Robert Lyons Email & Phone Number

Washington, DC, US

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

• Led interagency efforts with the USDA Forest Service (FS) to design the ~$220M Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP) which supports wood-processing facilities across the country
• Served as the policy expert on mass timber for the RD Mission Area; advising the Deputy Undersecretary and other senior leaders as to what it is and how it can be supported through current and new programs at RD.
• Represented RBCS on interagency efforts to grow the BioPreferred® Program; specifically with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), industrial hemp, and overall marketing and adoption of the program
• Prepared materials for and staffed the Deputy Secretary on travel and stakeholder events
• Assisted with and moderated three large-scale convenings of State Directors, Business Program Directors, and National Office staff in Washington, DC, and New Orleans, LA
• Developed programming for and moderated ~10 Quarterly All-Hands Meetings for the Agency (~110 staff)

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

• Administered ~300 data calls (~14/month) at the Agency, Under Secretary, Secretary, and Inter-Agency level
• Oversaw a three-year Agency reorganization initiative requiring extensive internal coordination
• Coordinated with State Directors on policy initiatives, Administrator travel, and program/staff-related issues
• Directed all staff recognition efforts: length of service awards, retirement letters, and Secretarial awards
• Staffed principals – including the Administrator and Deputy Undersecretary – on trips and stakeholder events
• Provided administrative support for five ARPA programs totaling ~$2B in guaranteed loans and grants

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

• Administered ~120 data calls (~30/month) at the Agency, Under Secretary, Secretary, and Inter-Agency level
• Prepared agency programs and staff for three near lapses in appropriations during Fiscal Year 2024
• Assigned technical assistance review of Farm Bill and other Legislative matters to career staff which ultimately were re-submitted to Congress (continuation of similar work done as RHS Chief of Staff | Apr. 2023 – Jul..
• Prepared transition materials and processes for historic, generational leadership change in the RBCS National Office to ensure continuity of operations after loss of 70 cumulative years of institutional memory
• Onboarded the Agency’s new Administrator, Deputy Administrator, and Chief of Staff from Jan. – Feb. 2024

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

• Administered ~230 data calls (~60/month) at the Agency, Under Secretary, Secretary, and Inter-Agency level
• Managed emergency obligation efforts – prior to Congressional rescission – of ~$75M in budget authority within one month (May 2023); ensured funds made it rural medical institutions and rural renters
• Spoke on behalf of the Agency and Administrator in meetings with external and internal stakeholders
• Revamped Administrator-level processes, including weekly reports, file storage, correspondence, & data calls
• Drafted materials, memos, and talking points used by the Administrator, Under Secretary, and Secretary
• Handled HR- and union-related matters for an Agency of over 600 nationally dispersed staff

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Activities/accomplishments combined under "Special Assistant"

Canton, Ohio, United States

• Ranked in the Top Five nationally for field organizing with volunteer shifts recruited and completed
• Managed and trained five fellows and two deputies in a metrics-and-relationship focused organizing program
• Processed close to 8,000 total volunteer shifts in phone banking, auto-dialer, and text banking
• Oversaw the management of three county level volunteer organizations and over 150 out-of-state volunteers with a dedicated focus on volunteer retention and satisfaction
• Designed unique social media outreach including fun videos, the #JOEhio campaign, and “Mar-a-Larkey”
• Developed original training programs and presentations for use with volunteers

United States

• Worked in Iowa, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Oklahoma
• Organized three counties in Western Iowa where Joe won or over-performed compared to the rest of the state
• Worked closely with Latino communities in Iowa and African American communities in South Carolina
• Managed and monitored two deputy field organizers and over four campaign fellows
• Developed the “Meet an Organizer” virtual training series to educate volunteers on digital engagement efforts
• Contributed to decisive primary victories for the campaign in Charleston, SC, and Palm Beach, FL

