Michele Brown

Principal

Strategic communications firm specializing in web content and user experience, messaging, grant writing and fund development and organizational development.

Client: Kym for Maryland.Communications Consultant/ Political Advisor for State Delegate, Kym Taylor. Developed the look and feel, messaging and campaign collateral, website content and talking points.

Client: Berkeley Youth Alternatives. Development & Communications Assistant. Grant writer: federal, state, and local grants for Bay Area youth-serving org w/$31M budget – serving 1700 youth annually. Grant research, funder engagement, strategic communications working with newly appointed Executive Director.

Client: Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA). Communications consultant on statewide public education campaign – Black & Vaxxed (www.blackandvaxxed.org). Developed messaging to engage Black and Brown communities around COVID-19 and vaccination options. Campaign debunked misinformation and lowered infection rates among communities of color according to state metrics.

Client: Family Choice Healthcare. Online presence redesign and brand refresh. We are pleased to be working with a client whose original logo we designed 20 years ago. We have updated the logo and company website. Built out an employee portal and the websites of several of their affiliate companies – user friendly and effective.

Client: FM Talent Source. Technical Writer-Editor/Speechwriterfor U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency. Writing speeches and briefings for National Director and National Deputy Director as part of the Public Affairs team. Principal editor of all agency collateral (Annual Performance Report, blogs, manuals, Congressional testimony) Selected to develop talking points for Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker

Client: Youth UpRising. Interim Development Director. Worked to secure over $500k in grants, individual gifts, and federal funding, streamlined operations and instituted national best practices. Supervised existing grant reporting and retooled funding strategy. Developed an individual donor program that expanded the base of support by 20%. Rebranded the anniversary event and raised $40k.Grant writer for East Oakland community planning grant for $250k public health/prevention initiative sponsored by The California Endowment.

Architect of Operations Division internal communications across key locations in DC, Herndon, and Dallas within the Office of the EVP. Spearheaded end-to-end processes - overseeing the creation, development, and execution of a comprehensive communication strategy. Sole responsibility for curating impactful content, refining messaging, strategically managing platform usage, and overseeing the collateral publication process on behalf of Ops leadership and subject matter experts. Ensured that all communications seamlessly aligned with corporate objectives and central themes, consistently delivering measurable results.

Oversaw division-wide senior leadership engagement activities, in-person and virtual. Executed every facet of event management: logistics, content, messaging, content creation, speaker identification, scheduling, menu, themes, and schwag/gifts. From high-level Officer-Director meetings to town halls, cutting-edge webcasts, and scripted vlogs, ensured the seamless execution of diverse and impactful events.

Successfully managed a staff engagement program that resulted in the cultivation of new organizational leadership, a discernible increase in overall staff engagement levels, and the strengthening of relationships between senior leadership and rank-and-file staff members.

Proactively identified opportunities to improve communications through meticulous content analysis, metrics evaluation, and attentive user feedback assessment. Collaboratively worked with employees, addressing a spectrum of communication challenges: document editing, grammar refinement and brand adherence.

Primary liaison to the Office of the Mayor. Strategically rebranded the agency as the linchpin in the mayor's public safety strategy. Managed team of seven (7) supervisors overseeing youth sports, cultural arts, summer programming and eight (8) specialty event facilities. Managed city contracts with the Oakland Zoo, a citywide network of golf courses, Feather River Camp, Oakland Unified School District, Children's Fairyland, and the City Stables.

Presented comprehensive agency reports to the City Council and its committees and the City Administrator showcasing achievements, challenges, and strategic initiatives. Prepared and delivered reports to state agencies, the governor's office, corporate stakeholders, and potential funders.

As the department’s fund development lead, played a crucial role in the development of the City’s submission template for new state funding for violence prevention the California Urban Communities Collaborative. Secured $250k grant for new summer programming and an additional $1.3m in state funding.

Portfolio: community engagement, public/private partnerships, healthcare policy, workforce development, , boards and commissions (appointments and policy), faith community engagement and office administration.

Orchestrated a groundbreaking funding discussion with influential Bay Area institutional grant makers, transcending City Hall budgets to secure over $5 million in strategic investments for a comprehensive roster of citywide program priorities.

Program Manager for Get Screened Oakland, a municipal initiative that addressed the HIV epidemic through heightened awareness, education, and community engagement. Successfully raised $450k startup budget.

Liaison to citywide Interfaith Council, advised the mayor on religious matters/organizations that impacted civic life. Surrogate speaker for the mayor assuming 20% of his public speaking schedule.

Campaign Transition Consultant

Managed seamless campaign transition operation and led a team of five. Designed inaugural event(s) strategy including messaging, graphics, and collateral. Collaborated with The Carol H. Williams Agency to produce a comprehensive mayoral branding package and associated promotional materials. Coordinated community engagement for inaugural events, ensuring a cohesive and impactful mayoral presence.