Communications Director
Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education
Stanford University
January 2005-present

Manage all communications efforts for Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE) and its co-director, Stanford Professor of Education Linda Darling-Hammond. Also provide support for SCOPE's affiliated centers: the School Redesign Network and Accomplished California Teachers. Areas of responsibility include overseeing print design and production of research and other materials, marketing and media relations, social media management, editing, web site design and multi-media production, and some government relations work.

• Print Design and Production: Edit, design and lay out research publications; write, design and lay out marketing materials. Manage an annual publications calendar for the center.

• Marketing: Work with researchers to develop and carry out marketing plans for specific products and events, including conceiving strategies, writing and designing materials, working with vendors to print materials and overseeing distribution. Design and write a bi-monthly electronic newsletter for a 3,500-member list serv.

• Media Relations: Write press materials and write or edit op-eds, pitch stories. Manage the media requests for Linda Darling-Hammond—2011-12 media management includes: Dan Rather Reports, The Nation, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle and numerous other major media outlets.

• Web Design and Multimedia Production: Oversee SCOPE's web communications manager, who manages SCOPE's main web site. Oversee site redesigns as needed. Support the web communications manager in producing video and audio for SCOPE's YouTube, iTunes, and web pages.

• Event Planning and Support: Work with other SCOPE staff members to plan and publicize institutes, lectures, policy briefings and other special events. Work includes planning logistics and conducting outreach.
  
  
• Social Media Management: Maintain and deliver content to SCOPE's Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr sites and oversee web communications manager's content for SCOPE's YouTube and iTunes sites.
  
  
• Photography: Document SCOPE events and take photographs as needed for marketing materials.

Communications &
Design Consultant
Gallery B
Santa Cruz, CA
1998-present

Build web sites for various clients, including J.C. Watercolors (website), Science Notes (UC Santa Cruz), artist Diane Landy and many others. (Samples can be seen by visiting the Design page.) Also produce marketing materials, e.g., posters, cards, and mailers.

Communications
Coordinator
Center for Research on Education, Diversity
& Excellence (CREDE):
University of California,
Santa Cruz
May 2001-December 2004

CREDE was a national research center funded through December, 2004, by the U.S. Department of Education and affiliated with the University of California, Santa Cruz. As head of communications, I did the following:

• Marketing: Conceived, wrote, designed and produced brochures, advertisements, mass mailings, and exhibition materials.
  
• Publications: Solicited, edited, and published manuscripts, CD-ROMs and videos from CREDE’s 71 researchers in collaboration with our in-house publisher and pitched manuscripts to external publishers. Wrote, edited and laid out newsletter for 7,000-plus members of mailing list. Wrote monthly news bulletin for 3,300 listserv members.
  
• Media Relations: Wrote press materials and op-eds, pitched stories, fielded media calls.
  
• Event management: Planned and attended conference exhibition and special events (institutes, general meetings, receptions and presentations).
  
• Website management: Designed and maintained CREDE’s website (which received approximately 1,500 hits/day).
  
• Development: Investigated and wrote grant proposals. Identified and contacted potential collaborators. Lobbied CREDE positions to national legislators.
  
• Staff management: Oversaw the work of contractors; supervised one assistant.

Left when the center closed on completion of our federal contract.

• launch a web site and online help desk;
• create and deliver eight different training sessions at five national conferences;
• develop online distance-learning modules; and
• create and publish a textbook.

Left to take job with CREDE.

Was laid off, with 22 others, when the company downsized.

Illustrator
Santa Cruz, CA, and Washington, D.C. (1982–present)

Assistant Editor
The Sun, Santa Cruz, CA (August 1986–July 1987)

Staff Writer and Editor
The Express, Santa Cruz, CA (June 1985–April 1986)

Contributing Writer and News Aide
The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. (June 1981–June 1984)

Oberlin College; Oberlin, Ohio. BA English, 1982

Continuing education:
~ Advanced French, Cabrillo College, 1988
~ Financial Planning/Business, Stanford University, 2006
~ "Basic Design," Claire Kahn, Stanford University Continuing Studies, Spring 2007
~ "Basic Design," John Edmark, Stanford University Continuing Studies, Spring 2008
~ “Autobiographical Fiction Writing Workshop,” Lynn Stegner, Stanford University Continuing Studies, Fall 2008

Links below will open in new window

Sites designed by me

Science Notes 2009

JC Watercolors

Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education

Science Notes 2008

Diane Landy Mosaic Art

Work-related sites

School Redesign Network (design by Monarch Media. I co-designed and created architecture)

Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence

UCSC press releases and magazine articles
At UCSC Web Site: search in the lower box (pre-2002) using "Barbara McKenna"