Cheered America’s Troops With Dear Soldier
Challenge:
After 9/11, more than 150,000 troops were deployed to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at any given time for several years. With less than 1% of Americans serving in the military, citizens were looking for tangible ways to support those on the front lines.
Approach:
Teaming with family, co-authored and published “Dear Soldier: Heartfelt Letters from America’s Children,” a compilation of letters to our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The book was available through numerous retail channels and was promoted online and through book signings and media outreach.
Impact:
“Dear Soldier” received news coverage worldwide and was featured on CNN, FOX, and NBC Nightly News Making a Difference. More than 150,000 copies were sold and a portion of proceeds were donated to severely wounded veterans. The book and children’s letters reached hundreds of thousands of troops and their families, lifting spirits and bringing comfort.
Led Communications for Corporate Transformation from Texas Utility to Global Energy Powerhouse
Challenge:
When a century-old Texas utility firm set out to deregulate and expand to a $ 70 billion global services company, communications had to be reinvented as a guiding element of the corporate strategy and success.
Approach:
Scope included brand launches, employee engagement, media relations, financial communications, community relations, creation of the company’s first global internet intranet, and crisis communications.
Impact:
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Company named one of Fortune’s Most Admired
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Received PRSA Bronze Anvil for Best Corporate Intranet site
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Launched brand and persona among 22,000 employees, three million customers, 250 communities, investors, government officials and opinion leaders
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Received first runner-up for PR Week Corporate Team of the Year Award in 2002 and 2003
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After business failure at the corporate level, led crisis communications and reputation rebuilding effort, resulting in PR Week’s first-place team award for crisis communications in 2003
Transitioned Corporate Campus to Energy-Efficient LED Lighting Technology
Challenge:
Fortune 50 technology company was looking to replace more than 2000 exterior high wattage metal halide fixtures with energy-efficient LED technology across several campuses.
Approach:
Provided turnkey solution including overall design and specifications for fixtures for various applications. Managed procurement of materials and installation. Created system-wide template and database that included fixtures location, part numbers, optics, kelvin, voltage, mounting and height details. Managed staging of materials and installation over several months. Secured utility incentive payments.
Impact:
Project resulted in 70% energy reduction and 20+ years of maintenance-free performance. Achieve superior, uniform light levels and coverage. Achieved ROI of 18 months. Firm was named one of 14 top suppliers among 12,000 globally.
Engineered Smart LED Lighting and Controls for New Construction Warehouse
Challenge:
New warehouse desired smart and energy-efficient lighting design to better support 24-hour operation facility.
Approach:
Provided 220W LED solution dimming and harvesting capabilities in place of 400W traditional solution. Provided materials and coordinated utility incentive payment.
Impact:
Result was better light quality, recyclable, non-hazardous materials and more than 20 years of maintenance-free performance. There was more than a 50% energy reduction.
Helped Homeless Vets Get Lives Back on Track With Work Therapy Program
Challenge:
With the homeless veteran population reaching levels never seen before in the United States, the VA was seeking ways to help vets get back on their feet financially.
Approach:
In conjunction with the social work, psychology and psychiatry departments, created and developed the VA Compensated Work Therapy Program to get vets back to work. This involved developing partnerships and contracts with publicly traded corporations and privately owned businesses to award contracts to veterans in the program. Most contracts involved assembly and packaging. Companies were able to get work done at a reduced price while funds went to support the program and pay veterans an hourly wage.
Impact:
The program reached $ 2 million in contracts annually, making the most successful in the VA system. The program also helped achieve a 52% success rate of transitioning vets from homelessness and back to society. This was the highest rate in the nation among government and private efforts to reduce homelessness.
