Yolanda King Stephen, Mba, Apr Email & Phone Number

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Through my freelance work in the nonprofit and education sectors, I bring a passion for storytelling, a deep understanding of communications best practices, and a commitment to driving positive impact.RESPONSIBILITIES:1. Develop and align communications strategies for public relations, social media, event management, community relations and internal communications. 2. Provide expert counsel to executives on public relations strategies, crisis communication, and reputation… Show more Through my freelance work in the nonprofit and education sectors, I bring a passion for storytelling, a deep understanding of communications best practices, and a commitment to driving positive impact.RESPONSIBILITIES:1. Develop and align communications strategies for public relations, social media, event management, community relations and internal communications. 2. Provide expert counsel to executives on public relations strategies, crisis communication, and reputation management.3. Create strategy plans, press releases, social media posts, key messages and other business communications. Show less

Lebanon, Tennessee, United States

RESPONSIBILITIES1. Directed comprehensive public relations, corporate social responsibility, and local store marketing initiatives to bolster brand efficacy and reputation.2. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to integrate data-driven insights for effective brand management.3. Led and coached a team of four full-time managers. ACHIEVEMENTS* Brunchin' at the Barrel Pop-Up Festival Series: Conceptualized and executed the Brunchin' at the Barrel pop-up summer festival… Show more RESPONSIBILITIES1. Directed comprehensive public relations, corporate social responsibility, and local store marketing initiatives to bolster brand efficacy and reputation.2. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to integrate data-driven insights for effective brand management.3. Led and coached a team of four full-time managers. ACHIEVEMENTS* Brunchin' at the Barrel Pop-Up Festival Series: Conceptualized and executed the Brunchin' at the Barrel pop-up summer festival music series, attracting over 8,000 new customers to the brand. * Cracker Barrel Rewards Partnership with Dolly Parton: Launched the Cracker Barrel Rewards partnership with Dolly Parton, resulting in 300K new members within one week.* Local Store Market Outreach: Drove a 27% increase in local store market outreach through the successful launch of the HubKonnect online platform.* Community Engagement and Philanthropy: Directed the Cracker Barrel Food for Families program, donating $200,000 to Feeding America and local market food banks, serving over 2,000 households and donating 140,000 lbs. of food in rural communities. Show less

Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States

RESPONSIBILITIES1. Directed media relations, social media, and speaker’s bureau initiatives, ensuring comprehensive internal and external communications strategy.2. Inspired, engaged, and coached team members to drive high-impact results for a multi-channeled strategic public relations program.3. Team lead focused on driving media relations, building strong media relationships, and tracking the effectiveness of the communications program.ACHIEVEMENTS*Strategic Public… Show more RESPONSIBILITIES1. Directed media relations, social media, and speaker’s bureau initiatives, ensuring comprehensive internal and external communications strategy.2. Inspired, engaged, and coached team members to drive high-impact results for a multi-channeled strategic public relations program.3. Team lead focused on driving media relations, building strong media relationships, and tracking the effectiveness of the communications program.ACHIEVEMENTS*Strategic Public Relations and Media Outreach: Collaborated with business partners to implement a strategic communications planning and media pitching calendar, resulting in over 40% increase in public and social media outreach.*Social Media Engagement Boost: Achieved a 25% increase in social engagement by implementing a comprehensive social media playbook and yearly editorial calendar of events.* Crisis Management & Preparedness: Instituted quarterly crisis simulations to prepare for unforeseen events, leveraged learnings for proactive communications when Ukraine citizens sought asylum in locations close to Unum Poland.* Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives: Collaborated with the Corporate Social Responsibility team to pitch and place stories highlighting non-profit organizations such as Five Strong, Wounded Warriors, and Camp Cole. Show less

