Dr. Vail Ann Forbeck
Riverview,FL
Summary
Experienced educator with a passion for academic excellence, curriculum development, and student mentorship. Adept at leveraging educational technology to create collaborative and dynamic learning environments. Dedicated to ongoing learning, fostering student success, and adapting to diverse student needs. Focused on roles that integrate strategic communications, leadership, and community impact.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Adjunct Professor of Communication
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
01.2023 - Current
- Teach graduate-level communication courses, developing and delivering curriculum on topics such as media studies, public relations, and strategic communication.
- Successfully taught over 24 credit hours of graduate-level communication courses, delivering engaging and rigorous instruction to advanced learners.
- Design engaging course materials and assignments that integrate real-world applications and industry best practices.
- Provide mentorship and academic support to graduate students, fostering critical thinking and advanced communication skills.
- Assess student performance through research projects, presentations, and written assignments, ensuring academic rigor and professional relevance.
- Stay current with industry trends and academic advancements to continuously enhance course content and student learning outcomes.
Strategic Communication Specialist
Team b. Strategy
11.2024 - Current
- Develop and execute communication strategies to enhance stakeholder engagement and promote key organizational initiatives.
- Craft a weekly external communication guidance product, ensuring messaging consistency across platforms.
- Coordinate over 50 speaker engagements for the director of CESER, enhancing outreach and visibility.
- Draft and refine talking points, presentations, and internal communications to support leadership initiatives.
- Organize enterprise-wide meetings and strategic discussions to drive collaboration and information sharing.
Public Affairs Analyst - Exercise Planner (Part-time, On-call)
Obsidian Solutions Group
06.2024 - Current
- Develop and execute public affairs strategies for military exercises, ensuring accurate and effective communication with internal and external stakeholders.
- Plan and facilitate media operations during exercises, including scenario development, media engagement, and response coordination.
- Draft and refine public affairs guidance, press releases, talking points, and media responses to align with operational objectives.
- Provide real-time public affairs support during exercises, coordinating with senior leaders, media representatives, and key stakeholders.
- Conduct after-action reviews (AARs) to evaluate public affairs effectiveness, identifying areas for improvement in communication strategies.
Media Operations Officer
Red Gate
06.2023 - 05.2024
- Conduct in-depth research and draft public affairs products, ensuring accuracy and consistency in media responses, public affairs guidance, and talking points.
- Provide expert media training to senior CENTCOM leaders, improving engagement effectiveness and media interaction success.
- Develop and deliver executive-level communication materials, increasing media engagement and messaging consistency by 15%.
- Plan and coordinate media embeds for CENTCOM leadership events, strengthening media relationships and regional outreach.
Public Affairs Strategic Communication Manager
Army National Guard
10.2022 - 09.2023
- Led and trained a team of 18+ Unit Public Affairs Representatives (UPAR), ensuring alignment with organizational messaging and effective communication coordination.
- Produced over 105 image routing documents, creating a compelling visual narrative to support strategic communication initiatives.
- Authored 10 Soldier of the Month articles, 28 Soldier Spotlight stories, and 9 newsletters, enhancing internal engagement and recognizing service member achievements.
- Led a Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (MPAD), ensuring synchronization and successful mission execution for public affairs operations.
- Applied graphic design skills to enhance communication materials and utilized tools like Cision, NewsWire, and WordPress to optimize content distribution.
Team Lead Media | Communication Coordinator
Contracting Resources Group, Inc.
12.2021 - 11.2022
- Led a 15-person media team for the Defense Health Agency (DHA), increasing media coverage by 20% and improving communication effectiveness by 15%.
- Managed over 100 media inquiries annually, maintaining a 95% response rate and fostering strong media relationships.
- Curated the daily news list and distributed the Early Bird Newsletter, boosting readership engagement by 30% and improving internal and external communication by 25%.
- Coordinated 20+ interviews between DHA leadership and civilian media, enhancing public engagement and media preparedness.
- Represented DHA as the primary spokesperson at conferences, delivering impactful presentations and ensuring effective communication with stakeholders.
Freelance Writer
Freelance
04.2013 - 12.2017
- Conduct in-depth research on diverse communication topics, producing well-structured and tailored content to meet client and audience needs.
- Develop engaging and informative articles, product descriptions, and other written materials to effectively convey key messages.
- Edit and proofread content meticulously to ensure clarity, coherence, and adherence to industry and academic standards.
- Assist in drafting and refining press materials, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with organizational communication strategies.
Education
Ph.D. - Communication and Media Studies
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA05.2023
Master of Science - Communication and Media Studies
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, PA05.2020
Bachelor of Arts - Literature
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College
Ontario, Canada04.2018
Skills
- Curriculum Development & Instruction
- Strategic Communication & Media
- Research & Academic Writing
- Public Speaking & Presentation
- Technology & Digital Tools
- Diversity & Cross-Disciplinary Engagement
Accomplishments
- Common Faculty Development Instructor Certificate (CFD-IC) | U.S. Army
- GC Executive Communication | Liberty University
- GC Public Policy | Liberty University
- Project Management (PM) | Cornell University
Timeline
Strategic Communication Specialist
Team b. Strategy
11.2024 - Current
Public Affairs Analyst - Exercise Planner (Part-time, On-call)
Obsidian Solutions Group
06.2024 - Current
Media Operations Officer
Red Gate
06.2023 - 05.2024
Adjunct Professor of Communication
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
01.2023 - Current
Public Affairs Strategic Communication Manager
Army National Guard
10.2022 - 09.2023
Team Lead Media | Communication Coordinator
Contracting Resources Group, Inc.
12.2021 - 11.2022
Freelance Writer
Freelance
04.2013 - 12.2017
Ph.D. - Communication and Media Studies
Liberty University
Master of Science - Communication and Media Studies
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Arts - Literature
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College
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