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Alison Harris Consumers - Companies - Communities

Over twenty years of customer-focused experience working in

communications, sales, and management for global brands,

Harvard University, Massachusetts' state government, and at a public relations agency.

Retail sales and manufacturing experience, several years of

writing retail-focused columns in Boston, Cambridge, Metro-

west, and nationally. In-depth background in sales, consumers, marketing, media

relations, styling, advertising, and branding in retail, manufacturing, healthcare, education, government, non-

profits, and Fortune 500 workplace settings. Years of successful customer-focused public relations campaigns, problem-solving, sales lead development, and

promoting businesses through a long-standing substantial network.

Provide strategic methodologies to work with consumers, business leaders, community representatives,

educators, trade associations, government officials, and labor organizations. Skillful at customer service and crisis management.

Over ten years of retail experience, five years in manufacturing, and six years of writing lifestyle, retail, and

fashion journalism.

Fluent in MS Office, Outlook, Web-based tools, LexisNexis, Typepad, Wiki, GOV 2.0, social media, online content,

online chats, and blogs.

Employment History

Boston Correspondent, PR for People, The Connector Magazine 2015 – 2016

Recruited via social media to write a monthly column for industry magazine focused on public relations and

people.

Elevate Communications, Media Relations Director, Boston, MA

2014 – 2015

Position included oversight for media team, strategies for campaigns as well as execution of executive media

matters.

Supported special events and assisted with/directed crisis management in addition to working with traditional and

digital media on earned placements in global, national, and local venues.

Planned and executed deskside meetings for executives with top-tier media across many segments.

Aided the co-principals in multiple matters across the whole portfolio.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Branch, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce

Development, Director of Communications, Boston, MA 2008 – 2013

Recruited and appointed as the unemployment crisis affected the Commonwealth, to serve Suzanne Bump, a

cabinet member of Governor Deval Patrick’s administration, and the state’s first Secretary of Labor and Workforce

Development.

Increased her visibility and showcased her initiatives, and she stepped down to run successfully for State Auditor.

Worked with three secretaries of Labor and Workforce Development during my tenure.

Substantially increased the visibility of all three secretaries and the secretariat’s services in local, regional, and

national media using a combination of strategies through multiple channels.

aliharris@comcast.net 63 Proctor Street, Unit 2, Salem, MA 01970 781.424.3293 B.A., M.A., Bennington College, Bennington, Vermont www.linkedin.com/in/aliharris Abridged Portfolio: https://app.box.com/s/iafpl5pc336d1ghazos0 References Available Upon Request

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Designed venues to highlight each secretary, executed events contributing to audience development and event

content while garnering new and traditional media coverage.

Conducted communications activities with five departments, a quasi-public agency, over 30 One Stop Career

Centers, 16 Workforce Investment Boards, several TeleClaim Centers, federal agencies, and coordinated with the

Governor’s communications team daily.

Cambridge Health Alliance, Teaching Affiliate of Harvard Medical School, Director of Media

Relations, Cambridge, MA 2004 – 2008

Recruited back to Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). Worked at CHA in the 1990’s when it was The Cambridge

Hospital.

Invited to return in newly created role to define the function for the organization.

Responsible for designing and implementing CHA’s first comprehensive media relations strategy to serve three

hospitals, over 20 health centers, hundreds of Harvard-appointed faculty, Tufts-appointed faculty, and health &

education programs.

Harvard Medical School, Director of Media Relations & Public Information, Boston, MA 2003 – 2004

Instituted a client-based structure. Identified key missing components for sustained media placements such as

the creation of bio-sketches of HMS experts with contact information.

Co-facilitated launch of the New Research Building and a series of events to celebrate the 100-year milestone for

the anniversary of the Quadrangle.

Worked on events and media with the Dean’s Office, Executive Dean’s Office, Office of Diversity & Community

Partnership, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health, and Quadrangle-based

administrators, professors, and students.

Acted as a liaison with over 20 affiliated area hospitals and medical institutions.

The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, Information Officer, Cambridge, MA 2001 – 2003

Established and managed the communications function for The Civil Rights Project (CRP). CRP’s contribution to

the Affirmative Action cases before the U.S. Supreme Court in June of 2003 was noted publicly during the process

and final hearing.

Worked on the press briefing for these cases, organized a large group of national organizations in higher

education that contributed to legal briefs and coordinated with the University of Michigan to help with the

successful outcomes of these landmark decisions.

Played a key role in website redesign as a founding member of the Web Working Group. Helped enhance

activities for the participants in Civil Rights Summer, a fellowship for emerging social justice leaders.

Organized and obtained funds for two exciting events for the participants. Served on the admissions team for the

program, and contributed to the curriculum development.

Harvard University Press, Assistant Manager & Publicist, Publicity Department, Cambridge, MA 1996 - 1998

Responsible for publicity campaigns for both mid-list and special distributed titles. Worked as a member of the

management team with supervisor and assistant to strategically plan, implement, and oversee publicity for

Harvard University Press (HUP).

Managed campaigns for over 200 titles and contributed to an increase in HUP's visibility in key disciplines by

frequently crossing over mid-list books into mainstream media.