Lagrange, Ga

RESPONSIBILITIES1. Provided strategic counsel and direction for internal and external communication strategies to the Superintendent of Schools and Cabinet members.2. Managed the communications department, overseeing personnel and budget, and directing all aspects of strategic communications including public relations, internal, external, social, and content strategy.3. Owned social media campaigns, content calendar, and design, ensuring consistent messaging and… Show more RESPONSIBILITIES1. Provided strategic counsel and direction for internal and external communication strategies to the Superintendent of Schools and Cabinet members.2. Managed the communications department, overseeing personnel and budget, and directing all aspects of strategic communications including public relations, internal, external, social, and content strategy.3. Owned social media campaigns, content calendar, and design, ensuring consistent messaging and engagement.ACHIEVEMENTS* Strategic Planning & Communication Evaluation: Implemented five-year sustainable strategic communications plan.* Successful Bond Referendums & Funding Increase: Added $163M to the school system budget by developing and executing Education Bond strategic communication plans, passed by an overwhelming 69.6%.* Strategic Branding & Funding Success: Created sustainable Brand the District PR campaign, leading strategic planning sessions and conducting stakeholder research to pioneer a new brand; awarded coveted Gold Medallion and brand is still in use today.* Crisis Communication: Spearheaded the school system's COVID-19 crisis communication plan and strategies, serving as a key spokesperson at state-wide and national events highlighting top crisis planning efforts. Show less

Columbus, Ga

RESPONSIBILITIES1, Led the communications team of four through strategic communications, media relations, branding, internal communications, and social media strategies.2. Managed all internal and external communication strategies, including crisis communication plans and incident response team.3. Directed initiatives to facilitate organizational growth and successful rebranding efforts.ACHIEVEMENTS*Strategic Communications: 35% revenue increase in six months by… Show more RESPONSIBILITIES1, Led the communications team of four through strategic communications, media relations, branding, internal communications, and social media strategies.2. Managed all internal and external communication strategies, including crisis communication plans and incident response team.3. Directed initiatives to facilitate organizational growth and successful rebranding efforts.ACHIEVEMENTS*Strategic Communications: 35% revenue increase in six months by developing and implementing a comprehensive five-year strategic plan. *Boosted Career Class Enrollment: Generated 30% increase in career class enrollment by implementing targeted and integrated marketing.*Effective Internal and External Communication Outreach: Conducted press conferences, town hall meetings and hosted on-site events to engage employees and stakeholders. Show less

Columbus, Ga

RESPONSIBILITIES1. Led award-winning public relations campaigns for the Aflac Duck, enhancing the brand's public profile and visibility.2. Managed media relations, corporate social responsibility, and national sponsorships, presenting the Aflac story through diverse lenses including human resources, sales, marketing, and DEI.3. Oversaw all national sponsorships including Aflac All-American, Aflac Iron Girl, Aflac Outdoor Games, and Aflac Racing (NASCAR).ACHIEVEMENTS*… Show more RESPONSIBILITIES1. Led award-winning public relations campaigns for the Aflac Duck, enhancing the brand's public profile and visibility.2. Managed media relations, corporate social responsibility, and national sponsorships, presenting the Aflac story through diverse lenses including human resources, sales, marketing, and DEI.3. Oversaw all national sponsorships including Aflac All-American, Aflac Iron Girl, Aflac Outdoor Games, and Aflac Racing (NASCAR).ACHIEVEMENTS* Elevated Brand Recognition: Placed senior executives in high-profile publications such as Essence, Latina, Black Enterprise, Insurance Journal, HR Magazine and HR Trend. *Award-Winning Communication Initiatives: Won multiple awards due to brand identity and national sponsorships communication planning.* Journalistic Style Writing: Crafted compelling messages to announce company milestones, product launches and community initiatives, ensuring news releases adhered to AP Writing Style of journalistic standards. Show less

B.S., Communication Arts

Activities and Societies: Student Government Association Vice President, Society of Professional Journalists President, Marching Band.

Master Of Business Administration (Mba), Business

Activities and Societies: Toastmasters, Public Relations Society of America