Ray Weikal Email & Phone Number

Kearney, Missouri, United States

As the Director of Communications and Community Relations for Kearney School District, I shape the narrative about KSD, align communications and community relations to the district’s strategic plan, and provide pertinent counsel for the Superintendent and other district leaders. I strive to feature student faces and student voices as much as possible.

2901 Troost Ave., Kansas City, Mo 64109

• Develop and implement strategic engagement events and publications • Manage the Marketing Specialist and lead the development of strategic marketing and advertising efforts in order to attract and retain students and staff• Develop positive, productive relationships with key individuals, organizations and businesses in order to help address the needs of KCPS students, families and staff• Coordinate with every department to create and distribute key communications throughout the academic year to appropriate stakeholders• Proactively seek local, regional and national awards and recognitions for KCPS staff and students• Serve as the main point-of-contact for journalists, while coordinating major news media events, and producing news releases and media advisories• Promote a positive narrative about KCPS by proactively pitching stories to the news media• Coordinate and create content for social media channels, blogs, newsletters and the website• Develop and create talking points, presentations and speeches for the Superintendent, School Board and other KCPS leadership team members• Plan and implement major KCPS events such as Summerfest, the Teacher of the Year Banquet, KCPS Convocation and the Retirement and Years-of-Service Awards Banquet• Coordinate and create crisis-response communications• Create and distribute communications guidelines and training materials for stakeholders• Take and edit photos to promote positive achievements in KCPS• Produce KCPS videos that focus on the outstanding achievements of students, teachers, support staff and leaders

Kansas City, Missouri Area

• Create and edit content for OfficePro magazine• Create, edit and distribute “Connections” e-newsletter• Facilitate requests from journalists and proactively promote IAAP by pitching stories to news media outlets• Manage and create content for the IAAP website, blog and social media channels• Create strategic communications and marketing plans• Create and distribute key messages to members, staff and partners• Create, place and distribute marketing and advertising content for IAAP events and programs• Plan and implement IAAP’s annual international conference, with more than 1,500 attendees• Create and distribute IAAP’s annual professional benchmarking survey, collect and analyze the results, and create and distribute the survey report• Create professional development materials and lead training for staff and members around communications, public relations and marketing• Take and edit photos and videos to promote the mission of IAAP

Kansas City, Missouri Area

• Sun Tribune (KC North in Clay County), Sun Gazette (KC North in Platte County), Liberty Tribune, Kearney Courier and Smithville Herald• Report on and write about education in North Kansas City Schools, Park Hill School District, Kearney R-1 School District and Liberty Public Schools, Clay County government, local businesses and economic trends• Participate in planning and completing long-term projects and special sections • Paginate five newspapers a week• Participate in and lead staff professional development activities on a regular basis

Kansas City, Missouri Area

Community news coverage of North Kansas City Schools, Park Hill School District, Northland Catholic schools, Park University and Metropolitan Community College, plus general assignment news.

Reported on and wrote about community news across the Kalona, Riverside and Lone Tree, Iowa, region. Took photos and finished them using Adobe Photoshop. Laid out newspaper pages using Adobe InDesign.

B.A., Journalism And History

Journalism and history honors programs; The Iowa City Press-Citizen freelance reporter; focus on English and Russian history; Russian.

Associate Of Arts, Liberal Arts

I focused on English literature, writing and history, particularly European and African-American history.