Sara Schmitz Email & Phone Number

Milwaukee, WI, US

• Provide strategic counsel and functional planning for NM’s Chief Distribution Officer, including development of keynote speeches, functional employee townhalls, and organizational change communications and external.
• Lead Diversity and Inclusion communications strategy to reach NM’s distribution system of 20,000+ leaders, advisors and team members in 76 offices throughout the U.S.
• Lead integrated communications planning and message development for NM priority initiatives
• Lead communications strategies for leadership changes within the distribution system
• Manage team including hiring and performance management
• Member of Crisis Action Team

Lake Geneva, WI, US

• Developed and oversight of annual marketing plan for two resorts and respective outlets (golf, spa, ski, restaurants, weddings, group sales) to achieve sales and revenue goals
• Managed multi-million-dollar marketing budget, including P&L review and bi-weekly forecasting
• Lead role in development of annual business plans
• Provided strategic direction to in-house marketing team and outside agencies
• Implemented change management within the marketing team and the resorts
• Oversaw rebranding initiative for the resorts, including redesign and relaunch of resort websites and e-commerce sites

Kenosha, WI, US

Fontana On Geneva Lake, WI, US

• Generated year-over-year resort revenue growth through the development and execution of the annual marketing plan
• Marketing strategies resulted in double digit growth in total resort revenue in 2014 and 2015
• Developed group promotions and transient resort guest packages
• Transient occupancy experienced double digit growth. Group sales exceeded revenue budget
• Lead development of resort’s annual business plan
• Analyzed guest demographics to develop personalized marketing and pricing strategies

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US

• Clients: Zoetis Equine (formerly Pfizer Animal Health, a division of Pfizer Pharmaceutical); Johnson Controls – Building Efficiency Division and Dairy Management Inc. – dairy industry check off program
• Developed and executed marketing communications plans with and for clientso Marketing communications plans o Product launch planso Event plans
• Provided strategic oversight and team direction for marketing communications programs. Tactics included: o Print and online adso Television commercialso Sales enablement toolso Brochures/collateralo Sales support.
• Provided team leadership and manage day-to-day account activities
• Responsible for budgets in excess of $5 million
• Prepared and managed project plans and timelines

• Managed public and media relations for publicly traded $51.9 billion bank holding company
• Provided strategic public relations counsel, media training and support to executives and business line leaders throughout corporation
• Served as primary media contact for corporation
• Crisis communication planning and execution
• Merger and acquisition planning, messaging and implementation
• Served as corporate spokesperson, including live television interviews

Waukesha, WI, US

• Key member of communications team that implemented award winning community and public relations program to build relationships, reputations and visibility for Altria (formerly Philip Morris Family of Companies) within.
• Provided strategic counsel to Altria agricultural relations executives
• Organized and staffed special events and trade show booth (50x50) at major national agricultural trade shows
• Secured speaking and sponsorship opportunities for client
• Managed media relations campaigns including research, news releases, feature articles, reports, collateral material, advertorials, audio-visuals and other communications materials
• Developed key messages and wrote speeches for Altria senior managers

East Lansing, MI, US

• Assisted in planning and coordinating of Michigan State 4-H Horse Program activities such as horse shows, enrichment programs, educational seminars
• Responsible for design and layout of Michigan Youth Horseman newsletter and Website
• Authored various Animal Science Department newsletters
• Developed, conducted and analyzed Michigan 4-H Youth Horse Programs Needs Assessment Survey
• Served as conference presenter

Bachelor Of Science, Agriculture And Natural Resources Communications And Bachelor Of Science, Animal Science

Education record