Colleen Dermody Marketing & Writing Consultant / Senior Vice President of Communications SUMMARY Highly Successful Communicator – Excellent ability to lead, advise, communicate, collaborate and recruit across divisional/geographic boundaries, and with executives, opinion leaders, customers, scientists, medical and law professionals, business analysts and media. Strategic Communications – Have lead efforts to forge and implement strategic communications programs that resulted in increased awareness, visibility, brand recognition, and sales. Transformed mundane product launches, issue campaigns and government relations initiatives into creative, highly visible campaigns that dramatically increased awareness. Relationship Management – Skilled at cultivating and enriching relationships with customers, clients, media, corporate partners, non-government organizations and trade associations. Galvanized issue concepts and implemented issues marketing, messaging and media programs for corporate, non-profit and government clients. Industry Knowledge – More than 25 years experience in communications, marketing, issues management, media relations, health public relations, business to business relationships, and corporate, product, and services communications. Skilled Team Leader – Motivated practitioner with over two decades of experience leading teams and managing diverse organizations and individuals. Center for Science in the Public Interest, Barbara Hafer for State Treasurer,
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Out to Market Communications, Washington, DC, August 2009 to Present
Principal/Consultant
Creating marketing solutions, communications project management, conducting focus group research,developing messaging and outreach strategies, writing strategic communications plans, conducting issues and background research, writing and editing for all mediums and platforms, press release writing, social networks marketing, media relations, business & non-profit communications, and implementing cause related marketing strategies.
Witeck-Combs Communications,
Vice President
Conducted counsel and oversaw marketing communications plan implementation, strategic public relations, public policy issues management and communications research for a variety of corporate, non-profit and government clients such as Aetna, GlaxoSmithKline, New York Stem Cell Foundation, The Mautner Project, the District of Columbia Department of Health, American Lung Association of DC, the Social Security Administration, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Wells Fargo and The Wellness Community as well as conducting new business outreach, proposal writing and acquisition.
Communications Director
Senior advisor to the Executive Director/Founder and senior leaders of the organization. Responsibilities included strategic media and communications planning and implementation, media training, management of the group’s award-winning Website and day-to-day media relations operation.
The Humane Society of the
Director of Public Relations
Senior advisor with multi-faceted responsibilities in a busy communications department for national and international animal welfare advocacy organization. Duties included leading the department in public relations, Website management, internal constituency relations, and development of public relations strategies with the President/CEO, Vice Presidents and other top organization executives.
Director of Communications
Media spokesperson for public officeholder running for statewide office. Duties also included diverse responsibilities with internal and external communications, press relations, and staff management. Candidate was the Auditor General of
Feminist Majority Foundation,
Director of Media Relations/Publications Manager
Created and implemented initiatives emphasizing communications coordination, marketing, and management for this national non-profit organization. Created and executed issue campaign plans, demonstrations, speak-outs and telemarketing campaigns. Arranged all aspects of public relations and prepared testimony for national and regional public meetings and hearings before Congressional committees. Created, designed and produced organizational press materials, developed and executed press conferences/press briefings, served as-needed as spokesperson. Pitched stories/fielded media calls. Wrote and edited press releases, newsletter articles, reports, post-election materials, fact sheets, brochures, and leaflets. Developed and implemented marketing plans for organization-produced videos, books, kits, specialty education items, etc. Supervised press department members, hired staff, scheduled and supervised volunteers for demonstrations, abortion clinic defense, phone-banking, etc.
National Organization for Women,
Press Secretary
Constructed and implemented nationwide press operation for national march on
Senator Patricia Frank for
Field Director
Established phone banks in major metropolitan areas of the state and organized literature drops in targeted counties and precincts. Coordinated press operation with local staff. Developed/ coordinated design and production of literature. Coordinated press relations/grassroots outreach for state tours.
ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Adjunct Graduate Faculty Member - The
- Professional Presenter/Speaker - variety of organizations and variety of settings both nationally and internationally. Presentation activities include meetings of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, the International Whaling Commission (Oman and Monaco), NGO Forums of the United Nations at the International Women’s Conference (China), the Population and Development Conference (Egypt), D.C. GLBT Economic Development Summit, the National Organization for Women, (Washington, D.C.), etc.
- Past President -
- Campaign Strategist - 12 candidate and issue campaigns at federal, state and local levels
- State Lobbyist - for women’s rights advocacy group
- Television Producer, Director, Camera Operator
- Co-Owner – Print Brokering firm
- Librarian - City Library of
SELECT PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Registered more press for a national event, the March on Washington for Women’s Rights, than those registered for the Presidential Inaugural Parade three months prior to the event (the most press registered ever for a women’s rights) and received front-page coverage in the 50 highest circulation newspapers in the country with copy and photo above-the-fold in 48
- Formed and implemented in-house graphic art department for a national nonprofit organization
- Created, produced and directed six weekly syndicated community-television programs
- Conducted scriptwriting classes in training, educational and promotional television formats
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- Recent Past Chair - Mid-Atlantic and North Eastern Region of the Council on Chambers and Business Organizations for the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
- Recent Past Board Member – CenterLink, the National Association of LGBT Community Centers
- Board Member – Metropolitan
- Board Member Emeritus - Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CAGLCC)
- Member - Public Relations Society of
- Member – National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
- Past Board Member and Board Member Emeritus – The Center, Home for LGBT in
- Past Member - The National Press Club (Washington, D.C.)
- Past Member - American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT)
EDUCATION
The
Writing samples, references, digital and print design portfolio furnished upon request.
