ATD Dallas Marketing & Communications

I joined ATD Dallas in 2016 after completing a Master Instructional Designer certification through ATD national. A month or two later, I took over communications and special campaigns, becoming the MarCom VP through the first quarter of 2018. After a break for career transition, I was recruited by the 2019 President-Elect to be the Board Executive for Marketing and Communications. In Q1 2019, I rebranded the chapter, established a style guide, defined operational efficiencies for managing four social streams with eight digital channels. As a team, we established bi-monthly communications, strategic event promotions and designed both web layout and assets for the chapter's largest events. Alongside some phenomenal team members, we expanded MarCom leadership roles for volunteers focusing on smarter time management, resources, digital integrations, and operations. As part of succession planning for the incoming 2020 board, I designed an integrated communications strategy to align major projects, annual and quarterly trends, data analysis tools, and promotional activities capable of maintaining the momentum MarCom has progressively built over the last several years. Sustainability is as crucial as annual ROI, so part of the goal in 2019 was exactly that: design a system that will persist regardless of turnover and time.

Marketing & Communications 2018 - 2019

In 2019, alongside a smart and savvy team of creative volunteers, we sold out Southwest Learning Summit (SWLS) with about a 31% increase in attendee turnout compared to 2018. We also sold out our annual recognition gala, the AXIS Awards with about a 17% growth in attendance over 2018.

MarCom also increased the chapter's social engagement more than 600% over the previous year. Part of the impact can be seen in greater member turnout for chapter events (~26% increase over 2018), more consistent brand identity across publicity and promotions, and a swelling member population alongside corporate and strategic partnership visibility and demand.

Extracts from the new chapter style guide

As part of rebranding to shore up chapter identity, MarCom produced a comprehensive style guide based on collaborations and strategy that arose out of the 2019 Executive Board's leadership retreat at ATD ALC 2018. The final product solidifies organization mission, vision, value propositions, creative direction, priorities, annual trends, and most importantly the chapter's story.

Below are excerpts from version 3. The document was republished in version 5 ahead of board transition in 2020.

Graphics for event and volunteer communications, web, and social

Creative leaders cannot simply give direction. Like a good combat leader, they must be able to pickup and say, "Follow me!" It is in that vein that over $100k in creative design was produced to support the chapter in 2019. For a non-profit, that is huge and the impact is easily seen in numbers: growth, visibility, engagement.

Below is a collection of artwork I created pro bono while also directing the team and helping to develop volunteer skills in visual rhetoric, graphic design, and strategic communications. To drive creative, one must draw from it and continue to develop it in oneself as much as within the team.

Marketing & Communications 2017 - 2018

#DallasKnowsTalent

From 2017 - 2018, I managed, designed, and delivered the organization's:

- social media presence (starting Aug. 2017): delivering a 696% growth in organic impressions the first quarter alone
- visual communication culture: developing over 280 original assets for multiple media platforms
- public voice: systematizing communication strategy and connecting multiple media outlets, programs, and organizational strategy
- network connections: training leadership in digital literacy using hashtags and social handles
- delivery dynamics: redesigning communications to be mobile adaptive and responsive
- member reach: increasing average target distribution by 1100 contacts

Through the joint effort of many hard working volunteers and key leadership, we sold out ATD Dallas's two biggest events for the first time in 2017. We also sold out the year-end AXIS Awards with the largest number of attendees to-date. One executive said, "It was in no small part thanks to your guerrilla social strategy." But, I certainly didn't do it alone.

What follows is a sample of MarCom deliverables published in 2017, with a side-by-side comparison of redesigned communications. Sample assets for web and social for 2019 program and promotions coming soon.

2017 design, assets, and layout v. 2016 content and layout