LEAH A. BLOOM | |
EDUCATION | |
Emerson College, Boston, MA: M.F.A. in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) | |
Brown University, Providence, RI: B.A. in Comparative Literature and Translation | |
La Universidad San Francisco De Quito, Quito, Ecuador (All coursework in Spanish) | |
COMMUNICATIONS and MARKETING EXPERIENCE | |
LISC Boston, Program Officer, Communications & External Relations | Boston, MA |
· Shaped and maintained consistency of organizational brand and voice, including message development, staff training, design and launch of new website, social media management, creation and dissemination of collateral materials, event planning | 9/2015 – 9/20170 |
· Developed and implemented strategic fundraising plan, including internal policies and procedures, prospect research, donor cultivation and stewardship, grant writing and reporting, and opportunity tracking; helped raise nearly $4.5 million | |
· Developed and managed budget, hired and managed consultants and interns | |
· Served as surrogate for LISC Boston Executive Director, representing organization on external committees and to external audiences | |
· As member of Senior Management Team, engaged in strategic planning around program direction and development, including forging partnerships with local CDCs, nonprofits, and city and state government | |
· At invitation of LISC’s National CEO, represented 30+ local offices on national Communications Taskforce. Also supported and collaborated with senior staff on LISC’s National Development, Communications, and Policy teams; and served on National Diversity & Inclusion Committee | |
Leah Bloom Communications, President | Somerville, MA |
· Developed communication strategies and marketing materials for clients ranging from independent health practitioners including Association of Career Professionals New England, Boloco, Boston GreenFest, Boston Organics, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Pine Street Inn, Somerville Open Studios, Spontaneous Celebrations, and more | 10/2008 – 8/2015 |
· Developed websites for clients including the Committee to Elect Lee Palmer (for Somerville School Committee), Plankton Power, Mad Oyster Studios, and the musical “Never After” | |
· Led workshops and trainings on marketing for clients including Center for Women and Enterprise, Acción USA, Boston Public Library, Cambridge Energy Alliance, and Sustainable Business Network | |
Causemedia (now MORE Advertising), Account Executive | Newton, MA |
· Managed accounts in nonprofit and corporate sectors, including state agencies | 9/2007 – 10/2008 |
· Led major social marketing campaigns, particularly around public health issues, including media planning, print/radio/TV/internet marketing, events, and more | |
· Developed strategies, budgets, media plans, and timelines; managed project teams; ran client meetings; moderated focus groups; authored reports | |
· Served as liaison between clients and senior management, vendors, contractors | |
St. Francis House, Senior Communications Officer, Development Communications Associate | Boston, MA |
· Developed and implemented communication strategy, including collateral materials, media coverage, interviews and tours; supervised marketing interns | 6/2005 – 9/2007 |
· Integrated online marketing into development program: oversaw redesign of website; managed online database; handled data collection, list segmentation, online fundraising, and all online communications; served as webmaster | |
· Managed direct mail program to meet fundraising goal of $700,000: wrote and edited appeals, newsletters, acquisition mailing, and acknowledgement letters | |
· Stewarded relationships with neighborhood organizations and community members, including speaking at schools, churches, and other partner organizations | |
· Coordinated production of event materials, wrote speeches and coached speakers, assisted in all aspects of events to meet event fundraising goal of $600,000 | |
Tapestry Health, Assistant Director of Administration, Consultant | Northampton, MA |
· Managed development and production of materials including annual reports, newsletters, advertisements, web copy, brochures, banners, postcards, and event invitations and programs, including writing and design | 10/2001 –12/2004 |
· Organized community activism and fundraising events, lobbied on Beacon and Capitol Hills, wrote and distributed press releases, gave interviews to the media | |
· Awarded selection to the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association’s (NFPRHA) Leadership Development Institute, attended 2002 NFPRHA National Conference | |
Coordinated fundraising campaigns, managed donor database, supervised interns | |
WRITING and EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE | |
Examiner.com, Boston Sustainable Food Examiner and Boston Green Living Examiner | 12/2008 – 3/2011 |
· Blogged a minimum of 3 times per week about sustainable food and consumerism | |
Third Sector New England, Consultant | Boston, MA |
· Documented organizational assessments in writing, including summary of essential points and word-for-word transcription of both live and taped meetings, for use in professional assessment and strategic planning reports | 9/2003 – 5/2005 |
Adams Media Corporation, Editorial Assistant | Holbrook, MA |
· Assisted in all aspects of book publishing: edited over 40 manuscripts; wrote catalog and cover copy; brainstormed, researched, acquired, and tracked trade publications; maintained contact with authors, agents, and freelancers; requisitioned and secured rights to art | 7/2000 – 6/2001 |
TEACHING and VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE | |
Various, Horseback Riding Instructor | 9/2011 – 8/2015 |
· Taught group and private lessons for students of all ages and ability levels | |
Lexington Community Farm Coalition, Volunteer | Lexington, MA |
· Covered town meetings and wrote articles for local newspapers | 12/2009 – 10/2015 |
Boston Center for Adult Education, Instructor | Boston, MA |
· Taught courses in sustainable cooking and food writing to adult learners | 6/2009 – 5/2010 |
Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign, Deputy Field Organizer | Medina, OH |
· Assisted in volunteer management, including recruitment, scheduling, training, | 10/2008 |
and deployment | |
· Launched door-to-door canvasses and phone banks, made persuasion and recruitment calls, canvassed difficult areas | |
Emerson College Learning Assistance Center, Tutor | Boston, MA |
· Tutored undergraduate, graduate, and international students in all stages of writing process; led in-class writing workshops | 9/2002-5/2004 |
PUBLISHED WORK | |
· “Work together to remove obstacles in each other’s paths,” Boston Business Journal, 4/27/2017 | |
· Boston Green Living Examiner blog, 11/2009 – 3/2011 | |
· Boston Sustainable Food Examiner blog, 12/2008 – 3/2011 | |
· wiseGeek.com answers, 5/2010 – 10/2010 | |
· “Residents Study Community Farm Options,” The Lexington Minuteman, December 9, 2009 | |
· “Put Your Guests to Work,” And Now for the Good News, edited by Sue Ray, 2007 | |
· “The Keys to the Castle,” The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, April 10, 2005 | |
· “For Love or Money,” The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, February 20, 2005 | |
· “Power Play,” Gauge Magazine, Emerson College, April 2004 | |
· “Extracurriculars Abroad,” Transitions Abroad Magazine, January/February 2004 | |
· “Bargain Hunting,” Graduate Literary Forum, Emerson College, April 2003 | |
· “Beat That Bug: How to Stay Healthy Away From Home,” College Bound Magazine, March/April 2003 | |
· “S.O.S. for Public Health” (with Tapestry Health CEO Leslie Laurie), The Provider, October 2002 | |
· “Cookies,” Machberet, Brown University, May 2000 | |
LANGUAGE/COMPUTER SKILLS | |
· Fluent in both oral and written Spanish | |
· HTML and CSS coding and web publishing including Drupal, WordPress, Joomla, and Django | |
· Online marketing programs including Convio, Constant Contact, Campaign Monitor, and MailChimp | |
· Desktop publishing and image editing software including InDesign, Publisher, and PageMaker, Photoshop/Illustrator, Microsoft Paint, and Microsoft Photo Editor | |
· Database and CRM software including QuickBooks, FileMaker Pro, ACT, Paradigm, Kintera, Raiser’s Edge, and SalesForce | |
· Microsoft Office Suite |