A member of West End Strategy Team’s leadership team, I develop and implement firm growth strategies, manage new business development processes, and conceptualize and manage public relations and issue-based campaigns for organizations in the nonprofit, advocacy, cultural and philanthropic sectors.

At communications, content and research firm Marathon Strategies, I managed account teams and supervised and mentored supporting staff. My work involved conceptualizing and leading public relations and issue-based advocacy campaigns for clients across professional services, health care and intergovernmental agency sectors, to communicate client messages and reach and influence new audiences. I coordinated proactive media engagement, including rapid reaction, crisis strategy, message development, media training, op-ed strategy, crafting and placement, and thought leadership development.

West End Strategy Team is a unique full-service strategic communications firm that works to effect meaningful change on behalf of predominantly nonprofit clients. The firm is based in Washington, D.C. In 2015, I led the establishment of the firm's New York City presence, which I then managed for its first three years. I trained and managed a four-person team in developing and implementing communications and messaging strategies for diverse client accounts focused on driving public engagement across issues including social justice, human rights, gender equality, and interfaith collaboration; as well as for cultural and philanthropic institutions.I employed my experience in political and nonprofit communications and advocacy, professional background in journalism, knowledge of international politics and appreciation for global and cultural understanding, to address clients’ immediate needs and long-term goals. I sought to advance clients’ outreach to the press and the public, to help clients convey their messages to the public, private sector influencers, and policymakers, and to build a following of engaged supporters. I brought a broad perspective to assist interest groups to refine messaging on key themes, conceptualize creative issue-based campaigns, develop and grow internal and external public relations and member relations strategies, and reach new audiences. I specialized in crafting, editing and placing opinion pieces in national and regional outlets across the United States, as well as media and message training, and reviewing and editing firm materials before dissemination to clients, the public or the media.

**Please note, West End Strategy Team is an independent firm which spun off of Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications.Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications was a boutique public relations and media consulting firm committed to issues of social importance within the realm of domestic American politics, progressive foreign policy initiatives, and ethnic, religious, interfaith and Jewish affairs. I honed my skills working for nonprofit clients, refining message, engaging in targeted media outreach, and conceptualizing, drafting and placing op-eds in publications designed to reach target audiences.

As Deputy Communications Director for Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, I was responsible for daily briefings to prepare the governor for multiple daily speaking engagements and for writing weekly on topics including economic development, education (pre-k, secondary, higher education, vocational training), energy and sustainability, military and veterans affairs, rural and urban poverty and development, healthcare, technology, trade and civil rights.I was proud to support Governor Beebe's efforts to improve education at all levels and grow Arkansas’ economy, as well as his entire administration's efforts to better life and opportunities in Arkansas for residents across the state.

I was a features and city desk reporter at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. I served as principal researcher and writer of High Profile, a weekly section featuring long-form profiles of influential Arkansans. Significant profiles published included former White House Chief of Staff Mack McLarty, presidential aide Maria Haley, U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins, and Arkansas First Lady Ginger Beebe, along with prominent individuals in medicine, architecture, agriculture, literature, and the arts. I served as interim section editor for several months.I also covered breaking news on nonprofits and the philanthropic community, city/state government, crime, and community programs.

I was a reporter and a copy editor as part of my master's degree in journalism at the University of Missouri. I worked as an assistant city editor -- a paid teaching assistant position accompanied by a full tuition waiver and stipend -- to mentor undergraduate journalism students and edit their work for the daily community newspaper published by the university's journalism program, The Columbia Missourian.