Leslie Wolf Branscomb Email & Phone Number

San Diego, California, United States

Working hard to get the good news out every day about what the City of San Diego does for its residents. Currently representing the City's Sustainability & Mobility Department, which is probably the coolest assignment ever. Stay tuned for up-to-date news about electric vehicles, tree-planting projects, and all the ways we can help make our world a better, healthier, more sustainable place to live. My job includes writing news releases, handling media inquiries, sending out internal communications to City staff, creating flyers and letters for City projects, editing reports and presentations to the City Council, drafting social media messages, writing articles for the employee newsletter, updating the City website, voicing City ad/ YouTube messages and more.

Freelance writer and editor specializing in politics, legal issues, education and the environment, but capable of writing about anything from the military to personality profiles and the arts. I also have experience in broadcasting, public relations, political communications, campaign work, research and proofreading. Have extensive experience in radio and recording voice-overs for non-profits, schools and the City of San Diego.Editor and proofreader for Angels Foster Family Network and charter schoolsTextbook editor and author of bilingual texts, AMCO International Education ServicesAuthor of biographies of Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren and fashion designer Marc JacobsEditor of fiction novels written by popular authors Jennifer Coburn and Bob GilbergFreelance writer, San Diego Union-TribuneEditor and writer, Smooth Jazz News MagazineEditor, Cytori TherapeuticsWriter and blogger, U.S. Naval InstituteWriter, Wildlife Art MagazineAssistant Editor, Left Side Lines Magazine

San Diego, California, United States

As Senior Public Information Officer for San Diego City Attorney Mara W. Elliott, I wrote press releases, handled media inquiries, set up interviews, news conferences and public appearances. I wrote speeches, talking points, and video scripts for the City Attorney, and conducted briefings on upcoming issues. I wrote a monthly column on topics relevant to the City Attorney's office for publication in numerous community newspapers. If you email the City Attorney's Office, I was the one who read your emails, answered your questions and solved your problems. I organized the annual Halloween children's costume donations and Christmas/holiday present drive for Your Safe Place, our Family Justice Center, which serves survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking.

Chula Vista, California

As the Senior Council Aide to Chula Vista City Council member Patricia Aguilar, I was her chief of staff, advisor and public information officer all rolled into one. I handled all the constituent communications, press releases, social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube) and made sure the councilwoman was connected in all possible ways with the citizens of Chula Vista. My job was to make sure the voters knew who she is, and what she's all about, and to help the councilwoman stay on top of the issues of the day. I also did research and reports on policy and legal issues, and kept the councilwoman informed on any new developments that may have affected her decision-making, and provided advice when necessary, while working closely with the council member to ensure that her actions were always in the best interests of the citizens of our community. I also attended community meetings, took photos and videos, wrote letters of legislative support, and engaged regularly with anyone who contacted our office, in addition to doing daily outreach to make sure that people had their needs met and their concerns heard at City Hall. Helped resurrect the beloved decades-old tradition of the Starlight Parade (after it stalled due to lack of funding and organization). This is actually one of my favorite accomplishments, since generations of Chula Vistans participated in and watched this parade, and I took my children to the Starlight Parade for years. If you live in Chula, you're welcome!

Patch was an innovative hyper-local news venture by AOL. It launched in 2009 on the East Coast and expanded to California and other states, with more than a dozen Patch sites launched in San Diego County in fall of 2010. My job, as one of the original Patch editors, was to program news coverage, edit the website, cover important breaking stories, take photos for the site as well as coordinate photography and videos for the national site, meet people, attend meetings, hire freelancers, manage the website's budget, pay employees, meet newsmakers, and make sure that people in San Diego County had a source for news and information that was quicker and more interactive than any other news source in the county. From breaking news to national trends, Patch editors made sure that the information readers need was online, 24-7.

San Diego Uptown News is a community newspaper and website offering news, political coverage, arts and entertainment and more for the communities of Hillcrest, Mission Hills, North Park, Normal Heights, Bankers Hill, Kensington, Balboa Park and Old Town. The publisher, the executive editor and I founded this paper during the recession, and built it into a success. As the founding editor, I was in on the ground floor during the formation of this newspaper at a time when newspapers were failing regularly; we did everything from renting space, formulating a budget, hiring, and designing a vision for our new paper. Today Uptown New is a successful, thriving community news source, online and in print.

As a Deputy Field Organizer for the 51st Congressional District, I was responsible for setting up and running local phone banks. The Travel Coordinator position involved recruiting volunteers and making arrangements for volunteers to travel to Nevada and other swing states; canvassed extensively in Nevada, and worked on Voter Protection project on Election Day in Las Vegas.

Did canvassing and phone banking during primary election cycle, in San Diego and Pennsylvania; served as convener for 51st Congressional District Democratic Caucus, and worked on San Diego Delegate Project.

As the newspaper's Legal Affairs editor, I supervised the reporters who covered the courts and legal issues, assigning and editing stories on a daily basis. I also was in charge of the downtown bureau, and led the paper's various legal campaigns seeking to preserve public access and First Amendment rights. For 17 years prior, I was a reporter covering legal and environmental issues, politics and doing investigative work, for which I won numerous awards.

Sidelines is a national non-profit organization serving women experiencing difficult or high-risk pregnancies. I volunteer as a peer counselor, helping women and their families cope with pre-term labor, bedrest and other pregnancy complications.