Senior Leader

L A B R I A B U R G E S S

*************@*****.*** 98 Hillary Drive, Rochester, New York 14624 585-***-**** Skills Strategic leadership, innovative communication, public speaking, multi-media presentation, marketing/advertising, press/media writing, editorial, storytelling, transformative visionary, creative content, speech/media training, instructional facilitation/training, brand advancement, visual/communication development, problem solving, relationship management, campaign management, event/program/project curation, event management, donor engagement, coaching, mentorship, advocacy, counseling, teaching, business writing, organizational, critical thinking, social media, photography/videography editing, Canva design and Microsoft Office skills. Education Bachelor of Art in Public Communication and Speech, August 2016 State University of New York College at Buffalo Buffalo, New York Work President & CEO, December 2023 – Present

Burgess & Company - Labria Burgess & Company, LLC Rochester, New York

• Executively lead and collaborate with teams to produce in press/media, marketing/advertising, photography, videography, articles, commercials and inspirational production projects.

• Lead in design/creation of brand advancement, marketing/advertising proposals, production direction/editing, live show productions, written/visual/audio content for blogs, etc., news, announcements, live sessions and educational teachings for growth.

• Design and refine web development per services offered via Burgess & Company, a production company and LB&C, a media channel and produce center.

• Conduct discovery meetings such as a “Collective” to ensure customer success.

• Create services and prospective opportunities/readiness programs within phases to prepare future leaders: high school students and undergraduate/graduate students in media production leadership.

• Provide coaching, vision pitching and strategic planning through visual consultations and services to advance vision for visionaries.

Community Educator (SPED & Gen. Ed.) Teacher, March 2025 - Present CCSI Child Advocacy Center RCSD Rochester, New York

• Taught the mandated Erin’s Law and delivered powerful, trauma-informed prevention education to school-age children, using engaging, evidence-based curricula that taught them how to recognize, resist, and report abuse, cultivating student voice, safety, and self-advocacy.

• Led student instruction with cultural sensitivity and inclusivity, creating safe classroom environments that honor diversity and support emotional wellness.

• Designed and facilitated interactive classroom sessions, managing student engagement with professionalism, empathy, and strong classroom leadership. L. Burgess 2

• Gathered and analyzed student assessment data to tailor learning strategies, enhance retention, and drive measurable improvements in awareness and prevention outcomes.

• Streamlined school-based scheduling and reporting, ensuring timely execution of lessons, compliance with district expectations, and alignment with academic goals.

• Built meaningful partnerships with educators, administrators, and community stakeholders, fostering collaboration and advancing a unified approach to student safety.

• Applied strategic problem-solving and proactive communication, adapting instruction to meet student needs in fast-paced school environments.

• Uphold confidentiality and ethical standards, championing a culture of trust while reinforcing the importance of wellness, equity, and consistent excellence. Literacy Specialist Teacher, December 2024 – March 2025 ROCSCI Elementary School Rochester, New York

• Provide targeted literacy instruction to Tier 3 students, including those with learning disabilities and special needs, to enhance reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills through customized intervention strategies.

• Monitor student progress and collect data daily to assess academic growth, guide instructional decisions and evaluate the effectiveness of intervention strategies, ensuring continuous student improvement.

• Deliver personalized instruction in small group and one-on-one settings, supporting teachers in implementing specialized literacy curricula and adapting lessons to accommodate diverse learning styles and needs.

• Strengthen literacy development by improving students' vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, articulation, phonics, phonemic and phonological awareness, and orthographic skills through structured, data-driven interventions.

• Maintain accurate records and collaborate with lead Literacy Specialist Teacher by documenting student progress, preparing detailed reports, and effectively communicating to support student success.

• Support classroom management in addition and student engagement by assisting teachers in whole-class settings, providing academic, behavioral and social- emotional support to create a positive learning environment.

• Uphold ethical standards by maintaining confidentiality and actively contributing to schoolwide literacy initiatives and improvement efforts. Senior Relationship Manager, November 2021 – February 2024 United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes Rochester, New York

• Developed and implemented fundraising strategies for assigned portfolios.

• Developed meaningful relationships throughout the community, actively informing and implementing campaign strategies, developing new initiatives to ignite workplace campaigns.

