Communications plans

At Georgian, I develop communications plans to support our priorities. This cross-functional strategy I developed helped to ensure we converted as many applicants as possible into current students.

Here’s a more routine, tactical communications plan, drafted to help promote a series of student-led dinners in the college’s learning restaurant. And here are some of the pieces that came from it.

Internal communications

While at United Way, I developed, executed and evaluated a brand new internal communications strategy that was widely acknowledged as smart and effective. I managed the organization’s Sharepoint content, executive updates, announced all staff changes, organized and ran quarterly all-employee meetings, and published a bi-monthly newsletter. Everything was branded, clear and concise.

At Georgian, I’ve contributed to significant internal communications projects. For example, I helped to carefully announce our campus smoking ban to staff and students. Here are some tactics from that campaign.

When our primary internal communicator is away, I often step in to edit, write and post content for our staff portal. Here are some of my pieces.

Media relations

I’ve supported media relations at all of my workplaces. At Georgian, I’m typically responsible for media materials for specific projects and events, like this Indigenous land acknowledgement. This event got great coverage thanks in part to my event planning support, speaking notes, media materials and on-site media work. Here’s the clip from CTV.

This was probably my favourite ever media project at Georgian. In my very first month at the college, my media advisory and this news release garnered excellent coverage, most of which isn’t captured below.

I contributed a lot to media relations at United Way. For example, I supported the launch of this Community Hub. I created briefing notes and key messages to prepare our president for tough questions. I developed event media materials and connected with journalists at events. I was also responsible for media monitoring, coverage reports, media lists, and (the best part!) finding client and agency stories to pitch, like these.

One memorable media experience happened a few months after the start of the 2008 recession. United Way realized it hadn’t raised enough to support local non-profits and decided to make a special appeal. I drafted a media advisory and release in less than an hour. The resulting coverage was incredible. We were connecting journalists with our president and member agencies for days.

My colleagues and I also ran an annual media relations training session for community agencies with limited professional development budgets. This handbook, which was always well received, was my baby.

At Kids Help Phone, media relations was just one of the things I did off the side of my desk. Still, we managed to get some great coverage. Here are some articles I either pitched myself, or worked with volunteers to land.

And everything else

There is so much that falls within “other duties as assigned.” At Kids Help Phone, I delivered presentations to elementary school kids about bullying. At United Way, I secured $6-million in donated ads. At Georgian, I spent six months editing and revising webpages submitted by other departments. Here is some work I’m proud to call mine.

• Georgian College
  • I collected the statistics to claim the title of #1 co-op college. I also wrote the original co-op key messages, most of which are still in use.
  • I’m responsible for campus fact sheets. They’re often used by smaller campuses as promotional tools.
• United Way
  • I wrote dozens of radio ads, including this PSA for CORUS.
  • I developed several executive biographies. This bio for President and CEO Frances Lankin lived on our website and provided an intro at events.
• Kids Help Phone
  • My high school student volunteers delivered this speech for morning announcements, to great feedback.
  • I was often required to pitch to potential partners. Here’s a slide deck I used when presenting to Belleville City Council.
  • When I had time, I wrote thank you notes to donors in my region. Here’s a letter to a young girl in Penetang.