Organization
Ramsey County Communications & Public Relations
Current Position and how long
Communications Associate Information & Public Records and Community Outreach - 7 months
Other experience: Professional, communications, education or anything else you'd like to share
I am a communications and marketing professional with ten years of experience cultivating relationships through impactful messaging, event planning, social media management, branding and community outreach. I have experience drafting internal and external messages, planning and implementing marketing campaigns, and engaging clients to solicit feedback. My strategic approach to communications and marketing has proven successful for governmental organizations, businesses and nonprofits.
I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and linguistics from Luther College and my passion for communications, community engagement and event planning stems from that experience. My professional career has included entertainment sales and event production for national agencies, higher education student affairs policy and adjudication, and most recently a passion for local government as a volunteer in Saint Paul and as an employee of Ramsey County. Throughout those professional experiences, effective, creative marketing and strategic communications have become the passion and focus of my work.
Why do you want to be a Minnesota Association of Government Communicators board member?
I am seeking your vote to become a MAGC board member because I value the professional development, networking and recognition our association provides; I want to support those initiatives. My experience and skills with nonprofit boards combined with my passion for government communication are a match to MAGC's values of strengthening our peer networks and improving the communication channels we use every day.
While I am fairly new to government communications, I am experienced with associations that provide developmental and educational opportunities to its members. I served for five years on the National Association of Campus Activities regional conference planning committee preparing logistics for keynote presentations and education sessions. I served for three years on the Highland District Council board of directors, a neighborhood nonprofit dedicated to connecting residents with municipal resources, where I developed outreach strategies that fostered conversations between the City of Saint Paul and residents, businesses and organizations in the Highland Park neighborhood. I also served as a board member for the Ramsey County Charter Commission and the Luther College Alumni Association. In each of those roles I have witnessed the ability of associations to acknowledge the good work being done by its members and the importance of providing opportunities for professional development. I want to bring my expertise to MAGC's board to continue offering those opportunities to government communicators throughout Minnesota.
What qualities and attributes will you bring to the organization?
I am a trustworthy, helpful extrovert. My approach to volunteerism and projects has been described by my colleagues as unbridled enthusiasm. As a government communicator, I believe we are responsible for what we think, say and do and that we are accountable for what we create, promote and allow. This is a framework I use in all aspects of my life.
What do you consider to be the major issues facing government communicators today?
As government communicators, we are crafting messages and information that will be consumed by a society that is eager to call out the smallest inaccuracies and nitpick every detail. We are rarely provided the benefit of the doubt and we are challenged to develop trust with our constituents. Additionally, it is difficult at times to understand what our audiences really want to know about and challenging to deliver information to them in a creative, accessible way.