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Created and scheduled all social media posts across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• Coordinated social media activities between all associated Graduate Student Councils (GSC) for a total of 18 managed pages across social media platforms
• Implemented weekly, monthly, and quarterly social media reports and set goal metrics for posts
• Redesigned the GLC’s “Graduate Gazette” newsletter and grew subscriber base to over 4,000
• Grew the Click Rate and Open Rate for the newsletter from the low-10% range to over 30%
• Managed a $15,000 rebranding contract over seven months that resulted in new logos for the GLC and associated GSCs along with a new shared website

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Drafted social media content for national AARP channels: AARP Advocates (Audience: Facebook – 286K and Twitter – 47.5K) and Fraud Watch Network (Audience: Facebook - 131K)
• Worked to inform and activate seniors around issues such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and Elder Scams
• Analyzed data from Facebook and Twitter to highlight posting insights and strategy options and created weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly reports
• Filmed, edited, and produced original video content and live videos for distribution on national channels and our 53 state and territory office channels
• Assisted in paid promotion, targeting of audiences, and engagement of Digital Influencers on social media

Denison, Iowa

• Scripted, filmed, and developed an online video series for the hospital’s onboarding program
• Processed, organized, and digitized over 500 past and current contracts (with accompanying documentation and receipts)

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Met regularly with key faculty and administrative members to communicate student concerns
• Advocated for improvements to the campus shuttle service program for graduate students which involved multiple meetings with the campus transportation dept. and a campus-wide survey
• Served on the Service Committee and assisted with the planning and promotion of volunteer opportunities for graduate students

Denison, Iowa

• Digitized, organized, and cataloged over 8,000 employee records on the hospital’s internal HR system
• Established an electronic organization system (with a key) to professionalize and institutionalize best data management practices
• Developed donor and employee recognition programs with the Office of Marketing

Denison, IA

• Engaged with and taught students from Kindergarten through 5th grade
• Worked one-on-one with children who were intellectually, emotionally, physically, or behaviorally challenged
• Served twice as a Literacy Associate for the summer school program where I worked with students on developing their reading and cognition skills

Des Moines, Iowa Area

• Created and edited content for publication on the Iowa Conference’s website
• Conducted and transcribed interviews to formulate stories
• Learned best management practices for operating a website

Indianola, Iowa

• Founded the "the Acorn," the first professional satirical paper in campus history and became the largest and most active collegiate satirical publication in Iowa
• Oversaw an annual operating budget of $6,000
• Managed a 15-member volunteer staff of writers, editors, and graphic designers
• Published three-to-for articles and videos a week on our website and multiple social media sites
• Designed and distributed a once-a-semester print edition newspaper that utilized an innovative distribution system and “guerilla” marketing campaign
• Launched an official unofficial campus mascot named “Stormy the Squirrel”

Indianola, Iowa

• Responsible for 40 to 60 students of sophomore age or older
• Managed and submitted building maintenance requests on behalf of residents
• Created and led over 25 active and passive floor, area-wide, and campus-wide programs over the course of three years (e.g., brick painting, Super Bowl watch parties, cook outs)
• Performed regular campus-wide walk-arounds of the Junior and Senior apartments
• Conducted conflict resolution sessions with students and handled crisis situations as needed
• Designed and maintained bulletin boards and other hall decorations and improvementsTimeline of Employment2014-2015: Residential Advisor w/50 students (Sophomore Dorms)2015-2016: Programming Advisor w/40 students.

Indianola, Iowa

• Managed an operating budget of $350,000 and a capital improvements budget of over $100,000
• Edited and rewrote in their entirety the SGA’s finance code, elections code, and constitution and bylaws
• Oversaw four student committees made up of 22 senators, class presidents, and managers
• Created a partnership with the Iowa Secretary of State to better address student concerns about new voting laws
• Engineered an aggressive capital improvements schedule for the campus and partnered with the Alumni Association to garner further funds for new projects
• Formed the Internal Affairs Committee which launched a new website, social media plan, and created a system for drafting and releasing press releasesDuring my tenure, I served on the following campus-wide standing and.

