TARA HARGADON
Annapolis,MD
Summary
Consummate Public Relations professional with over 20 years of communications, branding, and customer service experience. With a demonstrated history in personnel, program, and change management with a vested interest in impact through organizational change, process management implementation, access, and securing buy-in from internal and external stakeholders.
Throughout the past 2 decades as a detail-oriented team player with strong organizational skills, I've maintained the ability and craft to handle multiple projects simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Secretary of Customer Experience
Maryland Department Of Health
Baltimore, Maryland
06.2021 - Current
- Serve as Senior Operations Advisor to the Secretary (state department head)
- Serve as Chief Customer Experience Officer
- Constructed customer service-focused portfolio which includes the Offices of Constituent Services, Stakeholder Engagement and Special Programs, and Web Services
- Manage a vast portfolio of customer service state hotlines: COVID-19 MDGOVAX Call Center, Maryland 211 resources and referral network, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- Manage business operations while overseeing contractors and consultants to verify timely completion of key deliverables
- Collaborate closely with internal and external stakeholders (businesses, health care providers, local jurisdictions, houses of worship, non-profits, etc.) to expand and promote programs, resources, and referrals offered by the department
- Strategize, manage and deploy targeted messaging into communities to help raise awareness around Suicide prevention, Crisis, and Substance Use Services, Medicaid, I/DD, and public health-related information
- Manage state health department public-facing website and web team
- Copywrite state health department website governance policy
- Curated and launched state health department Sharepoint (website) Training Academy for over 300+ users
- Curated and launched the state health department's first intranet site for over 9,000 employees across the state to receive consolidated pertinent information and resources
- Provide oversight and advice on process documentation, policy decisions, and change management
- Manage Office of the Secretary's $7m annual budget
- Manage over $90M in statewide service contracts, contractors, and activities
Senior Operations Advisor, COVID Unified Command
Maryland Department Of Health
01.2021 - Current
- Serve as Office of the Secretary liaison to COVID-19 Unified Command (UC) and Recovery team
- Perform day-to-day monitoring, management, administration, and support for UC and Recovery team
- Serve as subject matter expert for COVID-19 information, programs, and communications to support the MDGOVAX call center knowledge base
- Analyze call processing flows and engagement data to determine optimal call center hours, program operations, and contract burn rate
- Served as Chief of Mass Vaccinations Appointments for 12 state-run mass vaccination sites
- Implemented a state-wide pre-registration system for vaccine
- Strategize and execute community outreach initiatives with equity focus using SVI data in partnership with Maryland National Guard's Vaccine Equity Task Force and various federal partners including FEMA and CDC
- Curate, manage, and led grassroots community outreach initiatives into underserved and marginalized communities across the state, engaging and educating of public health resources, and distributing personal protective equipment
- Strategize, plan, and execute COVID-19 communications for specific stakeholder groups regarding vaccine, testing, and therapeutics
Director of Constituent Services
Maryland Department Of Health
09.2018 - 01.2021
- Implemented Customer Relations Management (CRM) tool and controlled correspondence processes for the department and over 115 staff
- Created and implemented a customer service training program, CRM manual, process documentation, and guides with service level agreements (SLA) for department staff to follow
- Improved customer engagement times from 110 days to 3 days within 3 months of implementing new processes
- Created and implemented customer service reporting program and standards for the state health department's 5 administrations, and 24 clinical boards and commissions
- Created customer service recognition program called "Secretary's Spotlight" where staff, program managers, and executive staff can nominate colleagues for their exceptional service to be recognized by the Secretary of the department
- Implemented a survey response quality assurance program for follow-up on all feedback neutral to negative
- Supported and navigated constituents through bureaucratic government programs to ensure equitable access to healthcare resources, services, and programs
- Served as copywriter and editor-in-chief of controlled correspondence for the state health department
- Managed and monitored responses to constituent inquiries through a variety of mediums from in-person arrival, telephone, web form, or direct correspondence via USPS
Chief of Staff
City Of Annapolis
05.2015 - 01.2018
- Provided direct supervision and oversight of programmatic services and personnel in the Office of the Mayor including grants coordination, boards and commissions, constituent and community relations, activities and projects with nonprofit organizations, and events
- Managed business operations while overseeing contractors and consultants to verify timely completion of key deliverables
- Analyzed and solved multi-faceted problems that affected service delivery and initiatives
- Built and managed processes for tracking and monitoring department performance
- Identified opportunities and implemented techniques to streamline processes and improve office operations and efficiency
- Created reports, presentations and other materials for executive staff
- Collaborated with City Manager and city department heads on mayoral initiatives
- Created, hosted, promoted, and managed constituent-focused events on various mayoral initiatives and partnerships with other elected and appointed leaders
- Served as the key liaison between Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis forging a strategic partnership for the first time in over 50 years
- Served as liaison between the City of Annapolis and the Housing Authority supporting the city's most vulnerable residents
- Represented the Mayor's Office at a variety of functions, events, and meetings
