordering;* Managed the implementation of a new seed-to-sale software system, as well as integration with Rhode Island's regulatory compliance software and ongoing compliance as Metrc administrator.Also served as Interim Director of Dispensary Operations during the height of the pandemic, responsible for management of all retail operations, including patient orientation and outreach, dispensary sales, online ordering and drive-thru pickup. Responsibilities:* Recruitment, training and management of a team of nearly 50 patient advisors and supervisors, including developing new personnel policies to address chronic absenteeism and lateness; * Developing policies and procedures to ensure efficient, effective and consistent delivery of services, while improving efficiencies between sales and other business units; * Establishing guidelines for handling and recording of patient interactions, to include patient outreach; complaints and concerns; returns, refunds and disputes; * Ensuring vigilant compliance with all federal, state and local laws.

North Scituate, Rhode Island

Responsible for media relations, public relations, crisis communications, social media and speech writing and public relations for the RI State Police and Department of Public Safety, including the Division of Sheriffs, Capitol Police, E 911 Uniform Emergency Telephone System, Municipal Police Training Academy and Grants Administration Office.• Served as first full-time spokesperson for the RI State Police and other DPS agencies.• Improved communication and transparency by establishing guidelines for preparing, disseminating and posting news releases and advisories.• Established a media contact list, cultivating relationships with dozens of journalists.• Handled staging, reporting, photography and videography of news events. • Providing media training and coaching for command staff and other employees. • Managed crisis communications, including advising command staff and other state agencies as to appropriate strategies for responding to media and public inquiries.

Southborough, Mass.

Responsible for strategic communications, including traditional, social and digital marketing and communications for one of the largest divorce and family law firms in Massachusetts.• Managed a $1 million plus advertising budget, including online marketing (Google PPC, SEO and SEM website development), radio and print campaigns.• Oversaw the consolidation of nearly a dozen affiliated legal practices and websites into one cohesive, unified brand with a consistent look, message and tone.• Proposed cost-cutting measures to reduce online marketing costs by more than 50 percent, while increasing lead generation from our target markets.• Proposed, recruited and managed a Client Experience (CX) Team to improve client service and efficiency in the handling of more than 1,000 incoming calls each month.

Providence, Rhode Island

Responsible for development and oversight of print, broadcast, video and digital marketing and communications, as well as managing the communications staff and interns. Served as college spokesperson and media liaison; handled reputation monitoring and crisis management.• Oversaw complete revamp of the college website to improve content, appearance and user-experience, including instituting a responsive, mobile-friendly design.• Created and launched a weekly e-newsletter for employees as well as a branded email campaign for students, families and faculty, including email and mobile alerts.• Developed and launched a social media initiative with a comprehensive content calendar and marketing plan targeting current and prospective students and parents.• Executed complete redesign of the Rhode Island College Alumni Magazine, the Rhode Island College Summer Course Catalogue and other brochures and collateral

Providence Ri

Adjunct professor, teaching news and public relations writing, with a special focus on digital journalism, social media and integration of multi-media. Previously taught introductory, intermediate and advanced news writing classes at the University of Rhode Island for nearly 25 years.

Lincoln, Rhode Island

Responsible for developing, managing and executing public relations and social media marketing initiatives using traditional, social and digital media for Amica, a Fortune 1000 company. Proposed, launched and managed a ground-breaking social media initiative that was among the most robust in the industry - and among major RI corporations - at the time.• Proposed and created a social media initiative that has become a focal point of the company’s ongoing marketing and communications efforts.• Oversaw creation of a social media strategic plan and corporate social media policy for employees and established procedures to monitor, report and respond to mentions of the brand in traditional and online media. • Proposed and created a public relations strategy that included the development of a master schedule of news releases and social media posts.• Created the Amica Storm Center and the News You Can Use pages on the website to promote company news and provide helpful information and storm tips.

Responsible for generating, assigning, reporting, writing and editing news and feature stories for traditional and digital media, including our website and other online initiatives, as well as managing the northwest bureau and supervising a staff of reporters and administrative staff.• Helped launch an exciting new multimedia women’s initiative for ProJo.com during its infancy. I was responsible for conceiving and producing dynamic, interactive Web content including stories, blogs, photographs, slide shows and videos.• Created thousands of news stories, photos, videos and web posts for the newspaper, website and weekly magazine. (Personal and professional highpoint: cited by the Providence Police Department and Public Safety Commissioner for my role in helping to successfully negotiate the surrender of an infant from a gunman during a hostage crisis.)