Deanna Payson

Hi, I'm Deanna Payson, and I work on the Digital & Social Media team at Weber Shandwick, Boston.

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I finished my master's degree in public relations at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2013, and graduated in May 2012 from Syracuse University with a B.A. in Political Science.  I created and co-chaired the first "Life Gets Better Together" conference at Syracuse University, a one-day event composed of workshops, a panel and an a cappella concert to benefit The Trevor Project. I am a self-motivated, dedicated student ready to apply my academic passions in the professional world of communications.

Founder, Co-Chair at Life Gets Better Together conference

2011 - Present

-Authored mission statement, pitches, press releases -Ran conference Twitter, Facebook, website to rally student support -Led team of fifteen students & faculty to plan conference for March '12 -Secured external panelists and faculty to facilitate workshops & keynote panel -Solicited donations from academic departments and university programs to fund event www.lifegetsbettertogether.com Twitter.com/LGBT_2013

Media & Diversity Intern at Council of Europe

2010 - Present

-Created bilingual Microsoft Excel database of over 1,500 campaign partners in order to access contact information quickly and easily -Created Who's-Who biography of conference guests (the Istanbul Conference required media professionals to work in randomly-chosen teams) -Collaborated with team of three on office tasks (invited guests to conferences, prepared printed materials for conferences, organized campaign materials) -Researched and created database on Turkey's relations with the Council of Europe regarding media freedom and other human rights violations (to prepare the department for the November 2010 Istanbul Conference) -Translated and edited various correspondences and conference programs for the campaign team, who were all native French speakers

President, A Cappella Council at Syracuse University at Syracuse University

2011 - 2012

-Founding member, collaborated to write the group's Constitution -Collaborated with representatives from six groups on campus to improve communication and cooperation on collaborative events such as concerts and orientation activities -Managed four-member executive board to implement A Cappella Afterhours, bi-annual concert with roughly 800 audience members -Planned and implemented the first annual A Cappella Meet 'n Greet to aid incoming students looking to get involved with a cappella -Successfully wrote budget requests to acquire funds from Student Association, the student governing body at Syracuse University

Advancement Communications Intern at Boston Museum of Science

2011 - 2011

-Collaborated with staff & interns to gather data and commentary for endowment reports to be sent to Museum donors -Authored FY11 Unrestricted Endowed Fund reports -Authored FY11 Endowed Internship Fund reports -Worked with external advisers to verify Hall of Human Life adviser listings -Compiled Museum Highlights to be included in the FY11 Annual Report -Facilitated Museum birthday card mailings -Entered donor correspondence information into the Museum's JSI Millennium database

Youth Programs Intern at Boston Museum of Science

2007 - 2008

S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

2012 – 2013

M.S.

Concentration: Public Relations

Syracuse University

2009 – 2012

B.A.