Sydney Colvin

• Built and developed an In-Kennel Enrichment Program established for the city shelter 2023.
• Worked with leadership to develop a truly effective SOP that is still in use for training and onboarding new employees and volunteers.
• Improved on existing shelter enrichment processes and procedures most likely to lead to positive outcomes, including expanding all shelter play yards with environmental enrichment that did not exist prior to my leadership.
• Educated staff and volunteers of the relationship between shelter processes and practices and critical outcome variables.
• Clearly communicated expectations and the organization's enrichment policies to staff and united them with a shared sense of purpose.
• Created offsite partnership opportunities for our sheltering organization to receive donations and funding for the In-Kennel enrichment program.
• Provided individualized and group enrichment instruction for range of volunteers including honors students, corporate volunteer groups and persons with disabilities, tailoring workshops to meet their goals and unique needs and abilities including strategizing to modify existing volunteer classes and workshops to accommodate all individuals safely.
• Implemented effective and safe In-Kennel enrichment management techniques, maintaining an orderly and safe environment for staff, volunteers, visitors and animals.
• Utilized assessment data to inform instructional decisions, targeting areas of concern for large groups and individual animals.
• Mentored new staff and adopters, sharing best practices and offering guidance on effective enrichment strategies.
• Ensured proper enrichment facility and equipment set up and maintenance.
• Maintained inventory of enrichment supplies, tools, and equipment.
• Developed individualized enrichment plans to meet special needs of dogs going into foster or adoptive homes.
• Collaborated with other departments for enrichment planning.

How My Skills Applied To This Role:

• Public Health : In my role, I networked to provide outreach and shelter education at tabling events such as the Mighty Texas Dog Walk and Emergency Preparedness Week. At these tablings, I talked about pet education, responsible ownership and city laws.
• Team Work : In addition to interdepartmental collaboration, at public events I worked with co-workers to setup our booths and tables, coordinate transport, create educational supplies and materials, and we divided up our roles for maximum community education.
• Communications : Comms were a critical component to stay in touch with volunteers and coordinate and schedule any size groups to book conference and training rooms. I also had to maintain relationships with many vendors.
• Education : At the Austin Animal Center, I educated volunteers and youth groups on dog enrichment through brochures, orientations, and hands-on training, enhancing both shelter safety and dog well-being.
• Teaching/Tutoring : Under previous leadership, I mentored staff and volunteers on best enrichment practices, facilitated large student groups of diverse youth, leading enrichment activities and teaching pet education.
• Youth Development : I played a crucial role in guiding youth, teaching life skills to young people exiting foster care system and supporting young adults with disabilities in gaining essentials skills for independence.
• First Aid : I am Basic First Aid certified through the city and experienced on campus situations where I had to apply these skills.
• Community Organization : I demonstrated community organization skills by coordinating donation drives for shelter supplies, establishing partnerships for service dog adoptions, organizing city event tabling and Pride events.
• Working with people of disabilities, build spaces and procedures for people with disabilities. : I created inclusive spaces and procedures for people with disabilities by securing a wheelchair-accessible area and designing accessible activities catering to neurodivergent volunteers eager to support the shelter.
• Leadership : I demonstrated leadership by guiding large volunteer groups, including youth and corporate teams, served as liaison between the shelter and vendors, and coordinated volunteer opportunities with staff.
• Recruitment : In my role, I focused on recruiting and engaging individuals from various backgrounds. I utilized multiple meet-up groups, posted ads, and distributed brochures. I also reached out to corporate groups
• Public Speaking : Public speaking was necessary for volunteer orientations, tabling events & for addressing large corporate groups and classroom visits to the shelter. I accommodated students' educational video projects
• Fine Arts/Crafts : Encouraged youth to express creativity through themed food enrichment for shelter dogs, taught how to make snuffle mats from fabric and guided corporate groups in upcycling items for dog enrichment.
• Fund raising/Grant Writing : I raised tens of thousands of dollars for my program by conversations with the community, reaching out to companies directly, by door-to-door canvassing, and collaborating with my supervisor to identify funds.

• Increased brand awareness by developing and implementing effective social media strategies.
• Boosted engagement rates with the creation of compelling and visually appealing content.
• Managed multiple social media platforms, ensuring a consistent brand voice and message.
• Analyzed performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and optimize social media campaigns.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams on integrated marketing initiatives, resulting in increased online presence.
• Monitored social media trends and emerging platforms, adopting new strategies to stay ahead of the competition.
• Provided exceptional customer service through timely and thoughtful responses to user comments and messages.
• Successfully built a loyal following by consistently sharing valuable content that resonated with the target audience.
• Coordinated influencer partnerships, leveraging their reach to expand brand visibility.
• Created comprehensive reports on social media performance, presenting data-driven insights to stakeholders.
• Streamlined content creation processes, improving efficiency while maintaining quality standards.
• Facilitated live events such as Q&A sessions or product launches on various social platforms engaging audiences directly.
• Effectively managed crises communication during unfavorable situations protecting company''s reputation online.
• Devised creative promotional campaigns aligning with overall marketing objectives boosting sales during peak seasons.
• Oversaw social media presence and aligned posts to include branding and trending ideas.
• Managed relationships with third-party vendors and suppliers to establish timely delivery of services.
• Developed and promoted corporate brand, images and identity to media and public.
• Researched latest market trends and analyzed data to develop public relations strategies and tactics.
• Reviewed marketing materials and documents for brand accuracy and trending design.
• Built and strengthened industry partnerships to improve product placements, amplify coverage and maximize effectiveness of marketing strategies.
• Collaborated with other departments to develop integrated branding and public relations strategies.
• Drafted speeches for company executives and advised on media talking points.

• Worked with the Chief Technology Manager to handle the coordination of all IT projects and acted as the liaison between IT and managers and employees within internal departments.
• Streamlined IT project management processes by implementing new software tools and methodologies.
• Reduced project completion times by effectively coordinating team members and resources.
• Improved overall project success rates with thorough risk assessment and mitigation planning.
• Boosted team productivity by providing ongoing training opportunities and fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Optimized resource allocation for projects, ensuring timely delivery without sacrificing quality.
• Developed comprehensive project documentation, including scope statements, timelines, budgets, and status reports.
• Contributed to cost savings through efficient vendor management and contract negotiation strategies.

• Enhanced website user experience by optimizing content layout and navigation elements.
• Increased organic web traffic through implementing effective SEO strategies and keyword research.
• Managed and updated website content regularly, ensuring accuracy and relevance for site visitors.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop engaging multimedia content, driving increased audience engagement.
• Ensured mobile responsiveness of the website, providing an optimal viewing experience for users on various devices.
• Analyzed web analytics data to identify areas for improvement, informing strategic content decisions.
• Optimized website load times through image compression and code minification techniques, enhancing overall performance.
• Streamlined content publishing workflows by introducing efficient CMS tools and processes.
• Monitored competitor websites to stay informed about industry trends and developments, shaping future content plans accordingly.
• Assisted in developing targeted email marketing campaigns that drove significant increases in subscriber engagement rates.
• Collaborated with graphic designers to create visually appealing graphics that complemented written content effectively.
• Oversaw social media accounts by sharing relevant and engaging content, driving increased traffic to the website.
• Managed relationships with external content contributors, ensuring a diverse range of voices and perspectives were represented on the website.
• Approved, reviewed and edited content flowing to website.
• Managed content distribution to online channels and social media platforms.
• Used content management system to analyze user engagement and website traffic metrics.