Kelly Burton is a writer and communications professional living in Washington, DC. She currently works as the Associate Director for Advancement Communications at the National Parks Conservation Association. She holds a master's in public relations and corporate communications at Georgetown University and a bachelor’s from Florida State University. She enjoys reading, running, traveling, hiking and being outside. She is currently learning to play tennis and is improving…slowly.
I currently work as the Associate Director for Advancement Communications at NPCA. As the head of the Advancement Communications team, I help create and drive the messaging that engages NPCA’s most dedicated stakeholders, including donors, board members and volunteers. My team works to create pieces that communicate NPCA’s value and impact on our national parks, including NPCA’s print and digital annual reports, impact reports, presentations, proposals, and more.
Additionally, I help develop external messaging for NPCA’s centennial fundraising campaign. This includes writing a campaign framework, goal-based one pagers, and a strategic messaging toolkit that ensures all communications are consistent and cohesive.
As a communication manager at NPCA, I wrote donor-centric pieces that tell the NPCA story and allow our supporters to see themselves reflected in NPCA's work and how they are making an impact for our national parks.
I served as the primary writer and project manager for a number NPCA external marketing materials, including our annual report. I drove the process for NPCA’s first-ever digital-forward annual report, creating both an engaging digital piece and an accompanying print piece. I wrote content used organization-wide, including brochures, one-pagers, video scripts, talking points and park news updates.
As a member of the foundation relations team at NPCA, I assisted my team with reaching our annual fundraising goals through research, administrative assistance, editing and small grants management. I also helped the larger development team with additional external communications projects.
While on the foundations team, I managed grants under $10,000, serving as the point person for regional offices applying for smaller grants. I helped get nearly $30,000 in grant funding for programs in Texas, California and Tennessee.
I also conducted research on grant prospects and potential foundation funders that align with NPCA’s mission and programmatic work for the rest of the foundations team. I assisted the rest of the team with editing grant proposals and reports for larger grants, and helped manage stewardship communications, including acknowledgement letters, updates, and general interest mailings to foundations. Lastly, I provided administrative support to foundations team through entering data into our CRM, organizing shared folders, and maintaining required proposal documents.
I wrote blogs, promotional content and web copy for a variety of corporate clients, including clean energy corporations, travel agencies, tourism bureaus and real estate agencies.
As a part of a three-person team at Hill + Knowlton in Tallahassee, I had a unique experience as an Assistant Account Executive. While I did tasks typical of many other AAE roles, such as building media lists, compiling media clips, and conducting client research, I was also able to take on work typically handled by more senior-level PR practitioners. I wrote press releases, media advisories, letters to the editor and op eds. I placed letters, guest columns and op eds in prominent newspapers around Florida.
I was part of the Florida Public Affairs team at H+K. I worked with corporate clients, grassroots community groups and nonprofit organizations on local and state legislative issues and amendment campaigns.
In my role, I conducted media relations, pitching stories to statewide media, arranging editorial board meetings and building relationships with key reporters. I helped coordinate press conferences, media tours, briefings and legislative outreach events. I frequently served as the point of contact for media, clients and lawmakers at events.
Working in the communications department at DCF, I wrote and edited press releases, articles and department blog posts that were distributed statewide. I assisted the Chief Marketing Officer with media relations and social media marketing efforts on water safety and hot car campaigns that received attention throughout the Southeast. I also tracked DCF weekly social media reach on Facebook and Twitter.
The FSU Wesley Foundation is a nonprofit on Florida State University’s campus. As the community outreach coordinator, I planned weekly creative outreach events to promote the FSU Wesley Foundation and its major events to undergraduate students. I oversaw promotional efforts for the largest Annual Back to School BBQ, which had over 900 attendees. I also assisted with planning, promotion and execution of weekly, monthly and yearly events for between 150 and 1,000 students.
While at the FSU Wesley Foundation, I also helped plan fundraisers such as the Garnet, Gold and Blue Jean Banquet and Silent Auction, and events to accompany FSU’s annual parents’ weekend.