EXPERIENCE

ELEVANCE HEALTH | Director of PUBLIC RELATIONS 

July 2022 – Present

  • Lead public relations and media strategy for CarelonRx, Elevance Health’s pharmacy benefit manager, while supporting enterprise communications for the Fortune 20 company.

  • Oversee media relations, crisis response, and reputation management for CarelonRx, driving nearly 2 billion positive media impressions to date, worth $1.9M in ad value.

  • Field inquiries from top-tier media on complex healthcare and pharmacy topics.

  • Elevate executive visibility through nationally placed op-eds, managed media interviews, presentation remarks, video scripts, and curated LinkedIn content.

  • Launch communications strategies for company acquisitions and product rollouts.

  • Partner with government relations and public policy teams to align messaging with legislative priorities and influence public perception of pharmacy benefits.

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UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy

March 2019-July 2022


Director of Marketing and communications | Director of Brand alignment and communications

  • Led brand alignment and integrated communication strategies for internal and external audiences, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and industry partners, at the nation’s No. 1 school of pharmacy.

  • Managed communications and marketing staff, department budget, and external creative vendors.

  • Provided executive communications support to the dean and school leadership, which included routine emails from leadership, crisis communications, speech writing, video scripts, and social media.

  • Produced 50+ annual communications including newsletters, alumni publications, and weekly digests.

  • Managed the school’s media relations and partnered with University Communications to amplify key messages. Also prepped school leadership and faculty prior to media interviews.

  • Led strategic marketing for three degree programs, continuing education offerings, and scholarship visibility.

  • Trained faculty and students as social media brand ambassadors.

  • Supported the planning and execution of major school events to increase brand awareness and reinforce brand identity.

  • Member of the following committees: UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Strategic Planning Advisory Committee; UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Beyond Strategic Plan Engagement Committee; UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Wellness Committee; University Research Week Planning Committee; UNC National Security Working Group Subcommittee.

    Served as yearly guest lecturer in School of Pharmacy’s Leadership and Professional Development course for second-year pharmacy students. Lecture examined ways to harness emotional intelligence when communicating.

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AMERICAN RED CROSS | REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

March 2016-March 2019

  • Led marketing/communications and media relations for the Eastern North Carolina Region of the Red Cross.

  • Oversaw a team of 40+ marketing/communications volunteers to tell the Red Cross story through articles, photography, videography, social media and media interviews.

  • Supported messaging for five Red Cross boards, and trained members to publicly represent the organization.

  • Fielded daily media inquiries, coordinated press events, and crafted content for executives.

  • Managed/created content for regional website, social pages, blog, and print and electronic newsletters.

  • Served as public affairs lead for disasters in the region, including Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.

  • Supported events such as Red Cross gala, annual meetings, smoke alarm installation events, telethons, etc. through building of marketing materials and external promotion.

  • Planned Red Cross of Eastern NC grand Centennial Celebration and led Centennial Campaign Committee. Included creation of wounded warrior art gallery in the North Carolina Museum of History.

  • Completed rigorous national Red Cross multi-day public affairs team training.

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PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION

Jan. 2013 – Feb. 2016

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR 

  • Communicated daily with major donors across the United States and managed major gifts to the national nonprofit. 

  • Organized multiple fundraising initiatives, including an annual radiothon that collected more than $1 million to date; launching an athletic endurance program; and supporting community fundraisers. 

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR 

  • Raised awareness about childhood brain tumors and heightened the foundation’s visibility by writing and sharing stories of youth, families, medical staff, volunteers and fundraisers affected by the disease.

  • Built annual report, print and digital newsletters, press releases, and monthly internal staff newsletter.

  • Created and managed production of press kits for use across the country. Included templated press releases, television and radio public service announcements, live-read scripts, and templated social posts for nearly 50 annual events across the country.

  • Increased PBTF’s national media impressions by 82% by first year on staff.

  • Managed foundation’s website content, including building and sending hundreds of event campaign emails via peer-to-peer (P2P) platform.

  • Project lead working with outside designers, printers, photographers and videographers to build fresh marketing materials.

  • Served on organization’s rebranding team to create new brand identity, messaging guidelines, and website.

  • Managed company’s social strategy and posting.

  • Trained volunteers and staff across country on social media and how to gain local media at events.

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THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER | REPORTER 

July 2010 – Dec. 2012

  • Served as paper’s first Young Achievers section reporter – a weekly two-page spread that shared stories of inspirational youth. Wrote two print articles and two blogs per week for section. 

  • Covered crime/breaking news on weekends.

  • Daily updated paper’s website and social sites; and shot/edit video as needed.

  • Served as intern reporter in 2010.

freelance journalist 

2010 - 2023

  • Alongside full-time roles, served as proofreader for The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s magazine, A.T. Journeys; and contributed to publications such as SouthPark Magazine, The Rocky Mount Telegram, The Biltmore Beacon newspaper, and The Charlotte Observer. Included taking/editing own photographs.