Welcome! A little about me and my services

Who am I?
My name is Melissa Wheeler and I'm a freelance public relations consultant. Prior to working independently, I was the Senior Communications Manager and Media Relations Manager for the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). SCAD is among the elite in national and international recognition, rankings and career placement.

Before joining the team at SCAD, I worked for Atomic Public Relations. Atomic is listed among the top 50 public relations agencies in the United States by PR Week. I've also worked at Connect Public Relations, a leading high-tech PR firm who was named to the Inc. 5000 list of “The Fastest Growing Private Companies in America” in 2008.

View my resume here. Also view my writing samples and article placement.

How can I help?
Public Relations is one way to raise a business' profile without draining the bank account on advertising. Below are my services.

• Media Relations - Arranging and managing media tours, writing and editing press releases or other promotional material, building relationships with relevant editors and reporters, interview training, interview management

• Copy Writing and Editing - Writing press releases, blogs, articles or other promotional material

How do we start?
Please contact me by email to discuss projects or any other questions. My address is mswheels[at]gmail[dot]com.

Resume

MELISSA S. WHEELER

Education
Brigham Young University-Idaho
- Bachelor of Science in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations earned August, 2005; GPA 3.8

Experience
Senior Communications Manager / Savannah College of Art and Design / Oct. 2006 – Oct. 2008
- Oversaw media relations outreach and management for a top, international art university
- Produced written material, such as press releases and kits, marketing material, web content and
reports for upper management
- Planned and directed media tours for visiting editors and reporters.
- Tracked national and local news, identifying trends and opportunities for media placement
- Managed media interviews by prepping students, faculty and administration and
coordinating with media representatives.
- Protected the image of the university and promoted its mission statement to the public

Account Executive / Atomic Public Relations / Oct. 2005 – Aug. 2006
- Tracked the success of campaigns through clients’ media coverage; compiled quarterly clip books and competitive landscape presentations
- Compiled media lists; pitched appropriate contacts with story ideas, interviews and briefings
- Tracked future opportunities for client participation at events, awards and in news articles
- Wrote press releases and pitches

Public Relations Writer / BYU-Idaho University Communications / Jan. 2005 - Aug. 2005
- Found student stories on campus to pitch local media and students’ hometown newspapers
- Wrote an average of three press releases a week (www.byui.edu/NewsCenter)
- Covered major events with visiting dignitaries
- Created weekly BYU-Idaho faculty newsletter, News and Notes (www.byui.edu/pr/InternalCommunications)

PR Intern / Connect Public Relations / Summer 2004
- Pitched story ideas to the technology sector of the media
- Wrote case studies and edited by-lined articles for publication
- Worked as part of an editorial calendar team, tracking publication opportunities for clients
- Placed client by-lined articles in American Banker, Syllabus Magazines, Communication News, ComputerUser, Enterprise Networks and Servers, Search Networking.com

Editor / BYU-Idaho Scroll newspaper / Sept. 2002 - Jan. 2005
- Worked up the ranks from Photo Editor to Managing Editor
- Oversaw entire design for a 22-42 page newspaper
- Wrote stories and editorials aimed towards a college student audience
- Conducted weekly meetings to plan content of the newspaper and solve staff problems

Accomplishments
- Honorable Mention Award in 2005 National Bateman Competition; PRSSA Member
- Honored on the National Dean’s List and BYU-Idaho’s Dean’s List
- Awarded ‘Photo of the Year’; Scroll, circulation 7,000
- Written work published in the Deseret Church News, Standard Journal, Scroll, Syllabus Magazine
- Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member

Skills
- Persuasive speaking / presentation skills
- Interpersonal communication skills
- Write features, news articles, press releases and broadcast scripts using AP guidelines
- Create business brochures, newsletters, posters, logos, business cards, slide shows and ads
- Experienced film and digital photographer
- Track editorial opportunities and pitch story ideas to media.
- Software proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator; QuarkXpress; Microsoft Office

References available upon request. Thank you!