Wendy Allen Email & Phone Number

La Crosse, Wi, Us

Wisconsin, United States

Manage and advise on strategic communications with the cooperative's farmer-members:- Ensure communications are accurate, relevant, and aligned with the direction of executive leadership- Manage editorial processes for newsletters, website, mailings, and meeting/event materials- Edit and advise on business-critical membership materials such as policies, standards, etc. - Collaborate cross-departmentally to shape creative communications, identify communication needs, and find solutions; build cross-departmental relationships- Supervise staff and freelancers- Writing and editing with a long-term view in mind

La Farge, Wi

Current responsibilities include:• Managing editor for company blog (organicvalley.coop/blog), which includes leading cross-departmental editorial team; collaborating with marketing leaders to create strategic, informative and interesting blog content; managing contributors, and workflows; copyediting all content; writing when needed; driving quarterly reporting. In its first year, blog met 12-month traffic goals in 10 months.• Write and edit a wide range of materials for various departments and audiences. Understand complex topics and be able to distill them into clear, concise, informative and engaging stories. • Prepare corporate communications and core messaging content for key stakeholder audiences (employees, owners, investors) and the public. • Editor/project manager of the cooperative's annual report and sustainability report. • Manage the cooperative's in-house style guide; facilitate annual style guide reviews and updates.

La Farge, Wi

• Became managing editor for new company blog (organicvalley.coop/blog) in mid-2018, which included forming the cross-departmental editorial team, co-creating and executing a blog content strategy, creating a workflow, internal outreach and education. Upon launch, in Nov. 2018, I led the editorial team, managed the editorial calendar and workflow, managed internal and freelance contributors, edited all content, and wrote stories when needed. In its first year (2019), blog met 12-month traffic goals in 10 months.• Created company’s first in-house style guide through a cooperative, cross-departmental process; facilitate annual style guide reviews and updates. • Expanded the business-wide resource library to a new platform for improved accessibility. • Edited a wide range of public and internal business documents, including marketing materials, corporate communications, messaging materials, FAQs, letters to legislators, blog posts, and much more.• Became editor and project manager of the company's annual report. • Led monthly messaging trainings for new employees. Trained two colleagues to also teach the content.• Public speaking about "organic 101" and about the cooperative, on occasion. Graduated from the Organic Valley Emerging Leaders Program (2018-2019 cohort) in June 2019: 18-month program teaching skills that prepare participants to move into leadership roles.

• Created social media strategy and write content for three key projects: the cooperative's blog "Rootstock" (2015), the “Grass Up” influencer education campaign (2014), and the “Earth Dinner” campaign (2009-2016).• Created first business-wide resource library of widely used materials: business and leadership bios, FAQs, messaging documents, standard PowerPoints, templates, etc.• Task and workflow coordination for Content Department: coordinate and monitor all writing projects for the department, act as communication liaison between client, writer and designer, assign tasks to team members, manage timelines.• Source writing from and ghostwrite for high-level executives.• Write and copyedit content for various departments and audiences: marketing, consumer, retail, farmer, web, etc.• Co-manage the Earth Dinner’s outreach campaigns and nationwide partnerships.• Led messaging trainings to help staff be prepared to represent the business 3 times per year.• Coordinate the cooperative's speaker program.

• Co-managed the Earth Dinner’s social media presence, outreach campaigns and nationwide partnerships. Designed and implemented a successful spring 2011 Earth Dinner™ Facebook partner campaign, which increased the program’s followers by 79%. • Supported the offsite Public Relations Team with press kit creation, proofreading, maintenance of media archives, information gathering and fact checking.• Managed writing-emphasis special projects.• Conducted research on hot issues in order to write backgrounders and talking points.• Coordinated the marketing "speakers bureau" program.• Wrote submissions to business award competitions.• Coordinated five regional marketing teams.

• Coordinated writing-emphasis special projects such as annual reports, web copy, and consumer talking points. • Conducted extensive research, writing and editing for Organic Valley’s Cooperative Message Handbook (2008).• Copyedited submissions for the cooperative’s first blog “Organic Sense” (now inactive) and assisted with procuring submissions from influential partners.• Co-created the cooperative's first messaging training program for employees.• Supported PR Team with press kit creation, press release and marketing material editing, maintenance of the cooperative’s media coverage archive system, and information gathering and fact checking.• From 2006-2009, coordinated 16 large, often-coinciding Earth Dinner fundraiser events for nonprofit partner organizations. Managed sponsorship of 90 other Earth Dinners nationwide. Wrote copy for a significant Earth Dinner website update in 2008 (www.earthdinner.org, now inactive).• Coordinated five regional marketing teams.• Provided administrative support to the Public Affairs Manager (2007-2010), Chief Marketing Executive (2009) and the Cooperative Giving Program (2006-2010).

• Provided administrative support to the Public Affairs Manager.

Serving Clients Anywhere In U.S.

Provide writing and editing services to select mission-driven clients. Notable recent work includes: • Edible Madison magazine: Digital Editor (April 2010 – June 2019), copyeditor, columnist, and features writer (April 2010 – Present).• Farmer Direct Organic Foods copywriting and editing: web redesign (2016), U.S. retail packaging (2016), Canadian retail packaging (2017), bulk packaging (2017), miscellaneous copywriting (2018); e-commerce website (2019). • Wakunaga supplements copywriting: Kyo-Green powder (2018); Kyolic garlic (2018); Kyo-Dophilus probiotics (2019).• Gulf State Park, Alabama, copywriting and editing for interpretive trail signage (2017-2018).Writing has appeared in various southern Wisconsin publications.

Cardio Kickboxing and Group Strength Training instructor at Vernon Memorial Healthcare and Organic Valley locations. National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA) certified from Feb. 2009 - June 2011.

La Crosse, Wisconsin Area

Travel to military locations nationwide to conduct health assessments for the Army National Guard and Reserves. Led teams of 5 to 15 admin and physician’s assistants, directed all on-site activities, communicated with various levels of corporate and military personnel.

Direct sales of high quality educational resources for pre-K to high school ages. Received over 300 hours of sales and public speaking training over 3 summers. Relocated to Maryland, Kentucky and California. In the off-season, engaged in recruitment and training of future team members.

B.A

Education record