• Built a 28-member department with a $4 Million annual budget
• Manage public relations with global journalists in the fifth-largest U.S. media market
• Opened state of the art $11 Million Fair Park Multimedia Center unifying broadcast operations, digital content and audio/visual production for Dallas’ four Public Educational Government access TV (PEG) channels for AT&T and Spectrum subscribers
• Launched Dallas’ Language Access Center of excellence providing translation and interpretation for city-sponsored public outreach and engagement events, leading in the establishment of a national Municipal Language Access Network
• Lead crisis communications and support emergency operations during a ransomware attack, power outages, COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, opioid overdoses, and lost evidence
• Ensure compliance with legacy brand standards while developing a new unified brand for talent attraction, economic development and destination marketing to equitably and strategically engage diverse Dallas stakeholders
• Develop and publish multichannel communications engaging, attracting and retaining Dallas’ 13,000 public servants and civil service workers
• Serve as the City’s official spokesperson

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• Strategy and management consultant to global clientele including Grant Thornton, digitalundivided, More In Common, and the Dallas Mavericks
• Created and launched multimedia campaigns increasing brand awareness and executive visibility at events including MIT’s AI and Future of Work Congress in Boston, CES in Las Vegas, Microsoft’s Business Applications Summit in Atlanta, Consumer Technology Association’s global CEO Summit in Prague, The Deal Economy conference in Dallas, and Leading Women Executives in Chicago
• Project managed events, videos, white papers, webinars, presentations, Op-Eds, and digital content increasing engagement, achieving goals, and improving reputation with clients, prospects, employees, investors, government, influencers, media, and the public

• Led business development, corporate affairs, and communications
• Developed 100 nonprofit partnerships empowering 1.6 million Americans to save on prescriptions
• Initiated strategic planning defining mission and values driving social impact, helping nonprofits win $4 million in grants and guiding gifts from an equity-sustained donor-advised fund

• Initiated strategic planning culminating in Entrepreneurs for North Texas merger establishing CFT4B
• Provided turnkey corporate citizenship programs to 100 companies, strategically aligning business objectives with employee volunteerism, in-kind donations, and sponsorship opportunities
• Increased silent auction revenue more than 40% at 15th annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship awards

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• Created a new city Public Improvement District and successfully advocated for new state funding
• Hosted 2015 Rail~Volution and 2014 New Cities Summit and U.S. Conference of Mayors
• Co-founded the Global Cultural Districts Network sharing best practices and fostering collaboration among established organizations (BAM) and planned/emerging districts (Barangaroo, West Kowloon), with Dallas leading and serving as international headquarters
• Conducted more than 100 tours and speaking engagements annually, reaching thousands globally
• Produced free public events for 50,000+ visitors annually, including block parties and Aurora 2013
• Balanced the budget and doubled revenues from $250,000 to $500,000 annually

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• Earned GreenTech Media recognition among Top 10 North American Utilities in 2012 and 2013
• Manage external affairs team handling media relations and crisis communications
• Develop and implement social media strategies engaging and influencing 10 million customers
• Lead employee communications reaching 4,000 team members and dedicated contractors
• Write speeches and prepare presentations for senior leaders
• Support government affairs advocacy teams at the municipal, county, and state level
• Project managed first mobile-friendly design and launch of Oncor.com with customer self-service tools

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• Quickly understood and explained local issues ranging from education and health care to city and county government, meeting daily deadlines in a fast-paced dynamic environment
• Earned Texas Medical Association Anson Jones, M.D. Citation of Merit in 2007 and 2008
• Named "Best New Media Star...for explaining how your city works" by D Magazine, 2007
• Freelance contributor to National Public Radio and Canadian CBC Radio

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Associate Producer

• Won a 2003 Southern California Journalism Award from the Los Angeles Press Club
• Cultivated sources, researched topics, and wrote interview questions for live daily Public Radio International news program To the Point with host Warren Olney

Pledge Drive Manager

• Planned and executed four consecutive record-breaking pledge drives, increasing pledges from $1.4 million in August 2001 to $2.2 million in February 2003
• Recruited, trained and supervised more than 1,000 volunteers during each semi-annual 11-day subscription campaign

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1996 to 1999

Editor, Producer, and Reporter

• Pioneered the first digital newsroom uniting ABC affiliate WFAA-TV, The Dallas Morning News and CitySearch, creating original multimedia content as a reporter and producer and recruiting and editing freelancers
• Launched north Texas’ first and most comprehensive online arts guide, earning a 1999 Press Club of Dallas Katie nomination for best news website
• Covered multicultural literary, visual and performing arts in a weekly column
• Wrote feature stories and reviews about travel, fashion, religion, art, music and media.

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• Rhodes Hall of Fame honor society for six college seniors
• Omicron Delta Kappa, Mortar Board, and Sigma Tau Delta
• Four-year Presidential Scholarship

• Instituto Cervantes DELE A2 & CCSE, 2019
  
• Pendle Hill's Continuing Revolution Conference, 2016
  
• NALEO, 2012
  
• Power Reporting for Public Radio Journalists, Poynter, 2004
  
• Word and World, Philadelphia, 2003
  
• 40-hour multicultural mediation training, Claremont School of Theology Urban Leadership Institute, Los Angeles, 2002
• Travel in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Middle East
  
• National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Seattle, 1997
• Journalism and Women's Symposium, Montana, 1997