Thomas Soule Email & Phone Number

Palm Desert, California, United States

Oversee marketing and communications for the City of Palm Desert. Responsibilities include:• Increasing awareness of the City’s programs and services while promoting and protecting its image under the Unite Palm Desert brand.• Producing marketing, educational and informational pieces for departments and City services.• Designing and managing the content for all citywide print and digital publications, including the bi-monthly Brightside newsletter, e-newsletters, blog posts, and annual calendar.• Managing the City’s external websites, intranet site, the City’s social media channels, and other digital communication channels.• Planning, hosting, and developing community events (e.g. Fourth of July, Concerts in the Park, Townhall meetings).• Managing City’s media relations and public information function.• Producing and managing City’s tourism advertising and marketing campaign, both in-valley and in the drive market (San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County).• Operating City’s Visitor Services Center, providing tourism information to visitors both digitally, on the phone, and in person.

Palm Desert, Ca

Responsible for overseeing the planning, implementation and administration of the City’s marketing, public relations, promotional, visitor information and advertising programs designed to increase tourism to the City.• Oversee the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies and priorities for the City’s tourism and marketing program.• Prepare and manage the City’s marketing and special events budgets.• Promote the City’s brand message via paid and owned media channels, including tourism websites, monthly e- newsletter, social media channels and ad campaigns.• Proactively develop and seek exposure on earned media channels.• Maximize cooperative opportunities to promote the City and strengthen group business for City hotels.• Manage an outside agency to develop and execute the annual media plan.

La Quinta, Ca

• Managed cross-functional marketing team and all marketing operations for this iconic desert resort. • Managed two ad agencies (creative and digital) and consulting director of PR and direct internal / external execution of 30+ marketing campaigns and other projects per month.• Enhanced, monitored, populated and expanded existing social media platforms, including Facebook.com/laquintaresort, Twitter.com/laquintaresort, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.• Oversaw management of two resort websites, monthly e-newsletter, weekly restaurant / golf / spa blasts.• Responded in writing to guest comments, reviews• Worked with revenue management and digital agency to execute and track marketing initiatives. • Ensured that all resort collateral met Waldorf Astoria brand standards.• Developed and executed annual media plan as well as sales and marketing budget.

La Quinta, Ca

• Enhance, monitor, populate and expand existing social media platforms, including Facebook.com/laquintaresort, Twitter.com/laquintaresort, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.• Update content on www.laquintaresort.com• Respond in writing to guest comments, reviews• Provide general support for marketing and communications, including use of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign)• Create signs, flyers and menus for use throughout the resort.• Work with the La Quinta Historical Society to preserve and creatively present the resort’s history to guests.

Palm Desert, Ca

• Safely guide multiple participants through a tailored series of programmed elements (including high and low ropes course events) to achieve desired outcomes by way of experiential learning.• Provide an opportunity for participants to recognize and reach their potential. This includes promoting self-confidence, communication, positive group dynamics and the expansion of problem solving abilities.• Promote constructive discussion processing the participants’ experiences to integrate learning.

Santa Ana, Ca

• Developed and implemented The Center OC’s annual fundraising plan for a $900,000 budget, successfully reaching budgeted goals and finishing the fiscal year in the black.• Identified, initiated, nurtured and maintained relationships with major donors and prospects.• Planned, managed and executed events, working closely with the events committee and staff. Increased revenue at The Center OC’s major fundraising gala by 42% over the previous year, with a fundraising cost of $0.34 and a 197% return on expense.• Produced all Center OC marketing and direct mail pieces, with the annual direct mail campaign beating budgeted goals, averaging a fundraising cost of $0.14 with a return on expense of 637%.• Maintained The Center OC website and all online content, including a quarterly electronic newsletter and regular e-mail marketing pieces.

Long Beach, Ca

• Designed and implemented small-business websites• Coordinated with graphic designers and clients to achieve desired outcomes• Created content and interactive elements for sites• Implemented social media components for clients, and provided social media consultations• Worked with HTML, CSS• Experienced with Content Management platforms such as WordPress and Joomla• Adobe Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator

A non-profit with an annual budget of $50 million and 300 employees, the L.A. LGBT Center offers free and low-cost health, mental health, HIV/AIDS medical care, and HIV/STD testing and prevention. The Center also offers legal, social, cultural and educational services, with unique programs for seniors, families and youth, including a 24-bed transitional living program for homeless youth.Media Relations• Developed, integrated and implemented proactive media relations plans for Center programs, including eight major fundraising events that together raised $12.8 million.• Handled local, regional and national media inquiries and cultivated relationships with print, broadcast and online outlets including the L.A. Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, CNN and Spanish-language media outlets.• Represented the Center as a spokesperson in television and print interviews.• Produced news releases, statements, advisories and editorials to support Center initiatives and programs.• Provided communications counsel to Center executives and department heads, including preparing them for interviews by working on message development, anticipated questions, interview techniques and logistics.Internal and External Communications• Managed and edited the Center’s monthly newsletter, from concept through production. Oversaw growth of the newsletter readership to 50,000. Received an award from the Public Relations Society of America, Los Angeles, for best non-profit newsletter in 2009.• Worked in tandem with the Artistic Director to develop and produce promotional communications materials, including flyers, programs, posters, brochures, invitations and signage for Center programs and events.• Edited and proofread all external communications from Center departments.• Wrote speeches and e-mails for the Center CEO and other executives as needed.

• Taught two semesters of Journalism 120: Writing Across the Media, focusing on essential journalism skills and techniques.• Planned the 15-week curriculum, for over 20 students each semester, including weekly quizzes, mid-term and final exams, and semester-long projects.• Advised students on academic and career issues.• Graded student work and provided feedback to help students improve writing.

• Ensured the editorial mission and distinct message throughout 38 monthly issues of the Blade, a monthly local news magazine.• Oversaw the entire print editorial process, ensuring that the publication was produced within budget and on time.• Created and maintained the magazine’s Web site, with new content posted monthly.• Strategized, developed and managed all content creation for the Blade in print and online.• Proactively engaged and managed 24 freelance writers.• Worked with feature writers and columnists, generated ideas for articles, edited submissions and fact-checked articles.• Wrote more than 100 features, news articles and columns.

M.A., Theology

B.A., English, Psychology