Brenda Porter-Rockwell

Smithfield, NC USA
Contact

Professional Experience

I am an experienced and dynamic communications expert with specialization in targeted content writing. I possess superlative project and organizational management skills. I have helmed several trade pubs covering technology, business travel, natural supplements, organic foods, coffee and tea, and more. I have been a freelance copywriter and editor for small agencies contributing content for educational institutions and Fortune 500 company newsletters, for example. I am looking for an opportunity to put my years of experience to work in a dynamic organization, which utiizes communications tactics to improve relationships between it and its stakeholders.

Expertise

Content Editor (online)
3 Years
Copywriter
3 Years
Reporter
8 Years

Specialty

Business (general)
10 Years
Health
7 Years
Other, Specify
5 Years

Industries


Magazine - Trade magazines/publications (B2B)
10 Years
Newspaper - Local/Regional
10 Years
PR (firm) - Small to mid-sized corp. clients
10 Years

Total Media Industry Experience

18 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

INC.com (6-10), Business Travel Executive Magazine (6-10), Specialty Coffee Retailer (6-10), Nutraceuticals World (1-2), Nutrition Business Journal (1-2), Natural Products Insider (3-5), NorthCarolinaHealthNews.org (3-5)

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Delaware Military History Museum (3-5), Once Again Nut Butter (3-5)

Other Work History

Public Affairs Specialist, N.C. League of Municipalities, Communications Specialist, Institute for Emerging Issues Director of Public Relations, Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County Director of Public Relations & Volunteer Services, Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County Editor-in-Chief/Managing Editor, Organic Products Retailer/Vitamin Retailer/Nutrition Industry Executive Magazine Editor-in-Chief/Managing Editor, Fiberoptic Product News

Technical Skills

Adobe Design Suite (Acrobat, Illustrator, InDesign, PhotoShop); QuarkXPress; CRM Management (i.e. SalesForce, DonorPerfect, ) RealMagnet, Mail Chimp, Constant Contact e-newsletter software

Computer Skills

PC and Mac OS environments; MS Office Suite, Dreamweaver, MS Project

Equipment

Sony Digital SLR camera, portable digital camera, digital audio recorder

References

Dr. Patrick Cronin, Associate Director Institute for Emerging Issues 1070 Partner’s Way Raleigh, NC 27606 pcronin@nscu.edu 919-515-7741 Matt Lail, Account Manager (Formerly Interim Director of Public Affairs/Formerly Writer/Editor, N.C. League of Municipalities) Gibbs & Soell 8521 Six Forks Rd # 300 Raleigh, NC 27615 Collards12@yahoo.com (personal) 919-819-3979 James J. Gormley Gormley NPI Consulting 3259 Cambridge Avenue Riverdale NY 10463 718-715-6055 (cell) jamesgormley01@gmail.com

Associations

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)/PRSA North Carolina Chapter * Project Management Institute * Society of Professional Journalists, Raleigh Chapter

Showcase

Business Travel Executive

Homegrown
(Business Travel Executive 1/1/2009)
As more meeting planners' RFPs ask hotels what's being done to mitigate their environmental impact, more hotels are highlighting their sustainable, locally-sourced natural and organic food menus. But how deeply is it cutting into meeting budgets?
The Ajax Advantage
(Business Travel Executive 6/1/2008)
Billed as “the fastest growing new segment of the software business [for building] entirely web-based applications and experiences,� Ajax is poised to make the end users’ web experience faster and more user-friendly.

Virgo Publishing

Regulatory Concerns When Sourcing Ingredients From China
(Natural Products INSIDER 12/1/2013)
Supplement and functional food companies can look to China as the country of choice to source some of the hottest ingredients on the market. From vitamin C to bilberry to Traditional Chinese Medicine, China has it.
Healthier Kids Beverages
(Food Product Design 10/1/2010)
Whether destined for school lunches, vending machines or an at home snack, kids beverages have to taste great and be nutritious. To meet market demands beverage formulators need to craftily add in healthy nutrients to help kids grow up healthy and strong.
Bend & Flex: The Global Market for Joint Health Supplements
(Natural Products Insider 9/1/2012)
Ingredient advances and an aging population mean the joint health market should be ripe with opportunity. Manufacturers and marketers of dietary supplements should be savvy about target markets, regulatory considerations, and formulation challenges to take advantage of the road ahead.

INC.com

How to Set Up a Small Business Dental Plan
(Inc.com 4/16/2010)
Wading through affordable dental plan options for your company can be daunting but employees will appreciate the added benefits. Here's how to select a plan that won't break the bank but will satisfy your staff.
How to Develop Your 2011 Tech Budget
(Inc.com 11/1/2010)
Businesses are expected to spend more money on their IT departments in 2011. Here's how to decide where to put your dollars.
How to Encourage Your Employees to Bike to Work
(Inc.com 4/26/2010)
Encouraging your employees to bike to work can be part of your company's overall "green" strategy or simply a way for your employees to stay fit. There may be several reasons to encourage your employees to seek alternate transportation to work. Here's how to encourage your employees to bike to work.
How to Choose CRM Software
(Inc.com 7/12/2010)
Managing customer relationships can be a daunting task, but also a very rewarding one. Luckily, there's business software that will help you. Here's how to select the right customer relationship management software for your business.

