While supporting the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Recovery & Resilience (SBA ODR&R) as a Public Affairs Specialist, I played a key role in planning and executing community-focused outreach initiatives designed to increase awareness, trust, and utilization of disaster recovery resources.
My work centered on meeting people where they already are — geographically, culturally, and economically — by coordinating multi-organization outreach efforts, tailoring engagement strategies for specific populations, and ensuring consistent messaging across in-person events and earned media.
This role required a blend of strategic communications, event planning, media relations, and on-the-ground execution, often in fast-moving, high-impact environments. At the core of this work is a commitment to helping people understand and access the resources available to them, especially during times of uncertainty and recovery.
resource fair in coordination with local organizations and resource providers 
inclusive outreach event coordiantion for the Hispanic community with interpretation services to support meaningful engagement 
documenting damage and recovery efforts 
community resource fair participation. 
community presentation to local chambers of commerce
One of the most rewarding assignments involved supporting recovery efforts in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. Working alongside federal, state, and local partners, I helped plan and execute a series of industry-focused recovery resource fairs to connect businesses with organizations that provide technical assistance, financing, workforce resources, and other forms of support. This work required extensive research, coordination with partner agencies, event promotion, and relationship building with chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and local media outlets.
I also served in leadership roles during disaster declarations in North Georgia and Chattanooga, and later as the lead Public Affairs Specialist during a winter storm declaration affecting rural communities in southwestern Minnesota. Across these assignments, I supported more than twenty media interviews and contributed to special projects aimed at improving reporting capabilities and streamlining outreach efforts.
These experiences strengthened my ability to communicate complex information, coordinate across organizations, and adapt communication strategies to meet the needs of diverse communities.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Community outreach and stakeholder engagement
- Event planning and coordination
- Media relations and interview support
- Partnership development
- Public information and resource awareness
- Process improvement initiatives
- Cross-functional collaboration
SKILLS
- Public Affairs
- Strategic Communications
- Community Engagement
- Media Relations
- Crisis Communications
- Event Planning
- Relationship Management