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A Communications Overhaul: Rebuilding a Communications Platform
Following a complete communications team turnover, the City and County of Denver’s Auditor’s Office rebuilt, retooled and developed a communications platform. Learn how they modernized their messaging and strategy to create an approachable, transparent an
Board of Directors
President Alannah is an experienced communications professional specializing in the health care and wellness sectors. With a passion for sustainability, creativity and a dedication to data-driven solutions, Alannah provides innovative and forward-thinking strategies to address the unique communication needs for internal and external challenges in a health care environment. Prior to relocating to Colorado where she is now leading marketing and communications strategy at Craig Hospital, Alannah had a successful career in the health care sector in Toronto, Ontario, working in Corporate Communications at a large community hospital in the high-tech capital of Canada. Alannah has been involved with IABC since 2010 and has served on various committees at the Toronto and Colorado chapters including serving as a director on the Professional Development committee (Toronto) and Membership Committee (Colorado) prior to serving as Co-VP of Professional Development on IABC Colorado’s 2016-2017 Board of Directors and as President Elect on the 2017-2018 Board. Alannah earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Western Ontario and completed graduate studies in Corporate Communications at Seneca College of Art and Design at York University in Toronto, Ontario. Alannah looks forward to continuing to grow with IABC Colorado and is proud to be serving as President of the 2018-2019 Board of Directors. | President Elect Jay has been a member of IABC for 15 years. Since relocating to Colorado in 2013, he has served as an appointed Webmaster for the IABC-Colorado.com website; Director of Communication, Vice President of Administration, Vice President of Communication and Co-VP of Communication. Professionally, Jay currently leads a marketing team which supports sales efforts on behalf of a nationwide network of nonprofit agencies that provides business and product solutions to federal and commercial customers, thereby creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities. During his tenure, he has launched and managed a yearlong campaign on behalf of a federal program for people with disabilities and branded and launched a national electronics recycling network. Jay’s work has won awards from the IABC and PRSA Washington, DC chapters and from printing, school public relations and municipal government industry associations. He has experience in media relations, marketing and brand communications, advertising, internal and external change management, speechwriting, and graphic and multimedia design. Jay also spent nearly 10 years with Maryland-based Melwood, where he oversaw communication, marketing and fund development for one of the nation’s largest non-profits employing people with disabilities. Jay earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and minor in human services from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. |
Vice President Finance Katie Murrin-Finch is a Public Relations professional who recently returned "home" to Colorado. She holds a master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Metropolitan State University. In her seven year career as a communications professional, Katie has managed crisis communications, community relations, and business development for the American Red Cross in Washington D.C. She has advised executive leadership on internal and external communication best practices, recommended and initiated strategic business partnerships, and developed and executed communication plans for Airlines Reporting Corporation, also located in the Washington D.C. area. Katie has been an active IABC member since 2012 and has been working with the current VP of Finance since October 2016. Prior to leaving the Washington D.C. area, she was active in the Heritage Region IABC chapter. https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-murrin-finch-84610241 | Vice President Administration Jo is a corporate communications and marketing professional with success in developing and implementing game-changing strategies and programs that drive bottom-line results. She is a proactive, strategic business partner known for improving business results and driving brand awareness through effective corporate communications and marketing. Jo currently serves as vice president-corporate communications at CoBank, a national cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. Previously she led corporate communications and content marketing at IHS Markit, the leading source of information and insight in critical areas that shape today's business landscape. Prior to that, she served in similar roles for other large organizations. Jo previously served on the IABC Colorado board in various roles, including chapter president. She is a passionate proponent of her profession and also greatly enjoys her work. Jo presents seminars on topics including corporate communication, the benefits of an inclusive workforce, leadership and personal career development. She also serves on the board of the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (www.lcht.com). Jo holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Minot State University, Minot, North Dakota, and attended postgraduate studies in history at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. She invites you to be involved within the communications profession and to connect with her on Twitter (@josolonika) and LinkedIn (in/josolonika). |
