Self-employed consultant working with a variety of clients on media, marketing, and messaging needs, including website design, branding, and press relations

Program, Project, and Event Management- Direct annual Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade, Uptown’s largest parade and street festival- Execute successful in-person return after a three-year pandemic hiatus resulting in attendance increase of approximately 30%- Direct and oversee all operational event needs, including timelines and deliverables, reservations and rentals, and vendor review and management- Facilitate communication and maintain collaborative relationships with variety of partners, including CDOT, CMPD, CFD, Charlotte Water, CATS, CCCP, CRVA, Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement, Emergency Management, and others - Designed, wrote, and supervised event safety and crisis communication plans- Serve as primary point of contact and problem solver during organization’s large-scale events- Handle and de-escalate tense situations with protesters, visitors, and community members to ensure a safe and welcoming environment- Coordinate closely with local government partners to ensure compliance with all local and state ordinances, laws, and regulationsStaff, Board, and Volunteer Management- Develop close relationships with Board supervisors to escalate questions, report progress, and oversee continued organizational development- Work closely with Board President and other Board officers including Treasurer to manage board meetings and overall organizational management- Supervise and work closely staff and volunteer leadersCommunications and Community Relations- Direct and manage all internal and external communication- Operate as organization’s primary public and media spokesperson - Work with a variety of partners’ public relations departments to ensure proper communication of partners’ participation in organization events- Coordinate with dozens of nonprofits, corporations, and civic/community leaders to ensure a successful and cohesive event- Direct and maintain all communications and technology needs of the organization

- Managed editorial calendar of biweekly community newspaper- Produced editorial content in a wide variety of genres (breaking news, investigative news, lifestyle, arts and entertainment) for daily publication online and for inclusion in biweekly printed editions- Oversaw graphic design, layout, and production of printed editions- Directed, managed, and maintained newspaper’s website, including direct online publishing of news and other content- Management and promotion of newspaper content on social media and through various community partnerships- Collaborated with publisher and production staff to match needs of community partners and advertisers