Indianola, IA

• Responsible for 40 sophomore and junior students
• Trained and managed five Residential Advisers (RAs)
• Performed regular walk-arounds of the second-year area residential halls
• Conducted conflict resolution sessions with students and handled crisis situations as needed
• Planned and managed large-scale events for the campus community and second-year area
• Designed and maintained bulletin boards and other hall decorations and improvements

Indianola, IA

• Chaired the Financial Advisory Committee twice (Freshman Year and Junior Year)
• Served as the mediator between the student government and any student groups seeking funds
• Oversaw the complete overhaul of the Finance Code and created educational materials to help student groups make better budget requests
• Implemented a capital improvement projects pipeline overseen by the FAC
• Chaired the Student Advocacy Committee (Sophomore Year)
• Spearheaded efforts to review and rewrite sections of the Student Handbook

Denison, Iowa

• Coordinated social media activities for the hospital’s nonprofit thrift shop
• Developed guidelines and posting strategies for the thrift shop with occasional graphics creation
• Created materials for displays used by the hospital at public events like the county fair
• Collected data on services offered by competing clinics and hospitals in the region
• Compiled a comprehensive database of physician photos for use in the hospital’s marketing

Denison, IA

• Designed a new tourism website for Denison and Crawford County
• Researched and compiled information about local businesses and services
• Sold advertising for large-scale community events and encouraged local businesses to join the Chamber

Indianola, IA

• Job-shadowed every department head in the city for at least one week during the internship
• Worked with the CFO during the city’s budgeting process and engaged in their review and auditing processes
• Coordinated efforts between the City and City Council to advance the city’s development and community outreach plan
• Helped organize a successful Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) campaign to finance the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant
• Served in the day-to-day work of each department including: City Clerk / Finance Dept., Community Development, Police Dept., Fire Dept., Human Resources, Information Technology, Library, Parks & Recreation, Street.

Denison, IA

• Race: Iowa Secretary of StateCandidate: Brad Anderson
• Led efforts to form a Republicans for Anderson group
• Coordinated statewide outreach to traditional civic groups like Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions
• Conducted in-depth opposition research through online newspaper databases
• Assisted voters in finding their polling locations or getting their mail-in ballotsOutcome: While Anderson lost in an incredibly tight election, he ultimately was the highest vote-getting statewide Democratic candidate.

Urbandale, IA

• Race: Iowa's 3rd Congressional District (US House)Candidate: Monte Shaw
• Assisted with organizing and planning campaign events and fundraisers
• Conducted voter outreach and database management
• Engaged and communicated with delegates to the 3rd District Special ConventionOutcome: In the five-person race with no incumbent, Shaw finished in the top three with no candidate receiving enough votes to win. Shaw.

Indianola, IA

• Race: Mayor of IndianolaCandidate: Kelly Shaw
• Implemented a GOTV campaign for students at Simpson College
• Distributed campaign materials on campus and coordinated candidate visits to campus
• Wrote LTEs and other content for publication in the local and campus papersOutcome: In a three-person mayoral race with no incumbent, Shaw won with a comfortable margin.

Denison, IA

• Race: Denison Community Schools - Board of EducationCandidate: Joe Lally
• Planned all campaign events, press conferences, and candidate appearances
• Designed all campaign materials and social media pages
• Crafted a voter outreach strategy based on registered voter data for Crawford CountyOutcome: In a five-person race with three incumbents, Lally was the second highest vote-getter and the only candidate to knock off an.

Graduate, Public Administration

Activities and Societies: Graduate Leadership Council, Jazz Band, and Pi Alpha Alpha

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Political Science, Public Relations, History, And Management, 3.974

Activities and Societies: Student Government Association, Rotaract Club, The Acorn (campus newspaper), Iowa History Center, Speech and.

High School Diploma, 4.000

Activities and Societies: Interact Club, Speech, Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band, Choir, Destination Imagination, Theater, Baseball, Basketball.