SERGIO OTÁLORA-MONTENEGRO

• Secured over 1,500 press mentions in local and national media outlets on topics such as voting rights, climate justice, affordable housing, and reproductive rights.
• Achieved statewide coverage in local media outlets on issues affecting Florida Rising members and Black and Brown, low-income communities.
• Provided opportunities for Florida Rising's principals and members to engage with reporters regarding their campaigns, political perspectives, and electoral victories.
• Participated in and developed strategies for multiple regional campaigns, translating political and organizational goals into communication materials and actions.
• Spearheaded the Clean Air communication strategy, resulting in over 100 press mentions and promoting zero-waste alternatives.
• Led the Affordable Housing communication strategy, raising awareness in print and digital local media outlets of issues such as slumlords and rent control, and the need of funding the eviction diversion program

• Trailblazed the engagement operation by creating and producing a hyper-local monthly newsletter (in English and Spanish) supported by the Constant Contact platform and delivered through text messaging software to NPAs (No party affiliation) registered and not registered by Mi Vecino in Central Florida and Palm Beach County
• Contacted and connected effectively with more than ten non-profit organizations in two months, and they were willing to work along with Mi Vecino in registering and educating new Latino voters
• Texted to more than 6,000 registered voters by Mi Vecino, once a week, with messages related to the most concerning issues to the community, with low opt-out rates and robust feedback
• Only in December Mi Vecino registered more than 2,000 new voters, resulting from an engagement and communication strategy put in place with targeted messages and deliverables.

Presidential Election 2020 Coverage. Georgia Senate Runoff 2021 Coverage

• Wrote the entire five-hour scripts for both shows, updating the information in real-time, with guests from different perspectives and ideologies, and analyzing and giving context to the results
• Georgia show received the highest ratings for any show in HITN history, consisting of broadcasting top-of-the-hour reports on the election's results, from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Joe Biden Inauguration 2021 Coverage

• Wrote a two-hour script, educational in tone and with information about the historical context in which the Inauguration Ceremony took place
• Received excellent reviews from Latino audience who considered the show the best opportunity not only to know something new about inaugurations history but to celebrate the American democracy regardless of its hurdles and conflicts

Mail Voting Video

• Wrote a script on the different rules and methods of mail voting in the United States for the Tu Momento Project focused on the presidential election
• Resulted in a comprehensive yet straightforward video explaining to the Hispanic audience how mail voting works and how safe it is to use compared to in-person voting

Puerto Rico Contigo Series

• Wrote 13 episodes of a Special Series, showcasing a resilient community hit by hurricane Maria and its day-by-day effort to rebuild a devastated country
• Designed a script structure – a combination of documentary techniques and journalism- in which different voices told their stories on how the challenging and inspirational work of many people has united in the common goal of revamping Puerto Rico as a place of innovation and entrepreneurship
• Generated positive reviews from media outlets and opinion leaders in Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican viewers living in New York and Florida, who called to HITN and sent emails with positive comments and reactions to the series' content.

• Spearheaded the digital distribution strategy of the newspaper related to local content and reporting, enhancing its footprint in social media, resulting in a 50% growth in traffic
• Coordinated reports written by the 5-person local news team, ranging from assigning to editing digital blurbs, print articles, and online editions
• Produced and anchored an innovative biweekly Facebook Live show discussing current controversial topics with special guests from all walks of life and backgrounds
• Wrote and produced videos reporting on special events and breaking news.
• Covered and reported on several events (2016-2020 presidential campaigns, among many others) using the Facebook Live platform
• Appeared as a guest of local political T.V. and radio stations, including Caracol Miami, Actualidad Radio, MiraTV, Canal 41, Telemundo 51, and Mega TV, representing the newspaper regularly on local, national, and international topics
• Cultivated local and state sources such as the municipal, county, and state authorities and elected officials, leading to regular interviews with mayors, commissioners, Florida state representatives and senators, and federal members of Congress from Florida.