communications advocacy strategy relationships
Contacting Catherine

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Work Experience

Summary

Developing leaders, strengthening communities, and growing businesses through global strategy, communications, and advocacy in private, public, and nonprofit organizations

CRM & Associates LLC - TX & NY

Woman-owned boutique management consultancy

CEO (2025) & Managing Partner (2018 to 2020)
2018 to present
  • Strategic advisor to global clientele including Grant Thornton LLP (U.S.), digitalundivided, More In Common, the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, and the Dallas County, Texas 2020 CENSUS
  • Created and launched multichannel 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 sponsored events, videos, research, webinars, presentations, Op-Eds, and content increasing engagement, achieving goals, and improving reputation with clients, prospects, employees, investors, government, influencers, media, and the public

City of Dallas - Dallas, TX

9th-largest U.S. city in the 5th-largest U.S. media market

Director of Communications, Outreach & Marketing
2020 to 2024
  • Spokesperson leading media relations, reputation management, thought leadership, executive messaging, employee engagement, crisis communications, agency relations, and partner marketing
  • Evolved a public information office of 20 employees into a full-service in-house marketing and branding agency of 30 employees within a $4 Million annual budget
  • Managed 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 and audio/visual production to produce award-winning bilingual content for four Public Educational Government access cable TV and City social media and streaming digital channels
  • Launched Dallas’ Language Access Center of excellence providing written translation and oral and ASL interpretation for city-sponsored public outreach and engagement events, leading in the establishment of a national Municipal Language Access Network
  • Supported emergency operations and created a crisis response framework during a ransomware attack, power outages, the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, opioid overdoses, executive turnover, an apartment complex explosion, an investigation of lost evidence, and extreme weather events
  • Ensure compliance with legacy brand standards while developing a new unified brand for talent attraction, economic development and destination marketing
  • Develop and publish multichannel communications engaging and retaining Dallas’ 13,000 employees
Project & Engagement Administrator - Tourism & Events
2024 to 2025
  • Established City of Dallas protocols for community outreach, public affairs, and multichannel communications for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and a new convention center district opening in 2029
  • Designed, launched & led a paid Tourism & Hospitality Internship Program for credit with the UNT Dallas Conrad Leadership Program and Dallas College in partnership with the American Airlines Center, Visit Dallas, Omni Hotel Dallas, Oak View Group, and Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas master plan project management firms to build a tourism & hospitality workforce pipeline
  • Grew a Nighttime Initiatives Growing Hospitality & Tourism (NIGHT) division within the Convention & Event Services department to support entrepreneurship and safety increasing $15 billion in economic impact

Visit Dallas.gov

RefillWise - Spring, TX

Social enterprise offering pharmacy discounts and adherence rewards

Director of Partnerships
2016 to 2018
  • Led corporate affairs and communications, increasing new business 20 percent through earned media
  • Developed 100 nonprofit partnerships empowering 1.6 million Americans to save on prescriptions, helping nonprofits use data-driven insights to win $4 million in grants
  • Initiated strategic planning defining mission and values driving social impact gifts from an equity-sustained donor-advised fund

Communities Foundation of Texas - Dallas, TX

60+ year old nonprofit managing more than $1 Billion & granting $100 Million annually

Director of Entrepreneurs For North Texas
2015 to 2016
  • Increased sponsorship and silent auction revenue more than 40 percent at 15th annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship awards
  • Managed a portfolio of 100 member companies, providing turnkey corporate citizenship programs to strategically align businesses' objectives with employee volunteerism, in-kind donations, and sponsorship opportunities
  • Initiated strategic planning successfully culminating in merger establishing the CFT Center for Business Impact

Visit Communities Foundation of Texas

Dallas Arts District Foundation - Dallas, TX

20 square blocks/70+ urban acres of museums, performance halls, parks, dining, homes and offices

CEO
2013 to 2015
  • Balanced the budget and doubled annual revenues
  • Created a new city Public Improvement District and successfully advocated for new state funding to diversify support and increase resilience
  • 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
  • Hosted 2015 Rail~Volution and 2014 New Cities Summit and U.S. Conference of Mayors

Visit Dallas Arts District

Oncor - Dallas, TX

Sixth-largest U.S. electric transmission and distribution utility, delivering power to 10 million Texans

Communications Manager
2008 to 2013
  • Develop and implement digital strategies engaging and influencing 10 million customers, earning GreenTech Media recognition for best social media among Top 10 North American Utilities in 2012 and 2013
  • Manage external affairs team handling media relations and crisis communications
  • Led employee communications reaching 4,000 team members and dedicated contractors
  • Write speeches and prepared presentations for senior executives during state legislative sessions and quarterly investor calls
  • Support government 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

Visit Oncor

KERA - Dallas, TX

North Texas Public Broadcasting, serving the fifth-largest media market in the U.S.

Reporter
2003 to 2007
  • 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
  • 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
  • Freelance contributor to National Public Radio, Canadian CBC Radio, KCRW, and WNYC

Visit KERA News

KCRW - Santa Monica, CA

National Public Radio’s top-rated southern California affiliate and top U.S. station online

2001 to 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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The Dallas Morning News - Dallas, TX

Daily paper of record in third-largest Texas city

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 recruiting and editing freelancer contributors
  • 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.

Visit The Dallas Morning News

Education

B.A. English (Creative Writing), Rhodes College

Additional Education