SEMMES-MURPHEY FOUNDATION

Making life better by reimagining what’s possible through neuroscience.

Executive Director

Larksome Goods

Founder and chief designer for an online retail business specializing in bespoke stationery, original art, and home decor.

Founder and Creative Chief

Kindred Place

Engaged to lead the turnaround and transformation of a 40-year old nonprofit organization chartered to prevent child abuse. Secured $2.5 million in local philanthropic support rebranding, redesigning program portfolio, forging new community partnerships, and shifting to data-driven performance while maintaining a people-focused, compassionate approach. Led community based marketing, positioning, and messaging work to connect across a diverse range of community constituencies.

Lifeblood

Responsible for donor engagement, corporate branding, community relations, clinical operations (collections), customer service and fundraising. Key accomplishments included securing $500,000 for capital needs and community programs, implementing a CRM solution to drive donor retention and frequency, and developing performance standards to reduce quality deviations by more than 50%. 
-- Directed resources to strengthen relationships between the blood center, its 50,000 volunteer donors, along with the philanthropic organizations that provide financial support. 
-- Developed and implemented an annual operating plan and balanced scorecard, managing to key performance indicators for division-wide continuous improvement.  
-- Guided organization-wide strategic planning, rebranding and reshaping of corporate mission.  
-- Used the StrengthsFinder tool to coach and develop rising leaders within the organization. 
-- As part of the executive team, helped guide the center through due diligence, initial integration and public roll-out as Lifeblood became a wholly-owned business unit of Scottsdale-based Blood Systems, Incorporated (June 2015-May 2016).

VP, Donor Relations

Shelby County Books from Birth

Through the Shelby County Mayor's office and Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, established a new organization to implement the largest-ever Imagination Library program, an early childhood literacy initiative created and managed by the Dollywood Foundation. 
-- Working in conjunction with Shelby County Mayor and founding board members, raised $2.5 million in start-up funding.
-- Developed marketing, branding, and community engagement strategies and tactics for program launch.
-- Established charter, bylaws, organization plan, and long-term funding plan to ensure viability beyond the first 18 months.
-- Recruited and hired first full-time executive director and assisted in transitioning organization to an independent 501(c)(3).

Co-Founder, Executive Director

Shelby County Mayor's Office

Executive advisor and community liaison (appointed position) for Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton, Jr.
-- Established and built Shelby County Books from Birth to implement the largest Imagination Library program in the country. Raised more than $2.5 million in start-up funding in less than two years. 
-- Advised Mayor on policies related to children and youth, education development, workforce development and disaster preparedness. 
-- Served as ghostwriter for Mayor’s speeches, letters, articles and other correspondence.
-- Represented the Mayor in meetings with business and community leaders to build consensus around key issues related to County government.

Special Projects

The Ingram Group

-- Established Memphis presence for Nashville-based public affairs firm, the only statewide public affairs/public relations firm in Tennessee.  
-- Leveraged community connections and corporate experience to build annual revenue base of $750,000 in three years by attracting and retaining blue-chip clients and high-profile projects.  
-- Provided direct client service in the areas of public relations, crisis communications, media relations, advertising, community relations, fundraising, and public policy.
Clients included NBA Now, Memphis Grizzlies, Hyde Family Foundations, District Attorney General's Office, Memphis Tomorrow, Urban Child Institute, Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation, The MED (now Regional One), and Emerge Memphis.

Memphis Managing Partner

MFS Network Technologies

Public relations, public affairs, marketing strategy, business development, proposal development and investor relations.

Marketing Director

O'Connor Kenny Swain

Managed business-to-business and direct marketing accounts for boutique ad agency.

Account Manager

Cylix Communications

Marketing manager for data networking company, a division of France Telecom that was sold to MFS/Worldcom.

Marketing Manager

Creative strategist and catalyst for change.

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