• Collaborated in the strategic planning process for annual campaigns and long-range planning initiatives for resource development, the leadership giving society and leadership programs.

• Managed Employee Campaign Coordinators to create and implement ways to establish a United Way presence in the workplace on a year-round basis and provided initiatives to include leadership development cultivation, special events, and/or volunteer activities.

• Made effective presentations at workplace campaigns to inspire employee participation in campaigns.

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• Created briefings, speaking points and strategic outlines for United Way President & CEO, Executive Leadership and myself prior to public/press initiatives and successful campaign kickoffs.

• Responsible for data collection, analysis, reporting and integrity for assigned portfolios for large companies with concentration on employee count and total funding raised within workplace campaigns.

• Developed and led in training for workplace campaign volunteers.

• Collaborated with teams to implement innovative engagement per cross-county donors and workplace campaigns.

African American Leadership Society Coordinator, April 2020 – October 2023 United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes Rochester, New York

• Led project development and worked with Marketing team on structure/design of marketing/advertisement plans per event advancement with the African American Leadership Society (AALS) Co-Coordinator.

• Identified, qualified, cultivated, solicited and stewarded leadership giving from existing donors, new donors and prospective donors.

• Led AALS sessions/meetings to ensure coordination of cultivation, solicitation, and progression per the year’s goal is implemented.

• Created all briefing/speaking points, run of show outlines and email distributive content for AALS events, invitations, awards, newsletters, donor letters, marketing materials and strategic goal calendars.

• Created donor engagement plans/connection strategies, conducted research, and shared best practices, trends and data to attract, retain, grow membership and increase giving.

• Acknowledged donors of the assigned leadership giving network to effectively build relationships and increase participation efficiency.

• Evaluated the effectiveness of strategies, initiatives, annual events and results for leadership giving.

• Progressively established positive relationships with existing donors, new donors and prospective donors, providing accurate and quality customer service and information to aid their experience.

Relationship Manager, October 2019 – November 2021 United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes Rochester, New York

• Implemented fundraising campaign planning for an assigned portfolio, developed meaningful relationships with Employee Campaign Coordinators and coordinated logistics to ensure campaign efficiency and timely campaign implementation.

• Identified and implemented leadership development cultivation, special events and volunteer activity initiatives and made effective presentations at workplace campaigns to inspire employee participation in campaigns to help the Greater Rochester community.

• Managed and worked with Employee Campaign Coordinators to create ways to establish a United Way presence in the workplaces per each account on a year-round basis.

Consultant Teacher, April 2019 – January 2020

Rochester City School District Rochester, New York

• Performed the instructional and classroom management process with students for their academic-progressive development.

• Advanced the lesson plans and curriculum to ensure lesson goals and activities were completed for the furtherance of student education. L. Burgess 4

Community Engagement Specialist, May 2018 – October 2018 Memorial Art Gallery - University of Rochester Rochester, New York

• Managed the MAG Celebration Series committee, partnering with the Marketing & Engagement Director and Engagement Manager to lead all aspects of program development, including marketing, advertising, entertainment bookings, layout/diagram creation, AV needs, and drafting official communications for Teaching Artists, performers, and volunteers.

• Oversaw all entertainment performers and funding management for the Memorial Art Gallery’s Celebration Series, aligning performances with fundraising goals and audience engagement strategies.

• Supervised and coordinated MAGConnect programming by managing U of R shuttle schedules, tour logistics, membership requests, admission fees, survey tracking, and visitor services in collaboration with the Outreach Specialist/MAGConnect Docent.

• Created and managed fiscal year budgets for MAGConnect community outreach programs and supported senior curatorial staff in recruiting the U of R Choir Professor for Dara Birnbaum’s Exhibition, part of the Reflections on Place Series with artists Javier Tellez and Isaac Julien.

• Produced comprehensive program documentation, from lecture outlines, speaker briefs, and run-of-show guides to AV setup and presenter accommodations for major exhibitions such as Josephine Tota, Nancy Jurs, and Claude Monet: Waterloo Bridge

– Vision and Process.

