Melanie Krakauer Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Greater Chicago Area

Tasked with building trust and support for the District brand and the District high schools with the surrounding community. Key goals included identifying and sharing compelling stories and solidifying relationships with community stakeholders. Developed, researched and edited new written and multimedia content for the District’s websites, social networking accounts and print and electronic publications. Wrote 10-20 feature stories and press releases each month. Led strategic social media workshops and consultations for internal and external groups, while working to expand the District channels. Increased District followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by 100%. Monitored web traffic and analytics to make meaningful web content management decisions and worked to increase open and click-through rates on monthly e-newsletter sent to 8,000 parents. Led parent, staff and student focus groups in order to gain insight on strategic communication plans. Oversaw the development of a PR Internship program, the recruitment of two student interns and the completion of their weekly assignments. Increased department productivity by 20%. Served on the Regional and Executive Board of the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association, shared messages and offered strategic advice to members and recruited potential new members. Organized the 50+ person judging process for the annual INSPRA Communication Contest and Distinguished Service Awards. Also acted as judge for surrounding state’s Contests to gain insight on current public relations trends.

Worked as Project Manager for internal marketing clients, helping to develop marketing campaigns and collateral including flyers, banners, e-blasts, brochures, websites and customized videos. Clients included the Educational Foundation, Student Activities Office, Studio V fashion boutique and health career programs including massage therapy, pharmacy assistant and veterinary technician. Served as interim Community Relations Manager, planning events and sponsorships to bolster the relationship between the College and surrounding communities. Planned nearly a dozen interactive field trips for middle schoolers to introduce to them the concept of higher education. Wrote weekly news tips and pitched news stories to news media – helping to secure coverage highlighting campus events and student successes. Drafted original copy for sponsored advertorials and college publications sent to potential donors and local residents. Shared social media content on behalf of News Bureau and clients on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. Created and filmed 70+ videos and grew multimedia database by 200%.

Contributed press releases to weekly News Tip Sheet and pitch tailored feature news stories to print, online and broadcast mediaTracked and updated news coverage on College’s Media Relations web pageMaintained College social media websites, including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Youtube

Ba, Communication

Ce Certificate, Meeting And Event Planning

Overseas Student Program

Education record