AML Strategic Communications, Inc.

President and Director of Communications 

NYU Langone Health

Director of HR Communications

Optum

Serve as a communications resource to four business units, with a focus on external, client-facing and executive communications.

Develop communications plans to support large contracts.

Lead communications strategies to effect change management and improve employee engagement.

Communicate critical operational changes to business partners (physicians).

Organize and prepare leaders for national and international speaking engagements and media interviews.

Create marketing and communications programs to support business development and engagement strategies.

Ghostwrite for CEO and division Presidents; speech writing; interview preparation and developing talking points.

Work to strategically connect leadership with government leaders, KOL, speaking and media opportunities.

Seek strategically critical awards and recognition programs for business lines and leaders.

Corporate Communications & Strategic Engagements - Optum Serve

CentraState Healthcare System

Led the team responsible for public relations and corporate communications of community-based healthcare system. In this role, I developed a robust media relations program that included developing key relationships with local media outlets and placements for physicians and administrative leaders in Huffington Post, Yahoo News, Fox Business, LiveStrong, Everydayhealth, Reader’s Digest, LiveSciences and U.S. News & World Report.

Lead the crisis communications team including message development and media training during high-profile events.

Prepare CEO and Chairman of the Board speeches and programs, drafted op-ed pieces, annual reports and employee communications.

Develop and manage the marketing plans for various service lines using traditional and digital marketing, search engine marketing, direct mail, social media and media relations.

Supervise staff of five responsible for media relations, publications, social media and community relations as well as external vendors.

Director of PR & Communications

NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company

Led the team charged with all corporate communications for NORCAL Mutual and PMSLIC insurance companies (medical malpractice).  This included developing all marketing collateral materials, policyholder and business partner communications and annual report, including executive ghost writing.

Managed all media relations activities, including securing national placements.

Managed the announcement of highly confidential company acquisition. 

Initiated social media program for two companies and managed six websites including copy development and design element selection.

Supervision of four, full-time staff responsible for publications, website, graphic design and production management.

Manager of Corporate Communications

Kansas Department of Transportation

Led the team charged with all public involvement activities, the scenic byways program and the statewide 511 travel alert system.  Specifically, I planned and conducted community meetings and press conferences including writing speeches, video and collateral materials.

I had supervision of three, full-time staff.

Bureau Chief, Public Involvement

Devereux

Managed the internal and external communications and public relations function of the nation’s largest, non-profit behavioral healthcare provider for individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities, behavioral disorders and mental illness.  Devereux serves more than 15,000 individuals annually at 15 centers in 11 states. In this role I managed the media relations program, including aggressively pursuing positive placements in targeted media outlets and providing counsel to center management while managing several crisis communications issues.

Created strategic alliances with key media and business figures in Philadelphia, and provided organizational updates to the Board of Trustees

Produced a 44+ page annual report, including ghost writing for CEO and trustees and an annual 40+ page consumer magazine.

Corporate Director of Communications

Princeton HealthCare System

Managed the Marketing and Public Affairs Department of a full-continuum healthcare organization. In that role, I worked closely with internal audiences and external advertising agency to develop ads, web-based information, and internal and external collateral materials   (brochures, patient information booklets, etc.) that were consistent with designated strategic goals to introduce new and promote existing service lines.

Provided counsel and writing assistance on internal communication materials for employees, physicians and volunteers, including key, sensitive messages. This included the successful announcement of complex and highly controversial hospital relocation.

Assisted vice president in developing and implementing annual marketing plan and budget.

Supervised a staff of four responsible for marketing, communications, media relations, physician relations.

Director of Marketing & Public Affairs

As a fractional/contract-based communications consultant and trusted advisor to the C-suite, I help organizations navigate change and drive engagement through strategic internal communication.

With deep expertise in employee engagement, leadership visibility, and change management, I partner with organizations to ensure communications are clear, purposeful, and aligned to business goals.

My focus areas include:

•	Change Management & M&A Integration: Supporting businesses through mergers and acquisitions by aligning employees, workflows, and cultures. I also help build strategic relationships with key community and business stakeholders.

•	Internal Communications: Developing strategy and messaging to boost employee engagement and reinforce company values and culture.

•	Executive Communications: Helping leaders find and refine their voice—crafting messaging, talking points, speeches, and digital presence to inspire and align teams.

Let’s talk about your business challenges. I’ll create a communications strategy that drives clarity, alignment, and results. Reach out to explore how we can work together.

The Magic of Larry Kauffman

My second job out of college was working for the Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (PAMIC). It was a property and casualty mutual insurance trade association. We had a lean staff—only a team of five and four following a retirement. Our leader was Larry Kauffman.