- Served as key liaison to city residents on various complex and hard-to-navigate issues and needs
- Managed the implementation of the city's parking management vendor
- Managed the implementation of the city's new website and website vendor
- Served as the Human Services team lead for the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Opioid Intervention Team
- Coordinated Joint Information Center Call Center communications function in the event of an emergency
Marketing and Communications Manager
Eventtracker
07.2014 - 08.2015
- Identified, planned, and participated in various national trade shows
- Created, promoted, and executed contests for lead generation and customer retention
- Created case studies and managed reviews from existing customers' experiences on public forums such as Google, Yelp, Angie’s List and Facebook
- Grew brand recognition and increased market share through strategic PR campaigns, and speaking engagement with industry expert podcasts and webinars
- Managed, maintained, and updated website content daily
- Created and managed email campaigns to engage customers, and industry partners, accelerating customer engagement and new sales by 13%
- Optimized email campaigns to increase open and click-through rates
- Analyzed and reported KPIs to validate and demonstrate the success of marketing campaigns
- Created and managed social media campaigns to increase brand engagement
- Coordinated with design and media teams to develop high-quality creative assets
- Managed budget allocation and resource utilization to maximize marketing ROI
Marketing and Communications Consultant
Vocus, Inc
04.2012 - 07.2014
- Consulted prospects by performing SEO and industry research analysis, writing press releases, installing Facebook applications, and assisted in social media content creation and planning
- Presented marketing software focused on SEO, social media monitoring, trend analysis, email marketing campaigns, keyword/conversation topic monitoring to provide actionable marketing intelligence to meet prospective client goals
- Consistently met sales goals while exceeding ramping goal by 30%
- Developed and maintained effective pipeline of qualified sales prospects while generating new opportunities through cold calls and digital networking
- Prospected qualified leads, set and executed appointments, drafted and presented proposals, scheduled follow-ups, negotiated deals and executed sales into new business clients
- Analyzed customer feedback, web statistics, claims information and program participation levels to assess impact of communications plan
- Constructed targeted promotion strategies such as discounts designed to enhance customer retention
- Used needs assessment, problem-solving, negotiating, and analytical skills to develop and present proposals for service for current and potential customers
- Devised content strategy to effectively engage target audiences
- Mentored local personnel on best practices and protocols to maximize productivity
- Optimized email campaigns to increase open and click-through rates
Campaign Communications Director
Mike Pantelides For Mayor
05.2013 - 12.2013
- Created and implemented internal and external communication plans to establish consistent and timely messaging
- Developed and implemented short- and long-term communications strategies
- Monitored news: digital, print, and broadcast for content and clippings related to the campaign
- Developed media strategies to support and promote candidate initiatives to increase public visibility and drive constituent engagement
- Launched successful digital marketing campaigns that increased website traffic by 40%
- Optimized email campaigns to increase open and click-through rates.
- Established and managed relationships with key media contacts to determine optimal coverage
- Managed budget allocation and resource utilization to maximize marketing ROI
- Conducted market research to identify new opportunities and target markets
Sales and Marketing Manager
Bozzuto Management
04.2010 - 03.2012
- Managed sales promotions and marketing strategies on major social media sites
- Demonstrated products to show potential customers benefits and advantages and encourage rental agreements
- Managed revenue models, process flows, operations support and customer engagement strategies
- Planned, organized and executed season resident events
- Created ways to sell and marketing luxury apartment living to various target markets
Store Manager
Blanca Flor Silver Jewelry
01.2008 - 04.2010
- Served as lead sales manager, visual merchandiser, and assistant buyer
- Handled difficult customer inquiries to maintain excellent customer service
- Reconciled daily sales transactions to balance and log day-to-day revenue.
- Merchandised displays of designer jewelry to create visual appeal and drive sales
- Identified store needs and negotiated and closed profitable purchases for over 400% ROI
- Monitored daily cash discrepancies, inventory shrinkage and drive-off
- Reduced operational risks while organizing data to forecast performance trends
- Recruited, hired, and trained initial personnel, working to establish key internal functions and outline thescope of positions for the organization
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Public Relations, Advertising, And Applied Communication
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC12.2008
Skills
- Customer Relations and Communications
- Project Management
- Branding
- Events
- Customer Experience Strategies and Management
- Improvement Plans
- Policy Development and Enforcement
- Strategic Marketing, Outreach, and Partnerships
- Process Development and Streamlining
- Business Management and Development
Timeline
Assistant Secretary of Customer Experience
Maryland Department Of Health
06.2021 - Current
Senior Operations Advisor, COVID Unified Command
Maryland Department Of Health
01.2021 - Current
Director of Constituent Services
Maryland Department Of Health
09.2018 - 01.2021
Chief of Staff
City Of Annapolis
05.2015 - 01.2018
Marketing and Communications Manager
Eventtracker
07.2014 - 08.2015
Campaign Communications Director
Mike Pantelides For Mayor
05.2013 - 12.2013
Marketing and Communications Consultant
Vocus, Inc
04.2012 - 07.2014
Sales and Marketing Manager
Bozzuto Management
04.2010 - 03.2012
Store Manager
Blanca Flor Silver Jewelry
01.2008 - 04.2010
Bachelor of Arts - Public Relations, Advertising, And Applied Communication
East Carolina University
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