Who am I?
Hello! I’m Theresa. I grew up in Southern California and made my way north over the years. After some time in the Bay Area where I met my husband, we now live in beautiful Portland, Oregon, USA.
What do I do?
I’m a communications professional. My background includes public relations work for big consumer technology brands as well as more focused business-to-business channel marketing partnership development.
My latest work, and the work I enjoy the most, is focused on internal communications and change management. My experiences include creating internal communications programs for project management offices and manufacturing facilities. Change management projects include consulting on projects for highly regulated health insurance and pharmaceutical infrastructure to fullscale transformation for how work at a pharmaceutical manufacturing site flows through the organization.
Where did I work?
My experience ranges from working at large and boutique public relations agencies for consumer and business-to-business clients to communications and change management services for a real estate multiple listing service. Most recently, my work includes communications and change management for a health insurance provider and a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
When did I start?
I’ve been working in communications for more than twenty years. After graduating from California State University, Fullerton with a Communications degree emphasizing public relations, I took my first job at a PR agency. My experiences span industries from consumer and business-to-business technology to healthcare and real estate to pharmaceutical manufacturing. Each experience shaped how I work and the choices I make about the work I do for clients or employers.
Why do I love communications?
I live for that moment when everything comes together. The moment you can see your clients face change and they get where you’re going. That moment when your audience realizes the change is good for them. Communications and change management are like a puzzle. It’s all about finding the right way to get information about something to your audience. When you know it works, there’s magic.
How do I practice my craft?
My approach to both change management and communications is focused on the people. Who am I communicating with, who will see a change they need to understand. And, how do I help them receive the right information at the right time in a way they want to receive it?
What do I do for fun?
I’m an organizer for a Nerdy Ladies Meetup group. We bring together those who identify as women for fun events designed to make friends and build community. We host everything from book clubs to game nights to fun social outings. Additionally, I have a love of paper planning and carry the planner and notebooks to prove it. Over the past couple of years, I reinvigorated my love for reading and try to read on average one book a week. When not playing in my planner or reading, you can find me watching a show with one of my three kitties on my lap or nearby.