In 18 months, transformed a $5.3B credit union from zero communications capability to a multi-faceted division that reduced turnover 39%, integrated a $535M acquisition, and generated $20.6M in earned media value.
Not aspirational values. Operational frameworks derived from building communications under resource constraints in high-stakes environments.
Siloed teams produce contradicting messages. I build internal/external/PR/content as one architecture. The $535M acquisition succeeded because employee comms, regulatory messaging, and stakeholder management operated as unified system, not competing functions.
4:1 framework—every investment generates four strategic uses. One executive video becomes social content, PR assets, internal comms, and training. Same effort, exponential return. Three-person team delivering ten-person output.
Open rates don't matter. Turnover, engagement, revenue impact do. 39% turnover reduction = $4.2M annual savings. Communications tied directly to P&L outcomes, not vanity metrics.
In crisis, people need systematic responses they trust, not faster messages. Law enforcement taught me: build protocols before fires start. M&A integration succeeded through proactive frameworks, not reactive scrambling.
How systematic stakeholder management enabled zero-complaint acquisition integration in 90 days.
May 2024: Gesa announces acquisition of Security State Bank. 18-month timeline to integrate 100 new team members into 840-person organization, maintain member trust across two banking cultures, and complete systems conversion by November 2025. Standard M&A communications focus on announcements. Real challenge: systematic stakeholder management from LOI through post-integration.
Risk Factors:
What Was at Stake:
Built integrated communications architecture before announcement. Involved from LOI stage—unusual for communications. Developed simultaneous messaging frameworks for five stakeholder groups: employees (both orgs), members (both), regulators, media, community partners.
Key Insight: Most M&A communications treat announcement as starting point. Real work is building systematic protocols before anyone knows deal exists.
Launched multi-channel stakeholder engagement system. Not "announcing acquisition"—systematically addressing every stakeholder's specific concerns through preferred channels. 60+ communication touchpoints. Unified narrative: "Enhanced capabilities, preserved relationships, stronger community impact."
Operational Execution: Maintained regulatory compliance while building trust. Zero leaks, zero premature departures. Maintained stakeholder trust throughout transition.
Built dual Knowledge Centers: internal employee hub (7,963 page views, 508 unique users) and WelcomeToGesa external stakeholder portal. Real-time issue tracking with transparent status updates. Employees self-served information rather than spreading misinformation. Communications became operational tool, not just information distribution.
Critical Capability: Reduced anxiety through visibility. Team members distinguished widespread problems from isolated incidents through systematic transparency.
Why This Worked:
Success wasn't messaging quality. It was systematic stakeholder management built on operational principles: Integration over specialization (employee comms + PR + regulatory compliance as one system), proactive systems over reactive responses (protocols before announcement day), and business outcomes over communication metrics (measured in retained employees and maintained relationships, not email open rates).
Starting Point
No team, no processes, no strategy. 800+ employees. "Bad communication" = top complaint in every survey.
Built
Integrated division spanning external relations, internal engagement, strategic content. 4:1 multiplication standard. Systematic workflows replacing ad-hoc execution.
Outcomes
Turnover: 23%→14% (39% reduction, $4.2M savings). Engagement: 7.9→8.3. "Bad communication" eliminated from surveys. $20.6M earned media value.
NeoLaunch — Global Venture Incubator
Evaluated 90+ companies, $725M combined valuation. Built operational systems: pre-seed → public markets. Traditional equity + Web3 token economics.
Why This Matters
Evaluating 90+ companies taught me how narratives succeed or fail in high-stakes environments. I've seen what resonates with investors, regulators, media—because I've been in those rooms pitching, not observing.
Strategic Advantage
Most communications leaders haven't built businesses, pitched investors, or navigated regulatory frameworks. That dual experience creates pattern recognition others lack.
Executive media training from experience, not theory. Live television taught me what executives face under pressure. I coach camera presence, hostile question navigation, message discipline—from the chair, not the sidelines.
Former Washington State Trooper
Operational discipline executing under pressure. Crisis management when lives depend on decisions.
Master's: Strategic Communications
Agency-funded education bridging operational experience with strategic frameworks.
ChainGuardians: Web3 Gaming Platform
Head of Communications. Bought out pension. 550% customer acquisition growth, 980% brand impression increase in 18 months.
Leadership and senior positions at organizations where communications, content, and strategy drives business outcomes, not just manages optics.
Industries: Companies helping people and making a difference, organizations undergoing meaningful transformation.
The work I'm drawn to: Places where 39% turnover reduction means preserving careers people love. Where earned media represents authentic stories reaching people who need them. Where systematic thinking creates frameworks that help others succeed. Where strategy is more than a misunderstood buzzword.
What matters: Building something that helps people, serves communities, creates genuine value beyond quarterly earnings.
Location: Remote or Pacific Northwest preferred. Open to relocation for the right opportunity.
If you're looking for someone who architects communications systems—not just manages messages—let's connect.