strategic communications professional experienced as
a writer and editor │ an event and video producer │ a public relations specialist
for select writing and video samples, please visit www.ottococa.com
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
a writer and editor │ an event and video producer │ a public relations specialist
for select writing and video samples, please visit www.ottococa.com
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
National Ethnic Coalition (NECO) (New York City) | Director of Communications | 2008—Present
- Responsible for managing and directing all internal and external communications; supervise public relations staff, create communication strategies, and oversee all social media campaigns including Facebook and Twitter offerings.
- Responsible for the strategic re-design of the corporate website which takes utilizes all social media functions and is built on a Modx blog platform. Site is expected to launch January, 2012.
- NECO is the awarding organization of the Ellis Island Medals of Honor.
- Involved in imagining and writing the yearly Medal’s ceremony that hosts 2000 people on Ellis Island each May. In 2011, Jerry Lewis and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sergeant Michael Guinta were honored along with 100 other distinguished Americans.
- Wrote treatment and narration for 25th anniversary tribute video.
- Write 6-8 speeches a year for our chairman who is often featured at major business and political functions.
- Research, write and edit the 60+-page quarterly journal published by NECO and targeted to Congress, political professionals and business leaders.
- Wrote the NECO president’s response to Arizona Bill SB 1070 which was entered into the Congressional Record.
Video Writer and Producer (New York, NY) | 2000—present
- Have written and produced dozens of videos for events, galas, tributes and other client needs. Clients have included Center for Educational Innovation – Public Education Association (CEI-PEA); Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation; The Alzheimer’s Association’s Rita Hayworth Gala in NYC; among others.
Event Writer and Producer (New York, NY) | 2007—2011
In a long-term contract arraignment, managed all creative needs for an Event Management firm which specializes in fund raising events with top-tier, non-profit clients.
Event writing
In a long-term contract arraignment, managed all creative needs for an Event Management firm which specializes in fund raising events with top-tier, non-profit clients.
Event writing
- With client input, created all material for top-tier NYC events including a run of show, multi-media event scripts, speaker remarks, video tributes, voice-overs, etc. Pre-production included business letters, email blasts, legal agreements, contract addendums and other written material.
- Worked with clients to determine creative theme, event hosts and talent.
- For firm’s clients: wrote invitation copy, press releases, save the date letters, gift bag requests, solicitations for committee members, Critical Initiative fund-raising letters, auction copy and event programs and journals.
- Oversee all aspects of production including day-of-event client support, accommodating catering needs and working closely with production coordinator and stage managers.
- Research, conceive and write video presentations for events; including tribute videos, biographical introductions, industry promotions and creative art pieces.
- Create slide support, produce expert-level PowerPoint presentations, and oversee WatchOut programming,
- Wrote gala event scripts featuring/honoring Jerry Lewis, Jerry Seinfeld, Sigourney Weaver, Jane Fonda, Lee Iacocca, the Princess Yazmin Aga Khan and Bruce Springsteen.
- Recent clients include the Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Family Heritage Awards,World Monument Fund,Alzheimer’s Association’s Rita Hayworth Gala, The Yankee Foundation and New York Women’s Agenda Star Breakfast.
Features
Writer /Book reviewer (New York, NY)| Freelance Writer | 1998—Present
- Wrote for dozens of New York City magazines and papers, including HX magazine, NY Blade, Project X, Westside World, and others.
- Wrote monthly sex advice column for Gawker.com-owned companies.
- Samples are available on request.
New York Open Center (New York, NY) | PR and Event Writer | 2003—2007
- Wrote scripts for and staged gala events for New York City’s largest higher-education institution. Events featured celebrities such as Mehmet Oz, Deepak Chopra, and Julia Cameron, among others.
- Wrote speeches for corporate president and copy for course descriptions, monthly flyers, and web copy.
- From 2005 – 2007, wrote and produced segments for the Open Center podcasts which attracted over 100,000 hits, nationally and internationally. Podcasts were based on course curriculum and teacher interviews.
Muze, Inc. (New York, NY) | Writer and Editor | 2002—2003
- Edited the ‘Body-Mind-Spirit’ channel for a B2B provider of media information and metadata that enables search, discovery and purchase of digital entertainment content. Muze is now part of Rovi Corporation.
- Wrote hundreds of annotations, reviews, and product descriptions for use by companies such as Amazon, eBay, and B&N, among others.
Carpenter Group (New York, NY) | Senior Interactive Producer | 2000—2001
- Lead Creative producer of web services for a business consulting, branding and marketing firm which focused on financial services clients.
- Created project budgets and hired IT teams to implement design and user functionality.
FortuneCity.com (New York, NY) | Senior Interactive Producer | 1999—2000
- Produced www.fortunecity.com, one of the first web-based user-content generated community sites
- Solely responsible for maintenance and product implementation of www.fortunecity.de (Germany) and www.fortunecity.nl (The Netherlands)
EDUCATION
PowerPoint expert │ InDesign for editors and copywriters │ all Social Media marketing platforms
- mediabistro.com (New York, NY) | Social Media BootCamp & Site Analytics | 2011
- mediabistro.com (New York, NY) | Certificate in Social Media Marketing | 2010
- School of Visual Arts (New York, NY) | BFA in Advertising; Minor in Illustration | 1992
PowerPoint expert │ InDesign for editors and copywriters │ all Social Media marketing platforms
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