Co-Vice President Membership Cathy is a career-long communicator, starting as a clerk at the Rocky Mountain News, moving on to writing and editing for small newspapers, then returning to the Rocky as content editor and writer. She shifted to university communications in 2004, joining the University of Colorado Denver as communications specialist. She is now multimedia editor in University Relations for the CU Office of the President, where her responsibilities include managing the cu.edu website content, producing the monthly president's newsletter, posting compelling information about CU on social media sites, monitoring and responding to queries and concerns via email and on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, keeping up with tech and social trends, writing features and news stories and producing podcasts, video and photos. She is a big fan of family, friends, dogs, gardening and heavy metal music. | Co-Vice President Membership The founder of Crux Strategic Communications, Melanie is an employee engagement geek, marketing communication maven, entrepreneur and obsessed Oregon Duck football fan. In addition to serving as Vice President of Membership for IABC Colorado since 2015, Melanie served as creative director and led the marketing team for the IABC Southern Region Conference in Denver, October 15-17, 2015. She also is an active member of PRSA. Melanie has directed communications teams for over 25 years at industry-leading Fortune 500 companies, including Molson Coors Brewing Company, Newmont Mining Corporation, H-P, Compaq and Tandem Computers. This breadth of experience enables her to excel strategically, creatively and tactically in a broad range of communication disciplines. With the perfect balance of right-brain/left-brain thinking, Melanie Rice earned a B.S. in Quantitative Analysis from University of Oregon and a M.B.A. in Marketing from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, Calif. |
Past President Kimberly works as an independent consultant within the Marketing and Communication Domains. She is passionate about the communication domain and how it integrates with every piece of the business world. Great communication programs make great companies. With a goal to increase revenue by producing tangible results in Sales, Marketing and Communication because without communicating how great you are, nobody will ever know. Her current clients are small to mid-size businesses. She enjoys creating programs that help organizations communicate effectively while improving corporate culture. Most recently, she was the Director of Marketing for Evver, where she was responsible for all communication and marketing efforts. Evver is a small start-up video application company, which started in Boulder, Colo. Prior to that, she was a marketing and communication lead at an oil and gas company providing corporate communications, marketing, social media and organization strategy for both a midstream and completion services company. Throughout her career, Kimberly has worked in many industries including aviation, commercial real estate, government consulting, startups and oil and gas. She is passionate about supporting her community and has done so by volunteering with IABC-Colorado and is currently the VP of Communications. She has also volunteered with the I Have A Dream Foundation, Hogar Hispano, Friends of the Orphans, and Urban Peaks. Kimberly Kovacich earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Colorado, Boulder. | Vice President Communications Relatively new to public service, Michael R. Mierendorf serves the City and County of Denver’s Auditor’s Office. Since being appointed Director of Community Outreach in October 2017, Michael has been leading the Auditor’s Office in relationships with the community and advancing the communications platforms, along with the Director of Communications, to create an approachable, transparent and knowledgeable resource of the Auditor’s role in the city of Denver. Michael has lived and worked in Denver since July 2011 in the West Highland neighborhood. He’s been a part of and witness of the booming transformation of the city he and his family call home. Prior to joining the Auditor’s Office, Michael worked locally as a full-time freelancer with the YMCA national brand and Denver small business clients, over six years in admissions and technology at Columbia College Chicago and four years at The Onion newspaper. His experience and comfort with emerging technologies and the intersection with marketing communications, and his desire to be active in local change, brought him to the Auditor’s Office in 2017. Michael strongly believes that utilizing the power of technology can advance the cultural conversation and works daily to keep up-to-date with tools that can help that mission. Michael received a Bachelor of Arts in Print Journalism from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and a minor in modern U.S. History. He has volunteered locally to help restore the Historic Elitch Theatre in northwest Denver and supporting his neighborhood association, West Highland Neighborhood Association, with their digital communications and online presence. |
Vice President Professional Development Sabrina is an experienced communications professional with nearly 20 years of experience in content marketing and corporate communications. Her specialties include content strategy, communications planning and internal communications. Sabrina currently serves as content marketing manager for Arcadis, a design and consultancy firm for natural and built assets, where she is responsible for all aspects of developing and implementing North American marketing campaigns. Prior to joining Arcadis, Sabrina spent 10 years as manager of organizational communications for Denver Water, where she managed the utility's internal communications program and was a leadership member of the brand journalism team. Before joining Denver Water, Sabrina had communication leadership roles in corporate, government and agency organizations. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in applied communications from the University of Denver. Sabrina has been an active IABC member since 2013. |