• Led multimedia promotional content development, including pre-production planning for the MAGConnect promotional video with AdHouse Productions, and collaborated with the Marketing & Engagement Department, graphic designer, and Celebration Series team on impactful marketing material design and community engagement campaigns for exhibitions like the AIDS Posters Exhibit. Communications Bureau Intern, May 2016 – August 2016 City of Rochester Communications Bureau Rochester, New York

• Wrote mayoral recognitions, including proclamations, letters, and certificates for the Mayor; researched and wrote talking points for the Mayor, other City officials, and Law Enforcement leaders.

• Wrote, edited, and curated media advisories, press releases, and deletion releases for upcoming city-sponsored events.

• Created and assisted with program development for key events, including the viral Susan B. Anthony Thank You from the Mayor, the Rochester Razor Sharks’ third PBL Championship celebration, the 2016 Windstream Party in the Park concert series, Jordan Health Front Porch Festival, Walk Against Domestic Violence, and Deaf Awareness Week.

Service Communication Advisor, January 2020 – December 2021 Leadership U.S. Church of God by Faith, Inc. National 2nd Century Board Rochester, New York

• Liaise with press, promoting a positive image through various forms of marketing/advertisement strategies for the organization to the public per the Northwestern District.

• Resolved and mediated communications difficulties and crises.

• Developed internal and external communications strategies.

• Educated and advised members and leaders in communication skills. L. Burgess 5

Media Lead, April 2019 - September 2021

Ark of the Covenant Church of God by Faith Media Ministry Rochester, New York

• Introduced media concepts and live streaming to Pastoral leadership, all leadership teams and members of the church.

• Developed live streaming standard operating procedures and protocols prior to/during the pandemic, ensuring safe/effective practices for media production.

• Managed all social media platforms, ensuring brand advancement/alignment, awareness of church efforts per ministry assignments for community transformation.

• Trained and recruited incoming media team members to effectively learn functions of software and produce engaging visual/audio, video and photography content weekly.

• Produced commercials prior to church conference, worship services and outreach community events.

Youth Mentorship Teacher, January 2019 – November 2019 Ark of the Covenant Youth Department Rochester, New York

• Developed curriculum with youth mentor teachers for young ladies in the mentorship program for age ranges 10-19 years old.

• Taught series/lessons planned specific to counsel, empower, influence and build the confidence and character of the young blossoming leaders. Student Ambassador, April 2014 – May 2016

SUNY Buffalo State Undergraduate Office of Admissions Buffalo, New York

• Promoted SUNY Buffalo State academic programs and campus life to prospective students and parents through tours, programs, information sessions, panels and welcome presentations.

• Assisted with coordinating a high school guidance community with sponsorship from the Undergraduate Office of Admissions for incoming student development. Government Campaign Volunteer, September 2016 – November 2016 Affairs Presidential Election Rochester, New York

• Participated in phone banking and voter registration drives to encourage prospective voters to vote for the Presidential candidate.

Campaign Volunteer, March 2016 – November 2017

Mayoral Election Rochester, New York

• Assisted Campaign Manager with hosting campaign house fundraisers to fund Mayoral candidate’s campaign and collected signatures per the campaign, walking door-to-door to distribute campaign materials.

Senator, January 2012 – January 2013

The United Students Government Buffalo, New York

• Promoted student services, developed policies, programs and projects through outreach/organization events, created awareness for policies, initiatives and social issues on and off campus.

• Assisted with the production of SUNY Buffalo State’s Annual Spring Fest concert. Assistant to Lieutenant Michael Lesniak, November 2008 – January 2009 City of Rochester Police Department Internship Rochester, New York

• Assisted in taking fingerprints and mug shots for incoming individuals. L. Burgess 6

• Recorded notes for Lieutenant Lesniak per court visit.

• Managed internal crime files and organized for police officer’s review.

• Inserted confidential crime information into internal police databases and monitored incoming crime reports/databases to pinpoint high crime areas in the City of Rochester.

Organizations Member, Leadership Rochester

Member, African American Leadership Society (AALS) Member, African American Leadership Development Program (AALDP) Member, Women United

Member, Emerging Leaders Society

Member, Women Restored

Member, Faith Tabernacle of Prayer

Member, Lambda Pi Eta Communications Honor Society

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