NorthCarolinaHealthNews.org

New Campbell Med School Trains Rural Health Doctors
(NorthCarolinaHealthNews.org 8/23/2013)
With North Carolina facing a looming shortage of primary care physicians, a new school of osteopathic medicine at Campbell University is a welcome addition.
Convenience Drives Alternate Routes to Managing Health Care
(NorthCarolinaHealthNews.org 10/19/2012)
More and more, patients are getting their healthcare in alternative locations outside the doctor's office. And the trend is bound to grow.
Minorities More Likely to Fall Into ACA Coverage Gap
(North Carolina Health News 4/21/2014)
In states such as North Carolina that decided not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the percentage of minorities who remain uninsured will be higher than that of whites.
NC Hospital Mergers Accelerating, Raising Concerns
(North Carolina Health News 4/29/2013)
More North Carolina hospitals are looking to merge into larger systems, a trend some in the industry maintain is being driven by the Affordable Care Act. But for hospitals, merging has been around for two decades, and now state/federal regulators are giving hospital consolidation a second look.

Specialty Coffee Retailer

It's Bin Fun
(Specialty Coffee Retailer 12/1/2012)
The ideal coffee bean bins will both protect the product and drive sales in all areas.
Everyone Really is a Critic
(Specialty Coffee Retailer 1/1/2013)
In the Information Age, negativity gets amplified. Here's what coffee houses can do about bad reviews on social media.
Coffee You Don't Drink
(Specialty Coffee Retailer 5/1/2013)
Candles, soaps, lotions and other non-consumable items made with coffee essences can be a unique profit center.
Shop Secrets: Coffee & Crepes
(Specialty Coffee Retailer 3/1/2013)
Based in Cary, NC Andres & Terri Pastrana run Coffee & Crepes. While the crepes are a draw for the coffeehouse, the Pastranas say their coffee commands a large audience as well, thanks to the bean selection and marketing support from another Tar Heel state success story: Larry's Beans.

Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County

Community Builder Newsletter
(Habitat for Humanity NCC 6/1/2009)
The Community Builder is the quarterly newsletter for Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, communicating the mission and goals of this local non-profit housing organization.
Bike to Build Brochure
(Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County 3/1/2010)
Habitat builds affordable housing at no-profit through a combination of volunteer labor, 'sweat-equity' and no-interest mortgages. The organization acts in partnership with the community as a diverse group.
Bike to Build Team Leader Guide
(HFHNCC 2/15/2010)
Habitat's 2010 Bike to Build! cycling event is set to raise $100,000 and will take riders on a tour of the beautiful and scenic Northern Delaware Greenways trails. This year's event is dedicated to the late Rev. Chad Miller, Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Retail Leader

Protecting Privacy
(Retail Leader 1/2/2014)
As data mining becomes more sophisticated, how do consumers feel about use of their personal information?

Nutrition Business Journal

Organic Supplement Sales Boost Sagging Nutrition Market
(Nutrition Business Journal 3/1/2008)
With sales of dietary supplements sagging, consumer interest in supplements made with organic ingredients is breathing much needed life into the category.

Black Enterprise

Turning Green into Green
(Black Enterprise Magazine 6/1/2008)
Green energy jobs are poised to boost opportunities for low-skilled Black workers and the national economy.
Take a Loved One to the Doctor
(Black Enterprise Magazine 9/1/2005)
National Take a Loved One to the Doctor day aims to help close the health care disparity for Blacks.

Southern City (NC League of Municipalities)

LEDs in public spaces save money, offer greater lighting efficiency
(Southern City 2/1/2012)
As municipalities look for cost-savings on their rising utility bills, swapping out old streetlights for newer, more modern lighting, light emitting diodes (LEDs) are becoming increasingly commonplace in municipal public spaces.
Before disaster strikes, be prepared
(Southern City 6/1/2011)
Like the Boy Scout motto,"Be Prepared" is the best advice available for municipalities when it comes to getting operations back up and running after destructive acts of nature. Municipal officials are still cleaning up after the April tornadoes, and re-examining disaster-related planning efforts.
Seaboard native, award-winning costume designer uses creativity as small town economic driver
(Southern City 1/1/2012)
Most noted for his Tony-award winning costume designs, Seaboard, NC native, William Ivey Long, plans to bring a little touch of Broadway to Eastern North Carolina. He's committed to making the Tar Heel state the number one domestic market for the manufacture of classical- and romantic style tutus.

SupplySide Cosmetics Blog

Success Drawn from Limitation
(SupplySide Community 3/28/2012)
According to industry experts, like the globalization of our food, our future perfume scents will not only reflect our immediate environs, but the greater world around us.
Cross Cultural Marketing
(SupplySide Community 8/1/2012)
From QR codes to blogs to TV infomercials, the way cosmetics are marketed to the generations and the diverse cultures of the world are changing.

Institute for Emerging Issues

Bringing Manufacturing Jobs Back
(Institute for Emerging Issues 2/13/2012)
In the last decade, issues of quality, increased cost and economic uncertainty from a rapidly changing global economy have led more companies to return overseas production back to their communities helping to spur high quality, well-paying jobs.

New Jersey Business magazine

New Telecom Products Help Grow NJ Businesses
(New Jersey Business 3/1/2008)
Small and medium businesses in New Jersey adapt to company growth with the addition of cutting edge telecom products like VoIP and 3G mobile phones for associates in the field. Factors for consideration in selecting the right technology include price, ease of implementation and - most important- cus