Mary Kathleen Hawkins
Half Moon Bay,CA
Summary
Impact-driven marketing and communications professional with a track record of effectively planning and managing strategic marketing and digital campaigns, volunteer coordination, and high-impact community engagement initiatives. Adept at coordinating and leading cross-functional teams, optimizing outreach, and generating measurable growth through targeted promotions and SEO-optimized content. Recognized for promoting teamwork, developing inclusive experiences, and bringing mission-driven narratives to life across multiple platforms. Passionate about community empowerment and environmental responsibility.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Independent Marketing Consultant
Independent Marketing Consultant & Professional Development
06.2024 - Current
- Guided a nonprofit organization in refining its value proposition and outreach, resulting in a 12% increase in donor retention and a 22% increase in unique donors during Coastside Gives 2025.
- Earned a digital marketing and e-commerce certificate to enhance fluency in current tools and analytics.
Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
KSS Immersion Schools, Inc.
10.2022 - 06.2024
- Planned and executed over 20 community events annually, increasing participation from new and returning families across nine campuses.
- Used Veracross and Mailchimp to segment audiences and personalize outreach, resulting in stronger event turnout and conversion rates.
- Overhauled website, blog, and landing pages (WordPress), improving navigation and increasing time spent on page and click-through engagement.
- Unified consistency of brand voice across multiple campuses and school brands by standardizing key messages and creative content, while tailoring digital campaigns and social content to better engage communities.
Director of Marketing and Communications
Stratford Schools, Inc. and Spring Education Group, Inc.
05.2007 - 10.2022
- Developed and led local marketing plans tailored to each region, supporting enrollment from preschool to high school.
- Directed outreach and event strategy for 50+ campuses, including family festivals, open houses, parent education workshops (in person and webinars), and community outreach programs.
- Streamlined follow-up and lead tracking by automating post-event workflows in Salesforce and Constant Contact.
- Led communications and brand integration efforts during school acquisitions, supporting effective communications and retention through clear and confident messaging.
- Developed collateral and managed logistics for activities and events, improving coordination and on-site experience.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to shape inclusive, mission-aligned event messaging and ensure accessibility in public-facing content.
- Handled crisis communications and media relations throughout sensitive transitions, ensuring transparency and trust with families and staff.
- Developed and implemented effective crisis communications plans and annual training for school leaders and staff.
Earlier Work History
The Gymboree Corporation, Play & Music Division
01.1995 - 03.2007
- Held progressive marketing roles at The Gymboree Corporation, Play & Music Division (1995 - 2007).
- Led national marketing campaigns, trained more than 400 franchisees in local marketing best practices, managed creative development and rebranding initiatives, and oversaw a national co-op advertising budget of $1.2M annually.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - English
California State University, Chico
Chico, CASkills
- Community Engagement & Outreach
- Event Planning & Volunteer Coordination
- Partnership Building
- CRM & Enrollment Systems (Salesforce, Veracross)
- Website Content Management (WordPress)
- Email Marketing & Automation (Mailchimp, Constant Contact)
- Social Media Strategy & Content Creation
- Data-Driven Storytelling & SEO
- Print & Media Production
- Facilities Development & Vendor Management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Brand Strategy & Governance
- Rebranding & Visual Identity Guidelines
- Public Relations & Reputation Management
- Survey Tools & Reporting (SurveyMonkey, Tableau)
- Microsoft Office
- Google Workspace
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Canva
- Media buying
- Google analytics
- Direct mail campaigns
- New market research
- Customer segmentation
- Brand design and development
- Competitive analysis
- Project management
- Social media management
Certification
Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate, April 2025, Coursera
Google Project Management Certificate, Expected July 2025, Coursera
Timeline
Independent Marketing Consultant
Independent Marketing Consultant & Professional Development
06.2024 - Current
Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
KSS Immersion Schools, Inc.
10.2022 - 06.2024
Director of Marketing and Communications
Stratford Schools, Inc. and Spring Education Group, Inc.
05.2007 - 10.2022
Earlier Work History
The Gymboree Corporation, Play & Music Division
01.1995 - 03.2007
Bachelor of Arts - English
California State University, Chico
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