Maria Elkin Email & Phone Number

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Content Strategy- Advises internal clients on the best framing for their work, and whether their tactics align with their goals and audiences- Works closely with the web, design, and studio teams on visual products, ensuring they are produced with audience and outreach strategy in mind- Identifies new channels and strategies for outreach and engagementStrategic Communications- Works with internal clients to communicate complex topics in ways their audience understands- Develops strategic communications plans to promote research products to advance institutional and client goals- Conducted brand awareness surveys (solo and with agencies) and supported development and rollout of new brand language- Provided crisis communications counselEditorial and Outreach- Undertook a 6-month research and strategic planning sprint to conceptualize and launch a new institutional newsletter and blog for short-form content- Wrote and oversaw design of New America’s 2015-20 annual reports- Advises internal clients on op-ed strategy and placement, identified outlets, and drafted pitch emails, with proven track record of success- Provides big-picture feedback and line edits on draft op-eds, blogs, and executive summaries- Oversees in-house copyediting and proofreading - Developed New America’s in-house style guide Management- Managed editors, communications staff, graphic designers, web developers, and dataviz developers- Instituted team-wide adoption of project management and time-tracking tools Asana and Harvest- Seeks out professional development opportunities for my team- Ran org-wide job and skills trainings for staff- Collects, analyzes, and reports on team performance data

Washington D.C. Metro Area

- Collaborated across varied projects in global health, research, safety, and international development- Wrote blog posts, opinion pieces, press releases, talking points, and event remarks for client leadership- Developed short- and long-term media and communications strategies- Created editorial style guide to ensure consistent copyediting- Adapted highly scientific papers and documents for lay audiences- Tracked crises and emerging news stories, and refine department’s methods of daily media monitoring- Provided in-depth analyses of the success of communications efforts- Researched and analyzed social media landscapes to identify influencers, hashtags and conversations for clients to engage- Ensured client deliverables are completed on deadline and on budget

Arlington, Va

- Assisted in proposal and grant writing- Created one-page pitch documents for prospective programs

Arlington, Va

- Helped manage and execute grants and competitions for innovators and entrepreneurs in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus- Supported web content creation, and authored press releases, success stories, and competition winner bios.

Washington, D.C.

- Took on all duties of communications officer for eight week interim hiring period, including fielding press calls and becoming point-of-contact for all events- Organized and executed the 2013 Bill Maynes Fellowship panel discussion and reception at the Embassy of Finland, coordinating invitations and RSVPs, videography, and photography- Composed daily social media posts, gaining 400 new Twitter followers in three months and increasing average click-through-rate 500%- Organized networking events, lectures, and meetings for the Young Professionals Network and developed content for YPN digital newsletter - Designed collateral, including graphics, newsletters, and brochures- Wrote impact stories for website to highlight program successes

East Lansing, Mi And Washington, D.C.

At Clean Water Action, I led teams of grassroots organizers in Michigan, New Jersey, and Virginia in door-to-door environmental campaigns, to protect lakes, rivers, drinking water, and human health.Major Campaigns- Michigan: Collected signatures and campaigned for a ballot initiative to increase the amount of renewable energy being used in the state.- New Jersey: Took part in month-long campaign with Food and Water Watch to make Gov. Christie aware of public support to ban treatment of hydrofracking wastewater in New Jersey- Virginia: Campaigned for the election of environmentally progressive candidates like Tim Kaine in 2012 National ElectionAs part of the office leadership team, I trained and retained four new canvassers through their Day 10 training goal, teaching necessary communication skills, fundraising techniques, and community engagement strategies.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Completed semester-long internship and academic program in Washington D.C. as part of my major at Michigan State University. Acted as a research assistant for two prominent fellows, Dr. Lawrence Altman, a contract writer and former journalist for the New York Times, and Ms. Kathleen Vogel, Associate Professor of Science and Technology at Cornell University.I helped Dr. Altman conduct research for a book on the reporting on the health of political leaders for Dr. Altman and also assisted in writing three articles for The New York Times, where I received contributor credit.I assisted Ms. Vogel in researching and interviewing individuals for a documentary on the lives of former Soviet bioweapons specialists, including translated and transcribing interviews and Russian newspaper articles for a future Cornell University website on Ms. Vogel's project.

East Lansing, Mi

I assisted the College of Social Sciences at MSU during the summer 2011 Academic Orientation Program, directing over 1500 incoming students for initial academic advising appointments, keeping track of name, major, and time of arrival. I also managed the Social Sciences Student Affairs office during lunch hours

East Lansing, Mi

I led a team of six in formulating an educational crisis committee based on the 1960s Soviet government for a high-school model United Nations conference hosted by Michigan State University. This committee encouraged high school students in developing research and document organization skills, as well as facilitating leadership, speech, and debate. I inspired my junior staffers to go on to attain Senior Staff positions in the 2012 conference.

Lansing, Michigan Area

As an administrative intern, I performed day-to-day office tasks as needed, primarily assisting with front desk duties. However, I was soon given tasks like drafting advocacy letters to members of Congress on behalf of the Speaker on bringing industry jobs to Michigan and composing five special tributes awarded to outstanding citizens and representatives of leadership in Michigan.