PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

North Carolina Central University, Director of Marketing and Communications, Raleigh, NC

November 2016 – Present

Manage brand awareness of NCCU through coordination of media efforts for thought leaders, research grants announcements and academic programs; results include 15,600 articles and 104.8 billion impressions for the 2024-2025 fiscal year (increase of 28% from previous time period).

• Boosted university coverage of faculty, staff and student achievements by 45% within six months through strategic collaboration with campus-wide public communication specialists and directors.

• Lead communications and marketing efforts for large-scale university events, fostering admissions/enrollment priorities, including commencements/convocations; open houses; homecoming; lyceums, new facility groundbreakings and openings; partnership announcements; and elected official visits.

• Serve as primary contact for marketing agency, providing strategic counsel for a number of brand awareness campaigns, including Eagle Promise Realized and When Eagles Soar.

• Design and implement communication and marketing guidelines for the Brand Management Council, collaborating with campus-wide public communication specialists and directors.

• Develop crisis communication strategies, ensuring timely and effective messaging to key stakeholders during high-pressure situations, minimizing reputational risks and maintaining public trust.

• Participate in and provide counsel to multiple standing committee meetings, including The Ultimate Homecoming Experience; IMPACT; Community Engagement Strategic Plan; Enrollment Strategic Plan

• Write and edit press materials, advertising copy, alumni magazine content and remarks for university leadership.

• Co-led the launch of new university website.

 

Brand Strategist; Community Relations & Multicultural Marketing Consultant, New York, NY

 March 2013 – October 2016
 

• The EGAMI Group, Clients: Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Target

  • Managed P&G diversity and inclusion initiatives, including the Cincinnati Music Festival, National Urban League National Conference, Women’s Empowerment Expo (in partnership with Radio One) and 2016 Rio Olympics – African-American narrative. Duties include strategic planning and counsel, event execution, talent management, materials/message development and media relations.

  • Lead community initiatives on behalf of P&G’s My Black Is Beautiful (MBIB) platform, including Imagine A Future program with United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Black Girls Rock! and Community in Schools organizations. Program empowered 3.4MM girls and young women to embrace their best selves through the “Imagine A Future” documentary, discussion guides, scholarships and local events, including UNCF Empower Me College Tour.

  • Directed MBIB activities at Black Girls Rock! Awards with celebrity spokespeople, actress Tatyana Ali, and WNBA players Essence Carson and Tamika Raymond. Duties include strategic planning and counsel, event execution, talent management and materials development.

  • Managed MBIB #MyBlackMan celebration with Grammy Award-winning producer and artist, Warryn and Erica Campbell. To date, program exceeded media goals by 200% with coverage by the Huffington Post, Ebony, Café Mocha, the Tom Morning Show and Black America Web

  • Oversaw MBIB’s Black History Month initiative – Beautiful Reflections – featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Erica Campbell and mother Thomasina Atkins. To date, program exceeded media goals by 8% with coverage by the Huffington Post, Rolling Out and EurWeb.

  • Facilitated multicultural outreach programs on behalf of Target retail store. Includes holiday hairstyles content with style expert, Tai Beauchamp and celebrity hair stylist, Anthony Dickey, and Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon sponsorship.

  • Contributed to development of company policies and procedures, talent recruitment and professional development for employees.

• Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB)

  • Co-managed planning and execution of annual TVB Forward conference for more than 500 local broadcast television C-Suite decision makers

 

Marina Maher Communications, Senior Account Executive, Healthcare Group, New York, NY
August 2010 - March 2013; Clients: Eisai, Sanofi US and Proctor and Gamble

Managed consumer engagement events for COVERGIRL Queen Collection (i.e., Essence Festival, Black Girls Rock! Awards) including vendor logistics, brand ambassador recruitment and media interviews; coordinated media placement credits and product requests for brand; developed and delivered results reports highlighting program effectiveness in meeting goals and objectives.

• Supervised Eisai’s pre-screening event of the “Minute By Minute” documentary, in partnership with the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) Foundation; coordinated RSVPs, venue contract, catering selection, invitations, signage, media materials development and outreach which resulted in coverage in leading epilepsy and special needs-focused outlets (i.e., SpecialChildren.About.com).

• Executed epilepsy caregiver video series,” Navigating the Storm.” Duties included vendor coordination, script development, management of talent, day-of-shoot needs and video editing, and website posting. To date, four videos have been released.

• Executed long lead editor event at Hearst Corp., on behalf of Sanofi US’ AUVI-Q. Participating long leads included, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Woman’s Day, O, The Oprah Magazine and Marie Claire.

• Handled monthly billing process for all accounts, including development of activity reports, invoices and expense reports

• Represented firm at campus recruitment events; served on college recruitment career panel discussion for firm. 

 

FleishmanHillard, Senior Account Executive, Healthcare Group, New York, NY
April 2007 – August 2010; Clients: Forest Laboratories, Ortho McNeil-Janssen and McNeil Consumer Healthcare
 

• Supervised Tylenol Scholarship Program for college and graduate students in healthcare fields; established relationships with leading college and university admissions counselors and print newspapers.

• Executed Ortho McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals “It Girl Essentials” contest for young women, ages 18-24, dedicated to making a difference in the world; updated branded site and Facebook page announcing contest winners.

• Leveraged Forest Laboratories’ annual Investing Caregivers Attitudes and Needs (ICAN) survey, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA); surveys to date have assessed Hispanic, African American, sandwich and teen caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients.

• Monitored department interns; provided training on various database systems and delegated appropriate tasks for internship.
   

AWARDS, ACTIVITIES & SKILLS​
 

• Awards: NCCU United We Soar Award (22-23); NCCU Eagle Excellence Award (2017); Essence Music Festival MBIB Fan Favorite (2013-14), FleishmanHilliard NY Healthcare I2Award (2009); The EGAMI Group Excelsior Award (2013 and 2015)

• Speaking Engagements: 2024 Centralizing Brand You Conference, “Press Release Playbook: Level Up Your Media Game”; 2023 NCCU PR Foundations Course, “Press Releases vs. Media Alerts”; 2017 UNC Advancement Symposium, “’Switch On’ Social Media: New Strategies for Storytelling Using Digital Platforms,” May 2017; St. Matthew Baptist Church Girls Retreat, “My Black is Beautiful & Self Esteem,” May 2016

• Skills: Open AI Academy 2025; Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Cision, MuckRack, Meltwater, TV Eyes, Associated Press Style; Working knowledge of Adobe Suite, Drupal 9, photography, videography

• Organizations: Howard University Alumni Association; Howard University Alumni Cheerleading Association, NCCU Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research Advisory Board; 2025 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards Marketing Initiatives Category (Less than 10 Staff) Judge

• Personal Interests: Kickboxing

EDUCATION
 

Howard University, Washington, DC                                                  The University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Bachelor of Science                                                                          Master of Arts

Human Development & Psychoeducational Studies; Psychology             Journalism and Mass Communication