Media Relations

Promoting projects, marketing enterprises, positioning CEOs and building relationships with media. Media training for CEOs, staff and volunteers. These initiatives have resulted in hundreds of media opportunities both locally and internationally, increasing name recognition, brand profile, income and focus on global issues.

Celebrity Engagement

Collaborated with external partners to increase exposure and financial support, including projects with celebrities and key Canadian and international media – resulting in increased media exposure and funding. Engagements include well-known musicians, Olympic athletes, actors and well placed journalists. Worked on media team to create and promote Bob Geldof’s Canadian “Live 8” Event. Wrote and photographed for celebrity section in ‘Hello Magazine.” Worked with numerous celebrities on project visits to the field and hosted news conferences. Hosted journalists and staff from Entertainment Tonight and E-talk on trips to Africa.

Content Management

Generate story pitches and develop high profile stories to showcase campaigns and special projects. Act as primary photographer for publication while promoting child causes (Sun Media, Torstar etc.). Images and videos are currently being used by numerous organizations on the web, in print and for key presentations, graphically illustrating key messages. See clippings section of this site for a sample.

Resource Gathering & Digital Asset Management

Lead and coordinate collection of material for fundraising appeals on development issues for magazine articles, web and other promotions – both video and stills. Communications and resource gathering in virtually every conceivable crisis from human-made civil strife such as The Balkans, Rwanda and Somalia, to natural disasters such as earthquakes in Latin America or floods in Asia. Material has been used for fundraising, public relations projects and for use by a variety of news media outlets.

Primary photographer for numerous special projects with newspapers and Photosensitive’s, project “Beyond the Wave” documenting post tsunami rehabilitation.

Brought digital asset managment system in-house, allowing for global, secure, instant colaboration of digital asset library between field offices and H.Q.

Campaign/Advocacy Public Relations

A targeted approach to raising awareness and advocating for issues which result in increased awareness and funding. Some past campaigns include:

• Gift catalogue promotion, including: managing field visits by journalists and celebrities which provided increased media attention and income
• HIV/AIDS programs including: media relations at UN global conference on AIDS
• Child protection Issues (child soldiers, child labor) including: media relations from The Convention on the Rights of The Child, held at the UN, New York
• Fund raising campaigns, including: cross Canada awareness campaigns
• Emergency response projects, Including: both fast onset and slow burn emergencies
• Post tsunami success campaign, including: visits with journalists, celebrities to affected areas
• Positioning spokespersons around key issues,iIncluding: travel with CEO’s to field
• Community child sponsorship campaigns including: community sponsorship campaigns
• Promoting organizational initiatives through hundreds of public speaking engagements including: Speaking tours to New Zealand, Canada and the USA promoting World Vision, talks at a variety of conventions, Canadian universities, faith communities, and journalism seminars.
• Peace and reconciliation, including: attending the anniversary conference of the Rwanda Genocide. (Kigali)