Eric Griffey
Fort Worth
Summary
Experienced professional passionate about creating compelling content and driving engagement. Dependable, organized, adaptable, deadline-driven, and versatile strategist with extensive experience in marketing, communications, journalism, copywriting, digital marketing, B2B marketing, content strategy, branding, and social media marketing.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Academic Communications
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
01.2024 - Current
- Leads the marketing, communications and strategic growth planning for HSC’s College of Health Professions. Responsible for planning and executing a communications plan for a major health science center’s physical therapy, physician assistant and nutrition programs.
- - Created strategic road map for recruitment and marketing
- - In less than one year, applications to programs grew by more than 18%.
- - Student yield reduced by more than 70%.
- - PT and PA waitlists exceed 2,000 prospective students, more than doubled
- - Created and executed the marketing and communications plans for two new programs
- - Created a monthly internal newsletter
- - Created a student-focused newsletter
- - Created and implemented communications and marketing plans for the launch of two new programs
- - Implemented a shared scheduling system
- - Refreshed the web and visual presence for all three programs
- - Wrote more than 30 stories/press releases highlighting CHP stakeholders in less than a year
Chief Media Officer/Senior Communications Specialist
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
03.2022 - 01.2024
- Lead public relations and media relations for a major medical/research graduate university with more than 5,000 combined faculty, staff and students. Coordinated with a team of more than 20 on-campus communicators. Responsible for writing/approving/editing/ sending all internal and external communications, writing speeches for the university’s president, writing communication plans, managing online channels, tracking and adjusting strategy, crisis PR point person, and editing marketing collateral. PR ad equivalency increased by more than 20% since my arrival.
Digital Reporter
Spectrum News
06.2020 - 03.2022
- Responsible for pitching, writing, reporting, and editing geographically relevant news stories for a statewide digital and television platform with more than 200,000 unique visitors. Frequently interacted with CMS systems, online communication channels, and proprietary tracking technology. Worked remotely with a team of 12.
Founder/Editor-in-Chief, Publisher
Zest 817 Magazine
08.2018 - 03.2020
- Responsible for developing, assigning, and editing food-and-beverage-related content, conceptualizing and assigning art and photos, developing ongoing branding strategies, strategy for social media, managing a monthly budget of more than $3,000, and leading sales and marketing efforts for a start-up print magazine with a distribution of more than 25,000 issues.
Associate Editor
Fort Worth Weekly
04.2015 - 03.2020
- Responsible for developing restaurant, music, and arts-related content for a print newspaper with a distribution of more than 60,000 issues. In charge of developing web content, assigning stories, editing copy, posting stories, managing SEO, tagging and promoting content for a website with more than 2 million individual views a month.
Staff Writer
Fort Worth Weekly
01.2013 - 03.2020
- Responsible for pitching, researching, writing, and editing stories for a print newspaper with a distribution of more than 60,000 issues. Specializing in news, investigative, features, music, dining, politics, and sports.
Director of Communications
Hutson Creative
08.2009 - 01.2013
- Served as first “creative” point of contact for new clients. Wrote and managed communications plans based on clients’ needs. Served as project manager, coordinating between clients, sales, and creative team to ensure services were delivered up to standards. Created and directed a social media department for a boutique, national public relations firm.
Contributor/Freelancer
- Texas Monthly, The Texas Observer, Spirit Magazine (Southwest Airlines), American Way Magazine (American Airlines), Inside Fort Worth Magazine, Texas Hereford Association Magazine, Renegade Magazine, UTA Magazine, Heeb Magazine (New York City), Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Weekly, Mental Floss, ARTicle Magazine, and DFW.com.
Freelance Public Relations/Social Media/SEO
- The Cause Agency, Sigmategey, SIG Intelligence, Honeycomb Salon, Hutson Creative, J.O. Design, Regent Home Health, Sablehaus & Lynch Attorneys, and The Usual Bar.
Education
B.A. - English
University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX05.2007
Skills
- Social media strategy
- Digital marketing
- Brand awareness
- Content strategy
- Media relations
- Web development
- Creative writing
- Editing
- Multimedia writing
- SEO strategies
- Audience engagement
- Campaign management
Certification
- FEMA Certified in Crisis Communications
- PRSA Crisis Communications
Timeline
Director of Academic Communications
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
01.2024 - Current
Chief Media Officer/Senior Communications Specialist
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
03.2022 - 01.2024
Digital Reporter
Spectrum News
06.2020 - 03.2022
Founder/Editor-in-Chief, Publisher
Zest 817 Magazine
08.2018 - 03.2020
Associate Editor
Fort Worth Weekly
04.2015 - 03.2020
Staff Writer
Fort Worth Weekly
01.2013 - 03.2020
Director of Communications
Hutson Creative
08.2009 - 01.2013
Contributor/Freelancer
Freelance Public Relations/Social Media/SEO
B.A. - English
University of Texas at Arlington
Awards
- Public Relations Society of America’s Worthy Award, first place, for print communications, 2024, - Houston Press Club’s statewide Lone Star Award for Journalist of the Year 2013, - American Advertising Federation - Fort Worth Chapter “Addy” Award for individual marketing campaign, 2023, - Recipient of Lone Star Award (second place) for Investigative Reporting, 2013, - Recipient of Lone Star Award (second place) for Business Story, 2013, - Recipient of Lone Star Award (first place) for Business Story, 2011, - Recipient of Lone Star Award (second place) for Investigative Reporting, 2009, - Recipient of Lone Star Award (third place) for Politics/Government, 2009, - Recipient of Society of Professional Journalism Award (first place) General News, 2015, - Recipient of Society of Professional Journalism Award (first place) Investigative Reporting, 2009, - Recipient of Lone Star Award (third place) for a Sports Feature, 2007
Conference Presentations
International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare Conference, San Diego, California, 2024. “Demystifying Media: How to promote your simulation lab to media”