Tara Mcclelland Email & Phone Number

United States

Marketing Director at Transport Topics (2012 – Present)During my 11-year tenure as Marketing Director, I have continuously adapted to the evolving media landscape, staying in sync with the industry's changes and trends. From foundational branding and cross-functional strategy to digital innovation, I've spearheaded our evolution.2012-2017: Building Blocks & Team Synergy*Launched pivotal projects like LiveOnWeb and The RoadSigns Podcast, uniting brand and audience growth.*Orchestrated digital/print direction and database growth.*Cultivated a marketing force, syncing with sales and creative units.2017-2022: Digital Frontiers & Portfolio Growth*Advanced our systems for data and automation, tripling our product suite.*Directed creative strategy and digital campaigns, amplifying our reach.*Pioneered a digital subscription model through first-party data and marketing automation.2023-Onward: Visionary Leadership & Market Foresight*Steered audience development with data engineering, fueling revenue and growth.*Became a strategic architect, guiding high-level decisions and digital publishing paths.*Fostered product innovation, aligning with an ever-evolving media terrain.As the media world transforms, so does my role—from a team leader to a fabric weaver of our brand's multi-layered narrative. At every step along the way, my ability to anticipate future trends has ensured that we remain at the forefront of innovation, establishing Transport Topics as a leading figure in the industry.

At University of Maryland, I discovered a world where UX design and literature teaching coalesced. Embracing roles from Graduate Assistant to Digital Product Development Lead, I championed diverse perspectives and innovative thinking. As a leader in academic website development, I reimagined the Department's website, focusing on user experience and information architecture. This involved researching student needs, selecting a CMS, and transitioning from an outdated site, all while collaborating closely with faculty and developers. In parallel, my role as an academic advisor allowed me to guide students through their educational paths, acting as a liaison with the university administration. This experience sharpened my skills in personal engagement and understanding diverse academic needs. My time at the University of Maryland was a blend of technology, academia, and student-centered innovation, each role contributing to my understanding of effective educational and digital strategies.

Managed in-house marketing agency and worked directly with senior management to map out comprehensive and successful promotion and publicity campaigns. In this role, I began to learn to lead groups and manage colleagues. I ran brainstorming sessions and marketing planning meetings, steered product design and creative project direction, and began to work more closely with digital technologies. As an early digital marketer, I began A/B split testing and measuring copy. And learned how to perfect the Call-to-Action. On the product side, I lead a small website-development team and launched web-based catalog and e-commerce site.

Working in the niche space of trucking industry media, I worked with the editorial, sales, client services, and fulfillment functions to define, budget, implement, and measure marketing goals. I became an audience builder and specialized in new customer growth and direct marketing. The role included creative campaign development (concept, copywriting, design guidance), printed and digital collateral production management, and media trafficking.

In this business development and marketing role, I learned to manage relationships with C-Suite executives at Fortune 500 companies. My core responsibilities included initiating relationships with and delivering presentations to senior executives in Finance, Information Technology, and Strategy. As part of a professional services-oriented marketing team, I helped orchestrate and facilitate client meetings, plan and execute client conferences, and manage marketing projects as needed. In those projects, I focused on writing and editing personalized copy to pair firm-approved marketing materials. Packages included client deliverables, client service packets, letters, presentations, research samples, telemarketing scripts.

Ph.D. Candidate, English

Master'S Degree, English Language And Literature/Letters

Bachelor'S Degree, International Relations And Affairs

Activities and Societies: Pi Beta Phi, Admissions Programming, Student Government

Bachelor'S Degree, German Language And Literature