Strategic Communications & Public Affairs Leader

Cynthia Vitelli

Gaithersburg, MD 724-***-**** *********@*****.*** www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-meals-vitelli/ Senior Communications & Public Relations Executive Strategic Voice. Trusted Leadership. Lasting Results. Transformational communications executive shaping strategic messaging, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement across complex federal organizations, now poised to pivot those capabilities to corporate environments. Innovative team builder who creates spaces where individuals can thrive and coaches teams to exceed expectations while fostering collaboration, accountability, and operational excellence. Strategic storyteller translating complex initiatives into clear, compelling narratives that rally diverse stakeholders, strengthen organizational reputation, and drive organizational alignment. Crisis and change navigator adept at leading high-stakes communications, aligning cross-functional partners, and embedding measurement-driven processes to achieve sustained impact. Career Highlights

Operating Model Transformation: Led business interests of a $599M, 10-year modernization of U.S. Mint retail sales operations and IT systems, unifying 90+ stakeholders, safeguarding $1M+ in daily sales, and earning award for innovation and leadership.

Organizational Excellence & Team Leadership: Built and directed NCI’s Office of Public Affairs from the ground up, overseeing 3 branches and a multi-disciplinary team, establishing metrics-driven performance frameworks, and earning enterprise-wide recognition for best practices.

Strategic Communications & Brand Elevation: Crafted and executed communications for the White House Cancer Moonshot initiatives and NCI media programs, generating 4.9B+ impressions in 2022 and securing coverage in top-tier outlets, reinforcing institutional reputation and influence.

Cross-Functional Integration & Change Leadership: Established U.S. Mint’s first external relations and communications division, merged 8 offices into a 17-person team, reengineered processes to improve efficiency from 58% to 99%, and earned multiple Director’s Awards for leadership and enduring organizational impact. Areas of Expertise

Strategic Vision, Direction & Execution Enterprise & Executive Communications Stakeholder Engagement & Influence Strategic Storytelling Brand Messaging Crisis & Issue Management Team Building, Development & Advancement Change Management IT Modernization Public Outreach & Engagement Program Development & Oversight Professional Experience

Under the Department of Government Efficiency, Acting Administrator Amy Gleason and Elon Musk, took offer for Voluntary Early Retirement in December 2025. Associate Director, Office of Communications Director for Public Affairs 2015–2025 National Cancer Institute (NCI) Bethesda, MD

Recruited as NCI’s first associate director of PR. Challenged with building office from ground up in alignment with new mandate. Built and led 14-member team and up to 10 contractors. Supervised three first line supervisors across three departments (media relations, internal communications, and external relations). Directed responses to 450+ annual media inquiries that garnered billions of impressions. Served as senior press officer and strategic advisor to executive leadership and White House partners.

Positioned NCI as trusted authority by launching annual media plans that expanded share of voice, delivered 4.9B+ impressions in 2022, and secured coverage in outlets such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and CNN.

Crafted and directed communications strategy for the White House’s Cancer Moonshot initiatives (2016 and 2022), earning Director’s Award for excellence in national public affairs. Cynthia Vitelli

*********@*****.*** 724-***-****

Led COVID-19 crisis communications, serving as spokesperson on pandemic-related cancer research, serology, and patient impact and earning recognition with two NCI Director’s Awards for employee outreach and media engagement.

Trained institute executives and Presidential appointees in media engagement and crisis preparedness, building leadership confidence and ensuring message consistency across high-stakes platforms.

Monitored coordinated communications for 6 federal advisory committees and built partnerships with international organizations, including the World Health Organization and Cancer Research UK to amplify cancer research breakthroughs.

Embedded culture of accountability by introducing performance metrics across all branches, transforming internal communications into model program recognized enterprise-wide for best practices and shifting media relations from reactive response to proactive outreach with measurable gains in share of voice. Director of Public Affairs 2015–2015

Administration for Children and Families Washington, DC Directed agency-wide communications across 20 program areas. Oversaw media relations, coached press staff, and coordinated web and digital content development. Collaborated with HHS secretary, the White House, and federal advisory committees to deliver clear, consistent messages showcasing agency mission.

