Melissa Mcdonough Email & Phone Number

Princeton, New Jersey, United States

Newark, New Jersey, United States

Newark, New Jersey, United States

In this position, I collaborated with senior-level leadership on defining strategy and managing internal communications and employee engagement programs for the IT division. This included maintaining our weekly communications calendar; creating copy and content for email and newsletters; and assessing the audience response to communications campaigns so that we could adjust as needed to improve employee engagement. I also built trust with internal stakeholders to tailor communications plans based on team needs and supported multiple projects, such as fundraising efforts and workplace culture initiatives. Selected Achievements:- Played a vital role in shaping the Communications & Engagement division from the ground up, bringing together the vision and ideas for the IT team in new strategic communications plans and activities focused on building a clear team culture. - Served as the liaison to the Corporate Communications team. - Managed multiple programs, including communications and onboarding efforts, such as the Horizon IT Innovation, Summer Internship, and First Flyer Career Development Programs. - Launched our communications calendar, request process, and weekly emails with the team to build consensus and ensure consistent strategy, messaging, and execution across all programs and campaigns.- Rewrote and refined policies, including the reimbursement policy for continuing education.

Building off the work I did as Franchise Relations Leader, I defined our corporate communications strategy and ensured we effectively shared policies, updates, and information with 500+ franchisees for both the Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt and MidiCi Neapolitan Pizza Company brands. I also reviewed all communications to ensure alignment with overall company messaging; gathered input and edited content from multiple departments to create a consistent, cohesive corporate voice; and refined communications based on trends and feedback. Additionally, I served as admin for our internal Facebook communities and pages. Selected Achievements:- Launched staggered communications calendars for our franchisees to minimize overloading them with information and managed these calendars by gathering content for sharing and prioritizing distribution. - Assessed the audiences for various emails and newsletters to balance sharing of data and refine tone.- Designed weekly recap emails to highlight core information shared throughout the previous week, which optimized franchisees’ time by targeting our messaging based on their operational needs. - Managed the company intranet, including updating resources and postings, sharing news on bulletin boards, and providing technical assistance and support on the system for franchisees. - Partnered with our vendor during the upgrade and rollout of the intranet and communicated changes to the platform to franchisees. - Contributed to the planning of Town Hall meetings with 50-100 attendees each, which included managing online platforms, organizing Skype presentations, communicating with vendors, and preparing agendas.- Monitored engagement in our Franchise Advisory Council meetings and gathered insights to shape our communications strategy and ensure alignment between corporate objectives and actual store operations.

When I started with the organization, I was responsible for nurturing and managing relationships with nearly 50 franchisee accounts. I served as the liaison between franchisees and our corporate team, including communicating daily with franchisees to assess their challenges, resolve concerns, and gather feedback for our internal departments. I also collaborated with the Real Estate and Development team on planning new location openings. Selected Achievements:- Built and directed a training and advocacy program for our franchisees, teaching seminars several times a year to improve understanding and engagement in the Menchie’s loyalty program. - Acted as Communications Ambassador responsible for reviewing and editing internal communications before distribution, adjusting content to align with franchisee expectations. - Trained and coached internal team members on best practices in communicating with franchisees.

Manhattan Beach, Ca