Larry was the kind of person who gained the respect of all who knew him. He was likable but never tried to win anyone over; he let his natural style of inclusivity, common sense, and integrity illustrate who he was as a professional.

Larry showed respect for everyone, even the contrarian voices, the people who slowed down meetings, the ones others dismissed. He encouraged lively discussion with dissenting opinions, and once the conversation hit a fevered pitch, I would watch as he calmly brought the two sides together and agreed on the path forward. It was miraculous to watch him work.

I cried on my last day at PAMIC as I said goodbye to Larry. I didn't know that goodbye would take on a different meaning when eleven months later, I cried even harder after receiving the call at work that Larry died of a heart attack. He was on his annual family trip to the Outer Banks on Monday morning, walking the beach with his wife, when he died. He was just 59.

It’s been many years since I worked for Larry, but the mark he made on me, through his stellar leadership and quiet compassion, is a gift that I still carry today. If anyone reading this remembers Larry Kauffman, you will undoubtedly have a smile on your face remembering him and his gentle kindness.

I hope each of you has been fortunate enough to have had a Larry Kauffman in your professional life. If you’d like, please share their story.
#Leadership

Abbey Luterick

Every team needs a Henry…

I recently visited a friend with my dog, Henry. My friend’s sister was also visiting, and from the moment we arrived, all of their focus was on making sure Henry was comfortable and happy. He got to eat off the sofa, which he was helped onto. My friend and his sister took turns sitting with him on the couch and petting him, making sure he was comfortable. Pictures were taken, and stories of Henry’s antics were shared. Henry and Cosmo, the resident dog, became the focus of everyone’s attention, and it made for a relaxed evening.
 
Great teams have people like this.
Not the center of attention, but the ones who change the energy in the room:
When a meeting gets tense, they ask the question that breaks the tension
When discussions spiral, they redirect without dominating
When someone's struggling, they notice before anyone else does and offers support

They're not the loudest voices. They're not always the most senior. But they're the ones who make collaboration actually feel collaborative.
 
If you have someone like this on your team, tell them. Specifically. Not "you're great to work with," but "you made everyone feel heard in that meeting, and it changed the outcome."

And if you're a leader, build systems that reward this kind of contribution—not just the loudest or most visible wins.

Who's the person on your team who changes the energy for the better?
 
P.S. - Photo of Henry included, though it's not his most flattering angle. But then again, he's a dog who ate off a sofa this week, so he's living his best life.

Something a little different…

This week, instead of going out to lunch, why not ask a co-worker (or a couple of co-workers) if they’d like to meet up for breakfast before work? It might be the perfect start to your Friday morning!

Are holiday parties still a thing?

I have to admit, when the holidays came around, I was down for the team lunches at a nice restaurant, but the big affairs in the evening with spouses or significant others were something I avoided like the plague. Over the years, I attended a handful of these evening, plus-one holiday dinners, and escaped as soon as it was possible.

Just curious, does your company still host elaborate holiday parties, or did those go away with COVID? Solopreneurs, have you thought about a holiday lunch with your chosen colleagues or clients?

Does anyone else hate the big holiday affairs?

December is a great time to connect and network.

I have been having conversations with people in search and other solopreneurs, and it leads to the same old question: do we go quiet during the holiday season or ramp up our efforts?

And many experienced people will tell you that the month of December is a great time for job seekers to reach out to hiring managers, get new jobs before the end of the year, and stand out during an otherwise quiet time.

For solopreneurs, it's time to reconnect with former colleagues and make new networking connections. As I said to a new friend yesterday, now is not the time to let your foot off the gas—go network!

What do my recruiter and entrepreneur friends think about December networking? #Networking #BusinessConnections

Is Your 2026 Communications Strategy Actually Strategic?

I've reviewed dozens of communications plans, and most suffer from the same problem: they're tasks, not strategies.
 
A real communications strategy answers:
➡️What employee behaviors need to change to achieve business goals?
➡️Which leadership messages will drive those changes?
➡️How will we know if communications is actually working?
 
If you're planning 2026 communications right now and struggling to connect activities to outcomes, I'm offering complimentary 45-minute strategy sessions through December 22nd.

These aren't sales calls. They're working sessions where we'll:
➡️ Diagnose gaps between your communications activities and business priorities.
➡️Identify how to best reach your employees, especially those who are not working at a desk.
➡️Discuss how you should modify your communications to meet your 2026 goals.
 
Who this is for: Communications and HR leaders at 200+ employee organizations who are ready to position communications as a strategic driver of business performance—not just a tactical execution function.

I've built communications functions at a Fortune 5 federal contractor, healthcare systems, and multiple mission-driven organizations. I know what moves communications from tactical to strategic.
 
Schedule at amlcomms.com or DM me directly.

Open article: AML Strategic Communications by amlcomms.com

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