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Books traditionally covered in academic journals appeared in Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, New York Times,

Washington Post, Atlantic Monthly, Village Voice, Boston Magazine, and USA Today.

Supervised staff, interns, and vendors in a collaborative atmosphere. Supervised staff, interns, and vendors in a

collaborative atmosphere.

The Cambridge Hospital, Manager, Marketing & Public Relations, Cambridge, MA (Now

Cambridge Health Alliance) 1992 - 1995

Created strategic marketing plan annually and reviewed it frequently.

Responsible for the department's budget and a Continuing Medical Education (CME) course budget.

Managed and raised all of the grants for the CME course. Responsible for staff, interns, and vendors.

Co-organized an international faculty, participating physicians, Biotech/Biomed sponsors, and the sponsoring

institutions for a first-of-its-kind CME course, Genes in Primary Care.

Coordinated and implemented the Bentley College Service Learning Project.

Co-organized TCH's first Women's Health Conference on International Women's Day.

Co-coordinated the site-visit, which was instrumental in TCH winning the most prestigious hospital industry award

for community service.

Obtained broadcast media coverage, such as a segment seen on Tom Brokaw's NBC Nightly News, in which then

First Lady Hillary Clinton hailed TCH as the comeback hospital.

Boston Herald and Greater Boston Area Media Venues, Weekly Columnist 1986 - 1992

Feature stories appeared under my byline in Boston Herald, Boston Magazine, Middlesex News, and TAB

Newspapers.

Developed weekly shopping columns for both the Boston Herald and the Boston and Cambridge TABs. These

columns highlighted shopping expeditions with a focus on fashion.

Styled each photography sessions, chose models, and worked with photo-journalists to produce special fashion

sections.

Liz Claiborne Inc., Account Executive, New York, NY 1983 – 1985

Account Executive in Women's Sportswear Division. Grew a two million dollar business into a fifteen million dollar

account structure within two years.

Liz Claiborne Inc. provided executives with education at the Fashion Institute of Technology to educate staff

about retail math, stock-turn, inventory, gross margin builders, cooperative advertising, merchandizing, and much more.

Daniel J. Edelman Public Relations, Electronic Media Publicist, New York, NY 1982 – 1983

Responsibilities centered on creating and implementing publicity campaigns for international and domestic accounts and acquiring placements in all electronic media.

Tommy Hilfiger’s 20th Century Survival, Publicity Director & Account Executive, New York, NY 1980 – 1982

Tommy Hilfiger's first well-known product line. Established and ran the publicity function, arranged first national

television appearance for Hilfiger on Good Morning America.

Managed department store and specialty shop accounts.

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Educational & Artistic Endeavors – Highlights

Actors Studio, New York, NY

Worked as Special Assistant to Lee Strasberg, the Playwriting Lab, Director’s Unit, and the Actor’s Workshop.

Awarded unique status of Professional Observer by Lee Strasberg, a privilege usually reserved for actors from other countries.

American Indian Community House, New York, NY

Advisor and consultant to the Director of Public Relations and the Board of Directors. Organized benefits that

captured local and national print and electronic media.

Bennington College, B.A., M.A., Bennington, VT

In order to fulfill the Master’s Degree requirements at Bennington College, I taught several courses in theater arts, founded and implemented a student teaching program that was a first-of-its-kind cooperative effort between

the college and the Bennington Public Schools.

Columbia University, New York, NY

Co-coordinated Schizo Culture, a three-day symposium sponsored by the Columbia University French Department, the French Embassy and Semiotext(e) Magazine. This was one of the first events in the United States to

introduce the post-structuralism movement with Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, John Cage, and William Burroughs presenting.

Community Voices, National Primary Care Center, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

Acted as a consultant to program founder to create an award program and academic conference centered on

healthcare disparities launched in April 2008 with an award in CNN’s Soledad O’Brien’s name.

Errol Morris, Documentary Films, Cambridge, MA

Worked with Errol Morris on Fast, Cheap & Out of Control, Academy Award-winning film, Fog of War, and on political messaging for campaign advertisements.

The Group School, Cambridge, MA (co-founder, employee, and student)

Original student founder and member of the first graduating class of the award-winning independent high school

for working-class youth that served the Cambridge community for many years.

Retail Experience in Sales, Customer Service, Management, Inventory, and In-Store Events

Worked in prestigious, unique, and traditional retail and manufacturing settings. Duties included sales, customer service,

in-store-events, visual merchandizing, inventory and stock evaluation, attending trade shows, meeting with buyers in-

store, and cultivating repeat clientele.

Sachi NY, NY – Assistant Manager, Sachi NY, NY at Fiorucci NY, NY, Franchise Manager, facilitated Sachi NY

franchise at Fiorucci Boston, MA, Fiorucci, Boston, MA – Assistant Manager

Capezio, Cambridge, MA and Capezio, NY, NY – Sales Associate

Details (jewelry and gifts), Cambridge, MA - Manager

Pappagallo, Cambridge, MA – Assistant Manager

Ann Taylor, Cambridge MA – Sales Associate

Macy’s Herald Square, NY, NY – Visual Merchandizing Manager, Holiday Toy Department

Patch n Place (vintage clothing), Bennington, VT – Manager