PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Deputy Public Affairs Officer: Coconino National Forest
Sept. 2020- Oct. 2021; Feb. 2022 – present
I work full time as a public affairs specialist for the Coconino National Forest in Flagstaff, Ariz. I write, edit and send news releases to the media, partner agencies and members of the public via Constant Contact. I both provide media interviews and coordinate media interviews between subject matter experts on our forest and journalists. I use a variety of digital tools — such as Adobe, Affinity and various other products — to craft graphics, newsletters, guides and videos for both internal and public consumption. I occasionally update both social media and our forest website content management system with information and media in accordance with government guidelines and agency branding.

-Rostered member of Northern Arizona Type 3 Incident Management Team
-Worked with multiple Type 1 teams, Type 3 teams and other agencies during multiple on-forest wildfires for three fire seasons
-Creation (filming, editing via Premiere Pro, posting) of mini-video series (five videos) on fire restrictions and prescribed burns to increase public awareness
-Co-drafted multiple communication plans to relay information on dry weather conditions and full forest closure
-Drafted talking points for agency employees to use during forest area closures and post-fire damage assessment periods
-Created “Media Training 101” PowerPoint to present to agency employees who may encounter media outlets during work
-Coordinated internal employee annual photo contest, including promotional materials (InDesign) and survey materials (Google Forms)

Public Affairs Officer: Tahoe National Forest
Oct. 2021 – Feb. 2022
I spent almost five months working on a detail assignment at the Tahoe National Forest based in Nevada City, Calif. I supervised two employees and held as seat on the Forest Leadership Team, where I consulted with other high-level forest employees to make decisions impacting the entire forest. I conducted routine interviews with media regarding forest projects, fatalities and events, and coordinated in-depth media interviews with subject matter experts within our agency. I routinely developed talking points for internal use as well.
-Created series of branded photos to be used internally as Microsoft Teams backgrounds
-Worked with partner organizations to create communication plans for forest landscape restoration project
-Photographed events, such as National Guard Search and Rescue Training and Lions Club plaque presentation
-Streamlined newsletter and press release dissemination.

TEFL SECONDARY EDUCATION VOLUNTEER

Worked full time as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English as a foreign language to secondary school students grades 5 through 9 in accordance with Ukraine’s Ministry of Education standards. I also facilitated educator workshops and student clubs. Prior to swearing in as a volunteer, I completed Pre-Service Training: two months of intensive Ukrainian language and culture lessons. I lived with two host families during my Peace Corps experience. Additional projects included:

-A community English-speaking club at the Khmelnytska Oblast Window on America center
-A women-and-girls’ empowerment club at the Khmelnytska Oblast Window on America center
-Khmelnytska Oblast safety and security warden (successful evacuation of 250+ volunteers during global COVID-19 pandemic)
-Khmelnytska Oblast Write On! competition coordinator

*My service was intended to be 27 months. However, I was evacuated and my service was cut short due to the global evacuation of all Peace Corps Volunteers in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was granted RPCV status.

DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

I populated the Chicago Tribune homepage and produced content items for online using CMS. I recorded, produced and uploaded daily Amazon Alexa flash briefings. I wrote, recorded and produced audio segments and podcast series episodes to accompany online story packages. I used a variety of online tools to create digital-specific presentation assets. I occasionally wrote columns and feature stories, and tended to wires. I spent a lot of time on Chartbeat, Omniture/ Adobe Analytics and CrowdTangle.

SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANT

I managed social media platforms, conducted staff training sessions and personally launched newsroom presence on Snapchat and Facebook Live.

REPORTER

I told community stories in print and online using articles, photos and videos. I also covered local city, township, public education and higher education beats. Gained experience in both hard news and feature writing. Featured work in pagination and editing as well.

GRADUATE ASSISTANT

I created a branded social media presence for CMU’s Master of Science in Administration department as part of a graduate assistantship. I also provided on-site training for staff.

INTERN- REPORTER

I worked full time to cover city and township government — as well as breaking news — for a semester-long college internship.

INTERN – REPORTER AND PHOTOGRAPHER

I worked part-time as one of four student interns to spend my summer covering events and writing preview stories, as well as a few community features. I received training in reporting, editing, photography, pagination, video and social media.

NEWS EDITOR, SENIOR REPORTER, COPY EDITOR

College newspaper experience. Roles included staff reporter, senior reporter, copy editor and news editor.