AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Strategic Communications
Media Relations
Event Planning
Branding
Writing/Proofreading/Editing
Crisis Communications
Event Planning/Coordination/Marketing
Integrated Marketing Communications Campaigns
Publications
Legislative and Advocacy Campaigns
Colleen Barton Sutton is a solutions-seeker with extensive experience in developing and executing strategic communications fo
r nonprofits, government contractors and small businesses. Nearly four years ago, Colleen launched her own consulting business, Red Jacket Communications, LLC, and quickly acquired more than a dozen clients from the nonprofit, business and government contracting sectors. Casey Foundation
Ergonomics manufacturer via McKinley Marketing Partners
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
Frontline Health Workers Coalition
ICON Information Consultants
Mission: Readiness
Parker Tide
Save the Children
Shepherding the Next Generation
Ocean Conservancy
Pharmaceutical company via McKinley Marketing Partners
SCMS
Shepherding the Next Generation
Sylvan Learning
USAID l DELIVER PROJECT
USAID l GH Tech Project
Wellness Fouindry
HIGHLIGHTS of Experience
Time after time, efforts on behalf of nonprofits and businesses have led to increased awareness and engagement. Media Relations:
• Consistently secures media placements for experts in major broadcast and top national and international traditional and online media outlets. For example, in May, 2012, Colleen secured nearly 1 billion media impressions for Save the Children’s annual State of the World’s Mothers report, with coverage in leading outlets such as PBS NewsHour, CNN.com, USA Today, Washington Post, New York Times, Los Angeles Times and the front page of Yahoo!.
• Develops messages and talking points and trains executive level and program staff on how to effectively deliver messages to the media and various audiences
• Successfully promoted support of leading corporations and foundations, including Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Denny’s, Sherwin Williams, American Express, Annie. Casey Foundation, Brookstone, and Scholastic.
• Appeared as a spokesperson on MSNBC and local network affiliates. Quoted in major national and local print outlets.
• Doubled media coverage within one year for an insurance technology business and eliminated need for PR firm. Branding:
• Developed and implemented communications plan for a government contractor that went through a name change.
• Established communications operations and procedures for a national start-up nonprofit focused on the growth of the charter school movement. Worked with vendors to create logo and ‘look and feel” of communications pieces and develop Web site.
• Trained a national nonprofit focused on reducing crime on the essentials and benefits of branding.
• Assisted in the development of organizational Style Guides to ensure consistent look and feel. Writing:
• Successfully transforms technical or complex issues into attention-grabbing content through press releases, op-eds, editorial memos, letters to the editor, speeches, employee newsletters and content for social media channels
Celebrity Engagement:
• Planned and executed a communications strategy for Celebrity Chef Cat Cora, which included writing and producing a PSA for Save the Children, which is now running on Bravo. Also, ghost wrote a piece about the trip, which ran on Huffington Post. .
• Assisted in the production of an MTV documentary, featuring Bono’s efforts to address the AIDS crisis in Africa. The piece chronicled Bono, Chris Tucker and Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill’s visits to people affected by HIV/AIDS. Developed story angles for the piece and worked with MTV to promote in the media.
• Wrote talking points for Sally Field, Maria Bello, Cokie Roberts, Richard Karn, Omar Wasow, and Kim P**c for high-profile events and media interviews. Emergencies:
• Executed proactive and effective internal and external communications outreach strategies during times of disaster, including 2011 Alabama tornadoes, Haiti earthquake, humanitarian efforts in wake of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Indonesia tsunami, Ethiopian 2004 famine, 2007 California wildfires and 9/11. Recognized by supervisors for adaptability to change and handling stressful situations. Events:
• Consistently coordinates and produces successful high-level events for both small and large groups for the nonprofit and government contracting sectors. Recent events include: International Coastal Cleanup flagship event in Washington, D.C.; SCMS Vendor Summit, SCMS Field Office Conference; launch of the Frontline Health Workers Coalition. USAID[DELIVER PROJECT Global All Staff Meeting, USAID DELIVER PROJECT’s Critical Issues Series events, and USAID GH Tech Project’s Legacy Report event.
• Assisted in the successful coordination and implementation of high-level advocacy, fundraising and press events featuring prominent government officials and high-level donors.
