Donna Gallo
Boone,NC
Summary
Achievement catalyst with 20 years in strategic communications and marketing, skilled in addressing public, media, and digital needs. Proven success in program growth and adaptation for emerging technologies. Highly effective in the digital ecosystem, excelling in creative content development and team leadership. Adept at building relationships and ensuring high-quality results. Passionate about shaping an alternative-energies future.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Deputy Chief Communications Officer
Appalachian State University
06.2023 - Current
- Create and implement consolidation strategy to centralize dispersed communications and marketing staff into University Communications (UComm).
- Develop, implement, manage, and evaluate university-wide communications strategy.
- Assist UComm Strategic Communications team, advising on constituent communication plans as needed.
- Ensure earned and unpaid media content engages audience segments and leads to measurable action.
- Manage process of coordinating web content maintenance, ensuring new and consistent content that supports strategic initiatives.
- Track and measure level of engagement among constituent groups over time, and provide regular reports to AVC/CCO.
- Ensure that systems and processes are in place to guarantee UComm is effective as the primary source, disseminator, and conduit of information about university.
- Manage university’s overall digital communications strategy.
Sr. Director, Digital Content and Engagement
Ohio University
12.2019 - 06.2023
- Assembled and mentored award-winning digital team (website, social media, and email marketing) to garner 40% increase in enrollment from 2021 to 2022.
- Implemented AI-enabled digital communications platform increasing alumni engagement with Ohio University by 35% in six months.
- Enacted OHIO DEI Fellows program creating student-to-staff pipeline to increase staff diversity.
- Established live-streaming capability and initiated programming to showcase world-renowned researchers and faculty experts to engage prospective students and families virtually in real time.
- Established and maintained relationships with media, colleagues, students, faculty, alumni and external organizations to produce and disseminate engaging live and on-demand content across all digital platforms.
- Created presentations to inform executive leadership, news media, Board of Trustees and other university boards to secure support and resources for digital projects.
Digital Strategy Director
Western Carolina University
02.2015 - 12.2019
- Executed yield initiative using niche social media spaces resulting in 80% increase in student deposits year over year from 2015 to 2016.
- Forecasted topic trends, imagined and developed content, engaged with media, and strategized outreach and dissemination resulting in Kiplinger and US News rankings in Top 100 Best Value Public Colleges.
- Awarded 2018 CASE Grand Award for development and implementation of Diversity Dialogues, student focused, live, interactive digital series exploring diversity and inclusion issues and successes at the university.
- Inspired, mentored, and supervised teams in social media, video and photography, website development, web content, and internal communications.
Communications Manager, Sustainability
Appalachian State University
03.2013 - 02.2015
- Created and promoted App State's inaugural Sustainability Research Forum, hosted on National Campus Sustainability Day to highlight sustainability-focused endeavors of Appalachian’s distinguished faculty, supporting the university's Green Rating score of 97 out of 99 from Princeton Review editors.
- Created collaborative community opportunities and developed outreach strategies for App State's 2014-2015 Team Sunergy solar car build and competition.
- Advanced App State's reputation throughout the nation as a leader in sustainability initiatives through outreach and engagement with university stakeholders, local communities, and the University of North Carolina system.
- Collaborated with sustainable businesses, local producers, organization leaders, and news media to create symbiotic promotional and marketing opportunities to ensure strong sense of community with the university.
- Managed development of 'sustain Appalachian' brand and developed and launched an integrated communications plan and social media strategy for the Office of Sustainability.
Director, Social Media and Special Programs
Trinity Wall Street
08.2008 - 02.2013
- Enhanced audience development through active engagement and raised Trinity's profile throughout the global community through purposeful and attentive interaction across multiple social media outlets.
- Engaged the New York Times and other news outlets to ensure media coverage of community outreach and events.
- Expanded production of events, often serving up to 2,000 attendees to showcase Trinity Wall Street's commitment to and development of the lower Manhattan community.
- Researched and analyzed digital metrics and managed content to ensure active engagement throughout Trinity’s social media outlets.
Education
Master of Arts - Educational Media, Technology, And Communications
Appalachian State University
Boone, NCSkills
Alternative Energies
Budget Management
Communications Strategy
Content Marketing
Data Analytics
Digital & SEO Strategy
Digital Media
Generative AI
Growth Strategy & Planning
Media Outreach
Sustainability
Team Building & Leadership
Additional Information
Digital awards (2022 - 2023) Ohio University: https://tiny.cc/OhioAwards
Women’s Leadership in Action Academy (2019) Western Carolina University
CASE (2018) Grand Award: Diversity Dialogues Live Interactive Series
Publications
2019 Routledge, Textbook
Social Media Measurement and Management
Authors: Donna Gallo, Betty Farmer, Rylee Roquemore
Managing Social Media during the Death of a Leader,
Crisis Communications Case Study Pp 218 – 230
Affiliations
Board Member
Mountain True
Guided rebranding efforts when the organization transitioned from the Western NC Association to Mountain True
Big Sister
Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York
Mentored an underprivileged youth from Bronx, NY
Food Hub Farmer's Market Support
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture
- Marketing support
- Fulfillment and distribution
Technical Skills
Digital Tools
GPT-4, Beautiful.ai, Canva, Sprout Social, Google Analytics (GA4), UserTesting, Cerkl Broadcast, Emma, Campaign Monitor, Hive, Confluence
Adobe
Adobe Creative Suite
Microsoft Office
Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook, Teamwork project management
Remote Communications
Teams, Zoom, GoogleMeet, Slack
Interests
Alternative Energies
Artificial Intelligence
Climate Justice
Education
Farming
Politics
Social Justice
Storytelling
Timeline
Deputy Chief Communications Officer
Appalachian State University
06.2023 - Current
Sr. Director, Digital Content and Engagement
Ohio University
12.2019 - 06.2023
Digital Strategy Director
Western Carolina University
02.2015 - 12.2019
Communications Manager, Sustainability
Appalachian State University
03.2013 - 02.2015
Director, Social Media and Special Programs
Trinity Wall Street
08.2008 - 02.2013
Master of Arts - Educational Media, Technology, And Communications
Appalachian State University
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