As a self-employed hands-on marketer and consultant, I’ve worked with a wide variety of clients to help grow their businesses and achieve their goals, whether that was selling tickets to a comedy show or growing interest in a mentoring program. I’ve spent over a decade determining what my clients need to be successful and then growing my abilities to match those needs. I’ve developed my skills in copywriting, graphic design, website development and management, product photography, social media strategy, customer service and community management, email marketing, and digital advertising. I’ve had the opportunity to create content, from press releases to television ads to Facebook posts, for everything from international festivals to local retail, from law firms to garage bands. I’ve also successfully managed my own business since 2013, which is a diverse skill set, from financial management to networking, unto itself.

Local Love Truro is exactly what it says ... a way to show some love to local businesses, organizations, people and places in Truro, Nova Scotia.It grew from a group of like-minds, working together in March 2015 to shine a much-needed spotlight on local retailers and restaurants after a long winter. The first event took place on April 25, 2015, and encouraged people to share their local Saturday shopping on social media using #locallovetruro. The hashtag continued beyond that day ... and the idea of a broader purpose began to form.In January 2016, Sam Madore and Michelle McCann sat down and asked themselves, "What if we took it a step further?" And so the Local Love Truro Awards, a way to celebrate all that Truro has to offer, were born.

I provided guidance and support to the board of directors and volunteers in planning, organizing, executing and evaluating an annual giving program. Responsibilities included committee and event coordination for an annual gala dinner and the On Course Fore Health Golf Classic. I managed planning, promotion, budgets and day-of event scheduling, as well as keeping volunteer committees focused on targets. I also maintained relationships with the organization’s partners, ensuring sponsorship agreements were fulfilled and achieving sponsorship goals for special events. I coordinated direct mail appeals; I determined campaign goals, liaised with medical staff for research, wrote appeal letters, determined timelines and deadlines, and tracked response and reported campaign outcomes. In preparation for the opening of Colchester East Hants Health Centre, I coordinated donor recognition events and activities for the to our health capital campaign, including receptions, open houses and the creation of recognition signage. I also took on the Foundation’s various communications, design, writing and editing tasks as needed, including maintaining the organization’s website.

I coordinated special events and campaigns for the Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island divisions of a national charity. I was involved with the planning of the Celebrity Roast, one of the most well-known fundraisers in Halifax; this included tasks as varied as working with a volunteer committee on ticket sales and sponsorship, to seating plans and program coordination. I also coordinated the first annual Medavie Blue Cross Jingle Bell Walk and Run events in Halifax and Charlottetown. I was the liaison to the Health Partners initiative and completed communications tasks as needed. I responded to inquiries from donors and managed provincial campaigns in Nova Scotia and PEI, including Wear Blue and the Blue Bird icon campaign.

I organized and executed two large annual fundraisers, Laugh for Life and Bowlathon, and four province-wide fundraising campaigns, March Drive, Fall Campaign, Live2Share wristband sales and Teen Bean. The position also involved working with volunteers, as well as chairing and organizing committee meetings. I responded to public and media inquiries, initiated publicity opportunities, created various communications materials and worked on programs designed to raise awareness about kidney disease and organ and tissue donation.

I managed the Bullying Be Gone workshop, a grant-funded bullying awareness program offered to secondary schools in Halifax Regional Municipality. This included contacting schools, booking workshops, training volunteers and assisting with the presentation of the program. I was also the staff liaison to the volunteer chapter council, organizing meetings and distributing materials as needed. Responsibilities also included maintaining donor information in PledgeMaker and managing the financial transactions, including accounts payable and receivable, deposits, and month-end procedures.I coordinated fundraising events for the provincial branch of a national charity, including the Aliant presents Bell Walk for Kids and Haliwood Pre-Oscar Party. I worked closely with volunteer committees; I was responsible for supporting the committees in all aspects of the events, from writing and distributing press releases to liaising with sponsors to coordinating event set-up and décor. I also worked on several third-party events, including the BMO Fountain of Hope Charity Golf Tournament, where I developed promotional materials and assisted with the details of the event.

I managed communications activities for a professional membership organization; responsibilities included developing advertising, writing media releases and other promotional materials, coordinating the website and editing a quarterly newsletter. I worked closely with volunteers and maintained ongoing communication with approximately 1,400 members. I oversaw various recruitment activities, including organizing information sessions and career fairs promoting the profession and managing a scholarship program. I also coordinated special events, including speaker’s functions, and annual charity golf tournament and a celebration for the organization’s centennial year.