Work Experience
Summary
Community leader and visionary strategist stewarding global nonprofit, business, and public sector relationships through communications, advocacy, and development expertise
Communities Foundation of Texas - Dallas, TX
60+ year old nonprofit managing more than $1 Billion & granting $100 Million annually
Entrepreneurs For North Texas Director
July 2015 - July 2016
- Recruited dozens of new member companies and sponsors to program serving 100 businesses
- Increased silent auction revenue more than 40% at 15th annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship awards
- Successfully executed strategic planning, merging business units to guarantee sustainability
Dallas Arts District - Dallas, TX
20 square blocks/70+ urban acres of museums, performance halls, parks, dining, homes and offices
CEO
April 2013 — July 2015
- Balanced the budget and doubled revenues from $250,000 to $500,000 annually
- 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, The Dam) 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
Oncor - Dallas, TX
Sixth-largest U.S. electric transmission and distribution utility, delivering power to 10 million Texans
Communications Manager
leading crisis and employee communications and social media
2008 to 2013
- 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 executive leaders
- Support government affairs advocacy teams at the municipal, county and state level
- Sponsored first mobile-friendly design and launch of Oncor.com with customer self-service tools
Visit Oncor
Pegasus News - Dallas, TX (acquired by DMNmedia)
Premier hyperlocal news site in the U.S., honored as Best Website by Press Club of Dallas in 2008
Managing Editor
September 2007 — August 2008
- Doubled original content, managing dozens of content partners from across North Texas
- Established credit internships with public and private universities across North Texas
Visit DMN Media
KERA - Dallas, TX
North Texas Public Broadcasting, serving the fifth-largest media market in the U.S.
Reporter
August 2003 — September 2007
- Quickly understood and explained local issues ranging from education and health care to city and county government, filing daily spot news and in-depth reports on general assignments
- 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
Visit KERA News
KCRW - Santa Monica, CA
National Public Radio’s top-rated affiliate in southern California and top U.S. station online
May 2001 — April 2003
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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BELO - Dallas, TX
GuideLive.com Founding - Editor/Producer
June 1998 to August 1999
- 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
Visit Guide Live
The Dallas Morning News - Staff Writer
June 1996 to May 1998
- Covered multicultural literary, visual and performing arts in a weekly column
- Wrote feature stories and reviews about travel, fashion, religion, art, music and media.
Visit The Dallas Morning News
Education
B.A. English (Creative Writing), Rhodes College
May 1996
- Rhodes Hall of Fame honor society for six college seniors
- Omicron Delta Kappa, Mortar Board, and Sigma Tau Delta
- Four-year Presidential Scholarship
Visit Rhodes College
Additional Education
- Pendle Hill's Continuing Revolution Conference, 2016
- NALEO, 2012
- UNITY, Chicago, 2008
- 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