Trudy Thompson Shumaker

• This is a volunteer position, supporting the President of IFRC with communications counsel, speech-writing and social media messaging. Time commitment varies, and currently is less than 10 percent due to geopolitical situations amid drastic funding cuts.
• Develop key messaging and talking points for executive leadership, ensuring consistent representation of organization's mission and work around the globe, in a changing, volatile environment.
• Enhance brand reputation by developing and implementing strategic communication plans with the organization's 16 million volunteers, individual as well as government and corporate donors.
• Advise leadership on how to effectively manage both internal and external communications, with sensitivity to local and global geopolitics.
• Oversee content development process for corporate publications, ensuring high-quality materials that align with brand guidelines and messaging.
• Provide communications expertise to help develop strategic branding, marketing and public relations campaigns.
• Draft and proofread complex papers outlining financial issues, strategic plans, and sensitive concerns and coordinate edits and approvals.
• Conduct regular media training sessions with executives and spokespeople to enhance their presentation skills and message delivery.
• Secure high-profile speaking opportunities at industry events for executive leadership team members and write speeches, talking points tailored to the audience.
• Boost audience engagement by creating compelling digital content across social media channels, websites, blogs, newsletters, video scripts.
• Support executive leaders with writing, researching and preparation of materials
• Study objectives, promotional policies or needs of organization to develop public relations strategies influencing public opinion or promoting ideas.
• Liaison between leadership and government officials worldwide to further relationships through meetings and written communications.
• Managed crisis communications, mitigating potential damage to the company''s image and maintaining stakeholder trust.
• Optimized internal employee newsletter structure leading to increased open rates.

• Clients include:

Arizona Highways Magazine, Arizona Game and Fish, Exxon's The Lamp Magazine (for shareholders), American Express (customer and employee magazines) LA Times Travel Section, Chicago Sun Times Syndication (ghost-wrote a column for ten years), AARP, Farmer's Insurance, City of Phoenix, Pfizer, Merck Pharmaceuticals, Arizona Heart Hospital, American Cancer Society, DePuy Orthopedics, IOLAB Ophthalmic, American Heart Association, National Institutes of Health, Johnson & Johnson, Barrow Neurological Center, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center (commissioned to write and edit a history for 100th anniversary), The Arizona Republic and many more. Full client list available upon request.

• Utilizing my background in science and health, I specialize in translating complex scientific work into stories that funders can understand and appreciate.
• Work with editors and communications directors across a wide range of industries to provide engaging content that accomplishes their goals.
• Collaborate with editors to refine drafts from other writers, ensuring consistent tone and style across various platforms.
• Interview individuals by phone, video chat and in-person to write news and feature stories.
• Generate ideas for new content series or formats based on organizational priorities, audience interests and market trends.
• Conduct thorough research on diverse topics, producing well-informed pieces that resonate with readers.
• Juggle multiple projects with tight deadlines, working well with other team members and vendors.

• My overall goal was to advance the mission of the American Red Cross: to recruit volunteers and donors, as well as spread the word to those who need Red Cross services. To support that goal, I found stories that should be told to highlight volunteers, donors and community partners. I wrote, photographed and edited videos to tell those stories, editing their tone to reach intended audiences.
• I used my communications background and seasoned judgment to determine most effective platforms to tell those stories. Some were best told through print, some by social media, some by traditional media and some face-to-face.
• Recruited, trained and led volunteers to collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop cohesive messaging for fund-raising and volunteer communications.
• Developed messaging for national as well as local disasters.
• Served as national spokesperson in times of disaster.
• Negotiated partnerships with external vendors and influencers to expand reach and amplify brand messages.
• Mentored junior staff members on effective communication techniques, driving professional growth within the team.
• Coached senior leadership on media presence, wrote talking points and speeches.
• Acted as point of contact for inbound media related calls, available around the clock as needed.

Worked with executive leadership to identify goals, audiences and most effective platforms and messaging to achieve them.

Used print, electronic, photos and videos on traditional as well as digital platforms to tell the stories. This often involved working with grieving families, sick patients and high-level physicians and scientists. I am especially strong at identifying stories, then working with all those involved to tell a story with sensitivity.

• Proactively identified potential risks and implemented mitigation strategies to minimize negative impacts on projects or business operations.
• Leveraged professional networks and industry knowledge to strengthen donor and staff relationships.
• Established working relationships with front line staff and volunteers to learn of story possibilities.
• Was a leader as the organization expanded into new markets, conducting thorough market analysis and establishing key local partnerships. As new hospitals were built or mergers were hammered out, I identified stakeholders and established solid relationships with them by telling their stories. A key part of this was learning and appreciating cultural context and incorporating that into our story telling.