In addition to being responsible EKCEP's internal and external communications, Web and social media presence, marketing, and promotional efforts, I play an integral role in strategic planning efforts key in ensuring future expansion for the nonprofit workforce development agency’s services and programs. I am very proud to help EKCEP further its mission of preparing, advancing, and expanding the workforce of Eastern Kentucky.Additionally, I am responsible for the project management, grant management, and agency direction of the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) initiative--funded in part by an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) POWER grant--and project direction and grant management for EKCEP's Teleworks USA remote-work initiative. Learn more at www.teleworksusa.com.

I served as Director of Marketing and Public Relations at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Ky., where I had oversight of the marketing, public and media relations, and communications for the non-profit organization and its various programs and services across its 42-county primary service area and beyond. My work included launching and steering the first comprehensive rebranding/marketing effort for The Center since its inception in 1996. These efforts resulted in the organization earning three prestigious 2010 ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation's Lexington (KY) Advertising Club, and one 2011 ADDY Award. Our public relations and marketing efforts also garnered statewide recognition from our peers among state government in Frankfort with a total of seven awards from the Kentucky Association of Government Communicators in the 2011 Awards of Excellence, including two first place awards, one second place award, and four honorable mentions. At the 2012 KAGC Awards of Excellence, our efforts allowed us to capture Third Place "Office of the Year" out of all Kentucky state and local government communications offices that submitted a record total of more than 100 entries. Our work earned three First Place Awards of Excellence, three Second Place Awards of Merit, and two Honorable Mentions. I also had oversight of the creation of the organization's redesigned flagship website, www.centertech.com, which launched in mid-July 2011 after nine months of project work. In addition to these items, I also was responsible for powering the organization's social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.

I worked for seven years with the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP), a federally funded nonprofit workforce development agency serving 23 Kentucky counties. I worked in communications, marketing, and public relations, and helped spearhead key promotions for the organization's workforce and employer services. I departed EKCEP as the agency’s communications manager, a position in which I oversaw the agency’s full internal and external communications.

I served in the capacity of news editor at the Appalachian News-Express, one of the most highly decorated and award-winning multi-weekly newspapers in Kentucky. I worked with a newsroom of around 11 individuals, and worked closely with other editors and the publisher to craft the daily direction of the publication's news content, story creation, and editorial direction. My efforts there earned me roughly 30 Kentucky Press Association awards, including 13 first-place awards, and two National Newspaper Association awards. These wins also ensured the entire newspaper garnered General Excellence honors as the state's top multi-weekly newspaper each year during my three-year tenure.

My first post-college journalism position was with The Winchester Sun, a small daily newspaper in Winchester, KY, that is only around 20 miles from Lexington, one of Kentucky's top metro areas. While there, I served as a staff reporter, covering spot news events, police-related events, and county school board news. I also regularly produced feature stories and feature photography.

Collegiate newspaper of Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky.