Melissa Josephson Edwards Email & Phone Number

United States

Partnering with business owners and executives to:• Create and disseminate ongoing and effective communications to keep employees/ customers/partners well informed• Triage and respond to inquiries and fulfill requests for information• Coach customers, employees, and partners through online processes/next steps of projects• Develop and disseminate customer/ employee/partner FAQs• Counsel employees on work from home issues• Create plans and manage online/email/phone communications• Streamline information flow• Develop executive profiles

United States

Senior Research Associate (December 2022 to present), Research Analyst (March 2017 to December 2022) for Keynova’s (formerly, Dynatrace) Scorecards for Financial Services practice. Reviews and assesses online and mobile sites and mobile applications of banks, credit cards, and insurance companies. Edits and reviews the publication of Scorecard studies, which provide a competitive assessment of firms’ digital channels and capabilities to service the needs of both customers and prospects.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Launched the BAFT CONNECT virtual networking platform and manage monthly sessions, recruiting table hosts and marketing the program to participants for BAFT, the leading international transaction banking and financial services association (affiliate of the American Bankers Association). In previous roles, managed client communications and payments committee programs. Facilitated the multi-stage update of the BAFT Interbank Compensation Rules with payments members to address regulatory changes in the industry and comply with association bylaws. Managed committee projects, including development of the annual Global Payments Symposium program, payments training program, and speaker series featuring leading industry executives from SWIFT, the Federal Reserve, The Clearing House, NACHA, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Developed communications programs and wrote more than 50 online newsletters for members of BAFT, summarizing the impact of the association’s payments and trade committees and association's advocacy and regulatory work. Served as the administrator of the Certified Documentary Credit Specialist (CDCS®) professional certification training program at BAFT, working in partnership with a U.K-based partner to promote the program and register hundreds of candidates throughout North America.

Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Project ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network• Recruitment specialist and cohort facilitator for Project ECHO, a national program that provides training and mentorship designed to reduce SARS-COV-2 and provide safe and appropriate care for COVID-19 patients in nursing homes. • Engaged administrators and directors of nursing in more than 300 nursing homes to enroll and participate in 16- week interactive training sessions.• The UMass team entered the latter stages of this national program and accelerated efforts to recruit more than 300 nursing homes and remotely deliver the training program to cohorts in Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee to meet a closed-end deadline. • Delivered a standardized curriculum developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) through the Project ECHO tele-mentoring model. See: Hope Springs Eternal: Can Project ECHO Transform Nursing Homes? (nih.gov)

Worcester, Massachusetts

Guided practices in a national optometry network to achieve milestones in the Southern New England Practice Transformation Network (SNE-PTN) program, funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as part of its Transforming Clinical Practices Initiative (TCPi). Delivered email, phone, and web-based communications to promote the value of the TCPi program to clinicians and practice managers and transitioned practices from prospects to participants, with SNE-PTN achieving 186% of Year 1 enrollment target. A key focus of the program was teaching optometry practices in a national network to communicate their emergency eye care service offerings to patients and track data to demonstrate a savings of more than $400 million in emergency department avoidance and better outcomes through appropriate healthcare for patients with eye emergencies. Coached 79% of practices that had not been engaged for the previous three months to take action and update data and motivated 33% of non-engaged practices - practices that had not been active in over a year and had never submitted data - to take action and input data for the first time. Achieved a high response rate (85%) when interviewing practices to submit examples of patient engagement and lessons learned from the TCPi program. Cultivated constructive working relationships with hundreds of optometry practices to get them to take next steps and recognize the value of participating and succeeding in TCPi.

Conducted market research and wrote more than 30 press releases and several white papers for Javelin Strategy & Research, a market research company serving the financial services industry. Press releases have covered the mobile banking channel, online banking and bill pay, social media and consumer banking, personal finance management tools, and security, risk, and fraud issues facing financial institutions. These press releases have been picked up by Time Magazine, CBS’s “The Early Show”, and MarketWatch.

Collects and analyzes market research on target customer groups, writes marketing plans, creates Web and collateral content, and develops key marketing, positioning, and branding strategies.Conducted market research, wrote marketing plan, crafted Web site structure and content, and created tradeshow and collateral materials for ZystemsGo, a fast-growing startup technology company serving dental practices. The company achieved its sales goals two years in a row during this engagement.Conducted market research for 1,600-member Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. Analyzed all data and crafted a comprehensive marketing plan with specific action steps for congregation to achieve outreach and promotion goals.Developed Web site strategy, analyzed target audience needs, advised on navigation and content, and wrote marketing plan for $11-million Jewish Family Services nonprofit organization. Created strategic plan, user feedback survey, content guide, operations plan, and marketing and promotion plan for the relaunch of THE ASSOCIATED’s Web site for this $30-million nonprofit organization. Site recognized as one of most effective ephilanthropy sites by national umbrella organization. Advised marketing department on development of direct mail campaigns; first direct mail campaign yielded 4% response rate.Directed relaunch of Web site for $28-million Combined Jewish Philanthopies. Implemented e-commerce functionality and promotion plan, increasing online donations five-fold.Designed a direct marketing campaign to increase online registrations: achieved a 2.5% response rate, increased registrations by 130%, and boosted monthly number of unique visitors from 900 to 13,000. Developed strategic marketing plan with recommendations that produced a 98% increase in direct mail response rates and a 57% increase in dollars raised.

Reviews and analyzes business elements of proposals (marketing objectives, strategy, tactics, and implementation) for technology and biotechnology companies and makes funding recommendations.

Director of Business Development for ITS firm providing innovative IT products to the military. Launched a new reporting software product at tradeshows and through demonstrations at select army bases. Developed relationships in key Department of Defense and other federal organizations.

Directed marketing and communications activities for leading globalization software start-up (more than 40 multinational customers and $5 million revenue in 2000 and 2001). Developed messaging and positioning for all presentations, marketing communications programs, and public relations. Defined customer segments and created marketing strategies for each segment. Worked extensively with 40-person sales force to add more than 35 new clients.

Developed communications plans and implemented marketing programs for leading health care information company ($6.5 million revenue in 1999), providing patient survey services to over 500 health care organizations. Boosted sales revenue by 250% over three years. Designed programs for more than 300 hospitals. Managed direct reports and marketing budget.

Ba, Chemistry

Mba