top of page

case studies

Selected Work.

1. Restoring public trust

institutional stewardship

CITY OF GAINESVILLE | 2023 -- 2025

  • Maintained transparent, trust-centered communications

  • Translated complex policy into public messaging

  • Sustained disciplined, long-range narrative management

Led executive and public-facing communications during a multi-year financial recovery effort that helped support public trust, explain complex budget realities and communicate the city’s progression from recurring audit findings to three consecutive clean independent audits. Integrated messaging across executive leadership, internal and public-facing communications channels.

crisis management | public trust

city of durham
water management | 2019-2020

  • Led crisis communications for a utility billing failure

  • Crafted plain-language accountability messaging

  • Rebuilt customer trust through corrective response

Led communications strategy for a large-scale billing crisis affecting a water utility serving more than 95,000 customers, helping transform an escalating public backlash into a documented model of institutional accountability.

crisis communications

CITY OF GAINESVILLE | 2023 -- 2024

  • Restored public confidence following a K-9 attack

  • Explained why K-9 suspension and reform were necessary

  • Built community understanding before return to service

Led executive communications for the City of Gainesville's year-long reform of its Police Department K-9 Unit, coordinating leadership messaging through a high-profile operational review while balancing transparency, public safety and public trust.

2. Crisis and Public Safety Response

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

LEE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY | 2022

  • Operated within complex emergency response structure

  • Delivered clear messaging under extreme pressure

  • Integrated field insight into communications

Produced real-time updates during Hurricane Ian for approximately 830,000 residents, coordinating across Emergency Management, EMS, and Logistics divisions.

Designed accessible, multilingual emergency communications and targeted outreach for the county's most vulnerable populations.

PUBLIC SAFETY | rEPUTATION

CITY OF GAINESVILLE | 2023 -- 2024

  • Aligned stakeholders around unified messaging

  • Shifted communications toward prevention strategy

  • Maintained adaptive, trust-centered communications

Led the communications strategy behind a cross-departmental public safety initiative that contributed to a 78% reduction in firearm homicides over three years. Integrated messaging across police, community partners and elected leadership.

gOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

CITY OF GAINESVILLE | 2023 -- 2024

  • Led strategic communications for traffic safety initiative

  • Advanced policy through bipartisan legislative engagement

  • Translated tragedy into actionable public safety outcomes

Led the strategy and execution of a bipartisan effort to secure state legislation memorializing a pedestrian hybrid beacon on a state road in honor of a child killed at that crossing, working directly with lawmakers and their staffs across party lines to move the bill forward.

3. Community and Civic Life

nonprofit leadership 

WAKE FOREST HISTORICAL MUSEUM | 2013 - 2019

  • Served as staff liaison to nonprofit governing board and major donors

  • Partnered with executive board members to convert a $300,000 donated property into operating funds

  • Sustained decade-long donor stewardship through storytelling

Served under the executive director as the primary staff liaison to the museum's governing board, supporting board governance, committee activities and donor relationships. Leveraged community connections and board expertise  to coordinate the strategic sale of a donated historic property that generated $300,000 for the museum's operating budget.

STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS

WAKE FOREST HISTORICAL MUSEUM | 2017

  • Advanced preservation of vulnerable historic asset

  • Built trust with marginalized community stakeholders

  • Converted research into lasting public impact

Developed and led the first scientific survey of the historic African American cemetery at Friendship Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, using ground-penetrating radar to map the final resting place of Wake Forest-area residents who had once been enslaved. Located nearly 600 likely burials and a mass grave, resulting in the cemetery receiving designation as a Local Historic Landmark.

project leadership

CITY OF GAINESVILLE | 2023

  • Led strategic communications for citywide launch

  • Coordinated cross-sector marketing and partnerships

  • Delivered high-visibility event under tight timeline

Led the communications strategy for the inaugural A Very GNV Holiday Parade, taking it from concept to full execution in just three months through disciplined messaging, rapid content development and coordinated outreach across city channels and partners.

bottom of page