Led high-profile media engagements as lead on rollout plan and press material development for major announcements, including Secretary of HHS press conferences and White House briefings.

Enhanced transparency and digital reach, overseeing web and social media operations while guiding analysis for a next-generation, customer-facing Freedom of Information Act platform. Senior Program Manager 2012–2015

United States Mint Washington, DC

Appointed to lead business interests of U.S. Mint’s largest modernization initiative, a $599M, 10-year transformation of all retail sales IT systems and operations. Partnered with executives, contractors, and cross-agency stakeholders to deliver seamless, modernized purchasing experience for millions of customers.

Rescued mission-critical e-commerce program and reversed stalled progress on system safeguarding $1M+ in daily sales by unifying 90+ stakeholders, securing executive buy-in for SaaS solution. Team earned U.S. Mint Director’s Award for Innovation and Executive Leadership.

Delivered $599M retail transformation and worked with specifically appointed colleagues to launch an integrated e- commerce and fulfillment platform that strengthened cybersecurity, streamlined operations, and enhanced customer experience through improved purchasing and service.

Shaped communications and risk strategy, crafting executive briefings, town hall messaging, and trade publications while building risk and change management frameworks that ensured continuity during one of the agency’s most complex transformations.

Director, External Relations & Communications 2005–2012 United States Mint Washington, DC

Tapped to establish and lead U.S. Mint’s first formal external relations and communications division supporting a $600M product portfolio. Led and developed 17-member team of outreach managers, writers, marketing specialists, historians, and correspondence analysts. Organized and executed 100+ press events and conventions. Served as liaison to The White House, federal advisory groups, diverse federal agencies, congressional staff, and nonprofit organizations.

Built division from ground up, overcoming internal resistance to position team as strategic partner and improving operational efficiency from 58% to 99% on-time correspondence rates through centralized processes and automation.

Led historic website integration by consolidating two separate platforms (public information and e-commerce), boosting user satisfaction from 55% to 76% and increasing task completion rates from 53% to 87%.

Raised brand awareness 40 points in 6 months and sustaining cost-effective $2.23 CPM (significantly below industry benchmarks) as lead on planning and execution of $5M PR campaign. Cynthia Vitelli

*********@*****.*** 724-***-****

Transformed cross-functional team by merging staff from 8+ offices into unified 17-person division that shaped organizational communications to key stakeholders including Treasury Secretary, Cabinet members, governors, and Congress.

Reengineered broken design process from ad-hoc, inconsistent approach to streamlined system as head of chartered design working group, mapping entire workflow from development to Treasury Secretary approval, accelerating timeline 12 months, and eliminating waste. Won Director’s Award for Excellence in Leadership.

Delivered lasting organizational impact with processes still in use today, earning U.S. Mint honor (Director’s Award for Significant Contribution) as a change agent and public service advocate. Public Affairs Specialist 2001–2005

United States Mint Washington, DC

Advanced through roles with increasing scope and supervisory responsibility as leadership promoted cost-cutting initiatives and improved resource utilization. Authored talking points; coordinated special events, news conferences, public forums, and media interviews; and managed video and radio projects. Early Career Experience

Management Support Specialist Social Security Administration (SSA): Following successful fellowship completion, led 7- member team of customer service representatives in Washington, DC field office. Translated dense federal policy into clear, accessible information for residents accessing benefits. Presidential Management Fellow SSA & Office of the Vice President: Selected for prestigious fellowship. Gained experience in multiple SSA offices and in Office of the Vice President’s National Partnership for Reinventing Government. Education

Master of Public Administration (MPA) West Virginia University Bachelor of Arts, Political Science with Economics emphasis West Virginia University Executive Development

Creating Collaborative Solutions Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education Executive Readiness Program United States Department of the Treasury Senior Executive Service Leadership Development Course U.S. Office of Personnel Management National Leadership Institute Program Graduate University of Maryland Global Campus

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