Lead content creator for a creative team that develops and executes innovative strategies to drive traffic and generate student leads for colleges and universities. Works collaboratively to create and implement new marketing campaigns that are clear, engaging, and consistent with our clients’ brand image and crafted with a deep understanding of their target audiences to help them achieve reach enrollment goals.Key duties include collecting and analyzing data through on-site discoveries with partner institutions and producing content for multiple digital and print platforms associated with every aspect of the enrollment funnel, starting in the sophomore year of high school and continuing through matriculation.

Provides knowledgeable analysis of high school football and basketball games during lives radio and internet broadcasts. Also actively boost awareness and interest on social media through management of @WTZQSports Twitter account. Promote upcoming broadcasts and grow audience with engagement and relevant content.

Create and develop a wide variety of content, including magazine features, podcasts, and radio, through extensive research, initiating contact, and conducting interviews with sources and subjects. Gain community engagement and interest in content by marketing and distributing materials in print, digital, and audio formats. Provided coverage on multiple NCAA men’s basketball and baseball tournaments by broadcasting commentary and insight on multiple radio outlets. Broadcasted live color commentary for high school/college sporting events on WTZQ 1600 AM.Key Accomplishments:• Published multiple works within various high-profile outlets, including The New York Times, Baltimore Sun, Furman University, Watkins College of Art & Design, Western Carolina University, Piedmont College, Forest Magazine, Baseball America, and Sporting News.• Assisted in Furman Magazine winning the 2016 CASE National Circle of Excellence Gold Award by crafting innovative feature stories.• Ghostwrote “40 Seasons: The Life of a High School Basketball Coach.”

Aided in utilizing strategic communications, creative services, and digital marketing to tell the Furman story through writing and promoting thought-provoking stories for both digital and print platforms. Drove daily team operations by heading weekly news team editorial meetings, making critical editorial decisions, and maintaining the news page on the WordPress platform. Ensured that all campus residents/staff are aware of changes, events, and updates by creating/publishing a regular e-newsletter and track engagement analytics to assess performance. Coordinated the annual Senior Spotlight feature through promoting quality, delegating responsibilities across the team, and overseeing general production.Key Accomplishments:• Individually led the overhaul and complete redesign of the campus e-newsletter, with a near 100% open and click rate increase, by uniting the entire office (i.e. digital marketing, creative services, web design, and news) to implement a cleaner and more reader friendly design.• Spearheaded a focus on telling authentic stories to highlight the university’s diverse student population through writing a cover story about Furman’s Taskforce on Slavery & Justice (examining the institution’s historical ties to slavery) and other pieces revolving around students with various ethnic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds.

Develop compelling, emotionally resonant stories that allow Furman to differentiate itself in the highly competitive world of higher education by highlighting the knowledge, expertise and accomplishments of its students, alumni and faculty through in-depth interviews and effective storytelling that reflect the value of a liberal arts and sciences education.Key part of marketing team that launched The Furman Advantage, Furman's ambitious vision to transform the student experience by guaranteeing every incoming student the opportunity for an engaged learning experience that is tracked and integrated with their academic and professional goals. Crafted feature stories that helped Furman Magazine win the 2016 CASE national Circle of Excellence Gold Award.Understand complex topics and organize the information for effective presentation to a sophisticated audience. Represent the University in a professional way while interacting with students, graduates, faculty, staff and community members.

Actively boosted company awareness and interest on a variety of social media platforms (reaching 100K+ people daily) through developing engaging and eye-catching visuals and advertisements. Consistently met and surpassed objectives by establishing key engagement and CPC rate benchmarks.Key Accomplishments:• Facilitated social media follower growth across Facebook (9.2%), Twitter (11.1%), and Instagram (31%) through scheduling/posting engaging content relevant to visitors and implementing advertising campaigns.• Significantly increased destination marketing presence on social media by creating the company’s first social media advertising campaigns, including targeted ads on Twitter and Facebook as well as tracking results via A/B testing.

Provided insight into news and events across thirteen counties in North/South Carolina through travelling on-site to offer real-time coverage, reviewing pending court cases, and editing/producing daily reports on relevant cases. Enabled the community to follow more complex concepts (ex. healthcare, business, government, technology) by effectively conveying important details in an easy to understand manner.Key Accomplishments:• Successfully delivered on-site coverage of pending civil litigation surrounding business and public-entity defendants for a national email subscriber list.

Directed strategic initiatives to achieve story distribution to media outlets across the country. Increased circulation by nearly 600 percent through identifying targets, initiating contact and managing accounts.

Managed a five-person staff and multiple freelancers. Two-time president of the Associated Press Sports Editors Atlantic Coast Region. North Carolina Press Association Awards: Best Sports Section (first, 2005); Sports Feature Writing (second, 2003 & first, 1997); Sports Columns (third, 2000 – 2001); Humorous Columns (first, 2000); Sports News Reporting (second, 2000); New York Times Chairman Award (2002); Carolinas Golf Association Award: Daily Columns (2002).