Pepe Barton Email & Phone Number

Fullerton, California, United States

Cottage Grove, Mn

Steered successful passage of a $6.9M inflation-tied operating levy via voter approval through a grassroots campaign. Created and led 25 staff and community teams and equipped them with presentations, marketing materials and campaign information to help teams communicate and advocate effectively – resulting in a record voter turnout of 20,000+ voters.Restructured the internal safety reporting process and collaborated with cross-functional teams to gain buy-in for a new online reporting system. Integrated survey and Outlook email tools to promptly activate response teams in communications, safety and security, crisis support and senior leadership.Managed the website transition by gathering input and conducting a comprehensive analysis of navigation and design challenges. Successfully redesigned the intranet and public-facing websites by prioritizing user experience and accessibility, ultimately enhancing functionality and visual appeal for all stakeholders.Led the creation and management of the organization's ambassador committee, which established healthy and solution-oriented communication between internal and external stakeholders to successfully disseminate information in each ambassador’s networks. Reorganized the communications team to support individual focus areas and mentored their growth by creating a department strategic plan for increased efficiency for the organization.Facilitated 10+ stakeholder groups to gain insights for a comprehensive strategy for an award-winning rebranding effort. Managed the creation of new storytelling opportunities using the experiences of staff, students and families – developing a fresh image and tagline "Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Bold."Managed multi-channel public relations plan for a politically-charged $462M facility upgrade package. Organized in-person/virtual sessions, prepped content experts with key messages, and established relationships with media and elected officials for effective communication outcomes.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Decreased the staff uninsured rate (nearly 25%) during open enrollment for benefits through rigorous, multi-platform communications to reach less-connected employees (phone, email, text, etc.)• Collaborated with a diverse team of parents, staff, board and community members to coordinate communications, outreach and engagement around the search for a new superintendent.• Selected to present to the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) Public Relations Conference in Anaheim, CA in July 2018 to 76 of the largest school districts in the country for “Superintendent Search: The Ups and Downs of the Public Engagement Process.” • Partnered with strategic initiative teams to direct and create communications for each focus area of the Saint Paul Public Schools strategic plan for internal and external stakeholders.• Reduced misinformation in the media and among stakeholders by implementing a comprehensive communications strategy during high-profile teacher contract negotiations through rigorous multi-platform communications.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Established an award-winning school marketing toolkit for staff to access customizable templates to provide a consistent marketing design across schools.• Article published in the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) Newsletter, “Supporting School Leaders Directly from the Communications Office”.• Collaborated with the digital team to initiate “I am SPPS” – a social media campaign to tell the positive stories of staff, families and students.• Created a monthly e-newsletter for principals and other school leaders to provide relevant content, tools and information to help schools better communicate with families.• Established crisis communications procedures and created crisis letter templates for staff to access for the most common situations.

Saint Paul, Mn

Emmy-award winning director for brand image campaigns, delivering promotions viewed by thousands in the Twin Cities. Led marketing transformations, introducing modern music and simplified graphics for enhanced brand appeal. Successfully bolstered Nielsen ratings and story engagement through effective broadcast and web promotions. Garnered recognition with nine Regional Midwest Emmy nominations and secured two wins in the director category.

Las Vegas, Nv

Boise, Id