Director of Marketing, Managing Editor, Storyteller, SEO

Much of my career has been created on the building blocks of an artist who decided to get a degree in Marketing simply because she was told writing in her notebooks wouldn’t make her any money. A few notable titles I’ve held are as follows:

  • Director of Marketing & Communications – Innovate Marquette SmartZone
  • Marketing Manager – Innovate Marquette SmartZone
  • Managing Editor – Bookretreats.com
  • Freelance Content Writer & Photographer

Make it Marquette Attraction Initiative

During my time at Innovate Marquette SmartZone, a non-profit economic development organization dedicated to helping elevate tech start-ups, innovation, and entrepreneurship in rural Michigan, I was promoted from Marketing Manager to Director of Marketing & Communications due my team building and management of both the Innovate Marquette and Invent@NMU brands as well as the conceptualization and creative direction of our Make it Marquette Initiative. 

  • Assembly of a team of highly talented individuals to execute and help launch my concept into a reality
  • Did national & regional research as well as created strategy across paid, owned, and shared media
  • Acted as chief copywriter including site mapping as well as creative director. This included all marketing assets (brochures, marketing toolkit, partner marketing materials, press release, etc)
  • Ongoing strategy and planning including social media, blog, press, website development and program development
  • Development, storyboarding and research of the People of Marquette video series.

Innovate Marquette Rebrand

Innovate Marquette Downloads

Below you’ll find downloadable documents prepared and delivered to our board of trustees, partners, and internal team:

Innovate Marquette SmartZone was created to serve a community in 2015, my journey started in 2020 as their Marketing Manager through being promoted to the Director of Marketing and Communications in 2021. In two years with the organization many changes occurred leading to a decision to rebrand to better fit those we serve and shine all the work that had been done from the inside out.

  • Held branding round-table with ground of local artists, change makers, and innovators to assess current perceptions of our brand and channel our vision for the future
  • Acted as creative director and editor and chief for site map, brand style, copywriting and strategy including presenting data and recommended direction to our board of directors and internal team
  • Launched rebrand in tandem with region wide announcement of our organization collaborating with other economic development organizations to creative our area’s first innovation hub 

Invent@NMU Student Driven Brand Refresh

Invent@NMU is a student mentorship program of Northern Michigan University that is managed by Innovate Marquette SmartZone (IMQT). These students work with the IMQT staff to help start-ups and local businesses with everything from business plan development to prototyping to marketing services at a reduced cost for the business. This benefits both talent development and business resources within the community. During my time as Marketing Manager I lead our student marketing team of eight (three marketing assistants, two graphic designers, and three videographers/photographers) through a design and messaging refresh to better connect with our target audiences across campus and the community.

  • Mentored students on process and refinement of brand and message auditing
  • Acted as creative director and editor in chief
  • Held space for mistakes, pivots and over all hard learning curves that come with a mentorship program

Content Writing

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