KIM PLETICHA

Work experience

 

Director of Communications & Development

Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, St. Paul, MN (2016-2017)

www.mofas.org

​

Direct all external communications for statewide nonprofit with national scope, including  development (fundraising) collateral. Serve as the official writer for the organization, producing editorials and media responses on behalf of the executive director, and as the spokesperson for media interviews.  Oversee all podcasts and video production: idea generation, storyboarding, photography, editing, and distribution.  Orchestrate all advertising, media placement, and design for marketing collateral. Control a $350,000 yearly communications budget. Managed two direct reports and multiple vendors.

​

• Designed an innovative Facebook advertising campaign for April Alcohol Awareness Month 2017 that increased the organization’s reach to 139,000 Minnesotans on less than half the budget of the 2016 campaign.

• Conceived a statewide billboard campaign, on a very limited budget ($100,000), resulting in a reach of more than 250,000 people per month

• Implemented the use of video storytelling for marketing and social media, achieving a reach of more than 10,000 people per week

• Forged a partnership with Fairview Health Services and the University of Minnesota Midwifery Program to create a pilot program that resulted in reaching 1,200 women with the 049 (zero alcohol for nine months) message

​

​

Director of Communications

Trinity Lutheran Church, Stillwater, MN (2013-2016)

www.trinitylc.org

 

Corporate-size church (4,000+ members) with multimillion-dollar operating budget

Roles and Responsibilities: Oversee all internal and external communications for a large religious organization, including development of yearly and short-term communications plans; editorial and graphic design direction for monthly magazine; management of social media outlets and church website; marketing and advertising; public relations and crisis communications; writing and story-boarding for video production; feature article writing for local newspapers and internal publications; internal and external signage; supervision of graphic design and video production personnel.

 

• Transformed the church newsletter into a 24-page monthly magazine

• Overhauled digital presence through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and weekly electronic newsletters, increasing penetration by more than 500%

• Reduced Communications Advertising Budget by 25% through strategic use of earned media and digital saturation

• Improved the church’s use of video storytelling, increasing donations to Missions Ministries by $50,000.

• Developed church-wide communication plans for each ministry and congregational subgroup, resulting in improved workflow and attendance at events

• Implemented electronic surveys to quickly and efficiently poll the congregation

• Designed and managed on-site PR, including logistics for booths and tents, at national trade shows

• Created online portal, and wrote weekly curriculum updates, for religious educations programs

• Served as liaison with national publishers for church-created curriculum products

• Redesigned, researched and wrote yearly Stewardship booklets, pamphlets, video and other media to increase donations

• Coached senior ministry staff in media communications in advance of all broadcast and print interviews

 

Publisher and Editor

Parent:Wise Magazine, Austin, TX (2003-2012)

 

Regional parenting magazine with a circulation of 32K and annual revenue of $250k

Roles and Responsibilities: Identified an untapped business opportunity in the Austin, Texas area for a magazine targeted toward for educated parents and grandparents.  Developed a business plan and started Parent:Wise Austin Magazine.  Grew the business to 32k issues per month and an annual revenue of $250k with eight employees.  Managed and directed business, creative, budget and sales operations.  Identified and hired writers, designers, accountants, distribution, and technology experts. Planned and executed yearly outreach events that encompassed logistics, vendor management, site selection, publicity, and marketing materials. Constructed and maintained Internet and social media sites to compliment the print publication.  

 

• Created a new parenting magazine business in the Austin Texas market with a monthly circulation of 32k magazines.

• Built the largest (and recognized as the best) family and parenting calendar in the Austin area with an average of 1,200 entries per month.

• Developed relations with more than 100 local and national writers who contributed to the magazine’s monthly articles and reviews.

• Planned and executed citywide media events for 5,000+ people.

• Increased brand recognition and loyalty by forging and sustaining media partnerships with nonprofit organizations.

• Served as spokesperson for the magazine and as a parenting expert for media outlets.

• Recognized as an expert in the community: Testified before the Texas Legislature in support of parenting and working mother issues.

 

Anchor

Channel 12 News, Minneapolis, MN (1999-2001)

 

Roles and Responsibilities: Wrote materials for and anchored twice-daily newscast. Produced, wrote and anchored long-form (30 minutes or greater) news specials. Contributed ideas and wrote content at daily staff meetings. Mentored junior staff. Served as liaison between executive offices and newsroom personnel.

 

• Persuaded upper management to invest in long-format investigative and feature pieces.  These became regular network specials that received several local and national awards, including the station's first-ever Emmy Award.

• Helped hire three people for the news team.  Mentored the younger news staff in the newsroom:  one is now an anchor at ABC News in Tampa and another is an anchor for the ABC news station in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA.

• Increased viewership 15% during tenure

 

Reporter and Anchor 

Hubbard Broadcasting (KSTP-TV and All News Channel/First Business), St. Paul, MN (1997-1999)

​

Roles & Responsibilities: Covered daily news stories on a variety of topics for KSTP-TV, including features and breaking news. Wrote and voiced packages and VO/SOTS. Performed live shots. Developed and promoted stories to staff and upper management. Anchored daily news stories for First Business, a nationally syndicated business program produced by All News Channel, a 24-hour cable news station owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. 

 

• Only reporter in market to speak fluent Spanish, which resulted in multiple exclusive interviews with individuals who did not speak English, including a breaking story with a Spanish-speaking mother who delivered her baby in a crumbled hospital immediately after the 1998 St. Peter tornado.

• Reporting excellence recognized by members of the community. Gov. Arne Carlson called the station and requested an interview with me for a breaking story.

• Personal relationships in the scientific community have allowed me to bring new research findings first to the Twin Cities communities. Reported on national scientific story about the health benefits of a positive perspective.

 

 

Prior work history includes Reporter with Fox News Channel, Los Angeles. Served as national correspondent with the Los Angeles Bureau. Specialized in entertainment and West Coast spot news. News Writer & Producer with KCAL-TV, Los Angeles. Wrote and produced the daily entertainment package “The Buzz”. Served as senior writer for daily, 30-minute OJ Simpson newscast.

 

 

Languages

 

Spanish

French