Leigh Balon Email & Phone Number

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

- Serves as the Director of Communications for the Brookings Metro research program, which is focused on domestic policy topics including housing, infrastructure, economic development, innovation and tech, jobs and the labor market, climate, and race and demography- Leads Brookings Metro's long-term strategic communications efforts to ensure the program is having high impact and visibility, aligned with Institution-wide priorities- Supervises and manages the performance and professional growth for a team of communications professionals responsible for the production and promotion of all of Brookings Metro's research content and thought leadership- Oversees event strategy and execution; media relations; social media; static and interactive data viz; web and newsletter production; copy editing; review processes; and partnerships- Cultivates and maintains relationships with key journalists on behalf of Metro and guides program scholars in the production and placement of commentary in nationally or regionally significant media outlets- Develops digital outreach strategies to maximize Metro’s impact and grow engagement on digital outreach channels, including X (Twitter) and other social media channels- Manages Metro’s web manager to ensure website is up to date, evaluates how external audiences interact with the Brookings website, and makes recommendations to improve user experience- Represents Metro internally, to central communications and the other program-level communications directors, and externally, to program partners and donors, as needed- Uses available analytics data to continually evaluate and improve digital marketing strategies and identify opportunities to leverage Brookings’s institution-wide outreach channels- Partners with Metro scholars on product-level communications strategy and proposes key messaging and develops tactics to effectively engage intended audiences

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

- Serves as the Assistant Director of Communications for the Brookings Metro research program, focusing on domestic policy topics including housing, infrastructure, economic development, innovation and tech, jobs and the labor market, climate, and race and demography- Acts as the program’s managing editor, overseeing the day-to-day production and promotion of our public policy publications including reports, short-form analysis, and commentary- Collaborates with communications and research colleagues to develop and implement strategies that effectively present and disseminate our research, engage and grow our audience, and maximize our impact- Manages a team responsible for copy edit, graphic design, web and newsletter production, social media, and media relations

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

- Served on the senior leadership team for the local print and digital media company covering Montgomery County, Maryland, a county of more than 1 million residents - Managed a department responsible for marketing, audience development and engagement, analytics, digital products, and reader revenue- Developed and implemented growth strategies, including for SEO, social media, and newsletters- Developed and implemented a centralized analytics strategy to guide editorial, marketing, and sales- Oversaw the operations and development of a website with over 350,000 users per month, and newsletters with over 25,000 subscribers- Produced and edited editorial and marketing content for social media, newsletters, digital advertising, and more- Managed the newsroom’s membership program through a period of precipitous growth- Maintained and improved internal systems, including a centralized audience development funnel and CRM

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Silver Spring, Maryland

- Supported the implementation and execution of marketing initiatives, campaigns, partnerships, and events to help meet the TLC network’s viewership and brand goals- Supported TLC promo production by tracking deliverables and coordinating with vendors

Silver Spring, Maryland

- Wrote and produced for the Twenty Thousand Hertz and Lean & Hungry podcasts- Wrote features for various news media companies, including The Baltimore Sun and Takoma Voice

College Park, Maryland

- Co-managed the university’s visiting author series- Managed the living-learning program's website and social media- Taught undergraduate courses, including poetry workshops and a study-abroad course on James Joyce's Ulysses

Washington D.C. Metro Area

- Researched locations, sourced footage, and booked talent for several network television series

Master Of Fine Arts, Creative Writing

Bachelor Of Arts, English And Psychology

Minor in creative writing

Traveling Story Workshop

I completed a week-long onsite intensive on audio journalism. Atlantic Public Media (APM) administers Transom.