A peek behind the Elmore curtain
Communications professionals wear many hats: advisor, strategic planner, coordinator, relationship builder, message developer, and more, all to advance clients toward their larger business goals. Professional communicators are essential to any high-functioning and healthy organization. But what do they do, exactly, and why might you need them on your team? In this article, Elmore communications specialists answer that question. Enjoy!
Susan Elmore, president and senior communications strategist
As a leader, it is important for me to pay close attention to the big picture of the region, the industries we support, and the potential issues facing our company, our clients and our families. I do this by staying abreast of the news, by staying in touch with a network of knowledgeable contacts, and by asking good questions and building strong relationships.
Stephanie Parker, senior communications strategist
I help organizations think before they speak, especially to their employees. I specialize in internal and executive communications, and am often brought in when something important is happening and leaders need to communicate in a way that builds trust, alignment and understanding. My work focuses on anticipating how different internal audiences will receive information, where confusion or resistance might arise, and shaping the messaging strategy accordingly.
I also help organizations take a step back and assess what’s working — and what isn’t — across their broader communications program so teams operate more effectively and are recognized as true strategic partners. When communication is done well, the impact is clear: leaders feel prepared; employees understand the “why”; the story reflects reality; and progress follows. In short, I bring clarity to complexity.
Mireya Rivera, communications strategist
I partner with clients to shape and execute external communications strategies that advance their mission and priorities. My work spans media relations, messaging development, and strategic planning, with a focus on ensuring consistency and clarity across channels. Supporting multiple organizations allows me to bring a broad, informed perspective to each engagement. By staying attuned to local and national media trends, I can proactively advise clients, identify opportunities, and help them navigate complex communications moments with intention and impact.
Andrea Brown, senior digital content and social media strategist
I develop and execute digital content strategies across social media platforms, including conceptualizing, writing, editing and publishing content. I also manage paid social campaigns and monitor website traffic to assess performance and audience engagement.
Additionally, I provide strategic guidance to clients on strengthening their digital presence. This includes offering recommendations to improve content effectiveness, reach target audiences and ensure digital efforts support broader communications goals.
Cynthia Hurrington, senior communications strategist
I help organizations tell their story clearly and build relationships with the media, so people really understand the work they’re doing. When people understand that work, it builds trust and helps those organizations advance their mission.
Judge Gwyn, communications strategist
I’m a strategic partner to my clients, ensuring their communications, through owned channels and earned media, reinforces the key messages that support their business goals and objectives.
What might surprise people is how much of my job is creating the strategy will deliver the strongest impact based on the client’s initial request. Sometimes a client asks for a press release, and, upon exploration, we transition to a sequenced media strategy that builds momentum. A call to boost social media is a tactic which is most powerful when a company aligns its earned media, website, newsletter to tell one cohesive story. Here is how I approach each client assignment: What does my client need from me, and how does this support their business objectives? Often this isn’t directly stated upfront but uncovered through listening and understanding the broader context of their work.
Jennifer Jordan, project director and senior communications strategist
I help organizations — especially those in government and public infrastructure — communicate clearly and effectively with the people they serve. That means I work with clients to build strategic communications plans that map out what to say, how to say it, who needs to hear it, and when. I also help design and carry out community engagement efforts, making sure the public has meaningful opportunities to learn about projects, ask questions, and share input.
A big part of my job is taking complex, technical information and turning it into messages that are easy for everyday people to understand — whether that’s through social media, public meetings, or media outreach. Ultimately, I help clients communicate with their stakeholders, making sure the communication is clear, consistent, and builds trust.
Matthew Yoder, communications specialist
I help organizations tell their story in a way people understand and care about. That can mean getting a client featured on the news, making sure an event or announcement reaches the right audience, or helping a client sound clear and credible on social media or in news outlets. A lot of my job is translating big ideas into simple messages and making sure they land with the right people at the right time.
Communications is part strategy, part relationship-building, and part problem-solving. One of the unexpected parts of the job is how much time goes into details people never see: confirming logistics, adjusting tone by a single word, tons of internal discussions and professional development, and trying to anticipate questions before they’re asked. When it’s done well, it feels seamless, but there’s a lot of planning, active listening, and careful thinking happening behind the curtain to make that possible.
Skylar Smith, communications strategist
I work with clients to determine what their core messages are and how they can most effectively share those messages and their stories with the public. I also enjoy researching news outlets and cultivating relationships with reporters to assure that we are very clear on their needs and are delivering quality information on time.
Ava McCall, communications specialist
My job is to raise public awareness of my clients, locally, nationally or both. Because every client is different, this could include drafting messaging, planning events, preparing for press conferences, and more. No two days are ever the same!
Murphie Mendez, communications strategist
Much of my work focuses on media relations, which includes building targeted media lists, drafting and pitching story ideas or upcoming announcements to reporters, as well as tracking and reporting on coverage once it’s secured. I also develop and manage social media campaigns.
Additionally, I lead influencer relations for select events and campaigns, meaning that I work with clients to identify opportunities, creating curated influencer lists, establishing posting parameters, and coordinating content creation to help amplify each campaign’s reach.
Delicia Harvey, senior communications strategist
I raise awareness for our clients, whether that’s for their organization, a particular campaign they are undertaking, or an initiative that they want to succeed. My work spans everything from annual reports to community engagement efforts to crisis communications and securing placements in the publications that matter most to our clients.
Kristy Callaway, communications strategist
I serve as a reporter for my clients. I ask a lot of questions, learn how things really work, and then translate that into stories that make sense to the public.
Jennifer Brandino, director of employee relations and engagement + senior communications strategist
I wear two different hats at Elmore. I am member of the company’s leadership team as our director of employee relations and engagement. In this role, I’m responsible for curating much of the Elmore “culture” from hiring and onboarding our great team members to conducting performance evaluations and infusing our core values intentionally and thoughtfully into everything we do. My goal in my employee relations and engagement role is to make Elmore successful by attracting and retaining fantastic colleagues while making the company a truly rewarding, nurturing and fun place to work.
Second, as a senior communications strategist, I support my clients with a variety of communications needs, primarily around strategy and helping subject matter experts communicate confidently and effectively to any audience. I craft specialized media, public speaking, and presentation trainings for clients who seek to sharpen these communications skills. I also developed and lead our meeting facilitation service, serving as an objective third party for clients looking to move forward in their organizational planning. These meetings engage all participants to provide input on a central challenge or question. I also teach these facilitation skills to the clients themselves, when requested.
Angela Roland, director of operations
I oversee firm operations and work closely with our leadership team to ensure the agency runs smoothly, efficiently, and with purpose. My role spans financial execution, business development coordination, technology efforts, and people operations, with a focus on building strong systems and processes that support both our team and our clients.
Most of my work happens behind the scenes. My focus is on creating clarity, structure, and consistency across the firm, from client onboarding and vendor partnerships to internal operations, so leadership and account teams can stay focused on delivering meaningful work and results.
Have we convinced you of the importance of having communications strategists on your team? Reach out. We can customize our services to your needs.
