Community Relations & Emergency Preparedness Specialist

ANN MARIE HARTY

Providence, RI 401-***-**** ***************@*****.*** linkedin.com/in/sanhartstrategicgrowth Bilingual: English and Portuguese COMMUNITY RELATIONS SPECIALIST

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Community and government relations professional with 12+ years developing and maintaining favorable relationships with municipal officials, state agencies, economic development agencies, business leaders, and non-profit and community organizations across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Serves as point of contact for government officials and community stakeholders, disseminates information to the community, solicits stakeholder feedback, and educates leadership on community viewpoints to move projects toward successful outcomes. Municipal executive-office background spanning crisis communication, media relations, public meeting representation, and emergency preparedness and response. Delivers in- depth reports and presentations to internal and external partners and works effectively in sensitive, political environments. Bilingual in English and Portuguese.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Community & Municipal Outreach Government Relations & Public Officials Town/City Council, Board, Commission & Committee Meetings Public Hearings & Community Forums Economic Development Initiatives Public & Private Partnerships Emergency Preparedness & Response

Crisis Communication Media Relations & News Monitoring Strategic Corporate Giving & Grant Award Recommendations Stakeholder Feedback & Issue Escalation Reputation & Issues Management In-Depth Reports & Executive Presentations Non-Profit & Civic Organization Relationships Regulatory Process Awareness Employee Engagement & Volunteerism Business Membership & Chamber Activity Diplomacy

& Confidential Information Handling

Competencies: Build trusting relationships Foster teamwork and cross-functional collaboration Communicate strategic vision Lead change Focus on the customer Take ownership and accountability Technical: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint Virtual meeting software (Teams, Zoom, Webex) Facebook, X

(Twitter), Instagram WordPress & CMS Constant Contact Google Analytics Canva, Adobe InDesign & Photoshop Mobile technologies for remote work

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Director of Marketing and Engagement Quality Behavioral Health Providence, RI 2025 – 2026

● Served as point of contact for media, community partners, patients, and staff across a multi-site system; fielded and resolved inquiries, maintained stakeholder contact lists, and documented follow-up on every request.

● Proactively built relationships with non-profit and community organizations and referral partners, disseminating program information through multilingual outreach materials, talking points, and presentations to external audiences.

● Solicited and monitored community feedback and raised the organization's public rating from 1.0 to 3.9 in eight months, reporting results and reputational risks to senior leadership monthly — delivered in-house on a limited budget. Director of Client Relations and Strategic Communications State of Rhode Island Providence, RI 2023 – 2024

● Served as liaison across state agencies — DHS, BHDDH, agency communications staff, and the Governor's office — coordinating approvals, project timing, and public-facing deliverables in sensitive political environments under fixed deadlines and shifting priorities.

● Advised leadership on political sensitivities and emergent issues affecting public standing; produced in-depth reports, web content, and executive presentations for health and human services leadership.

● Built response protocols and shared document libraries and trained cross-functional staff to apply them, standardizing recordkeeping and message consistency across agencies.

Communications Director and Brand Consultant Hunter & Chase Providence, RI 2013 – Present

● Scaled an independent practice from 0 to 120 active accounts, building public and private partnerships with business leaders, chambers, civic organizations, and non-profits across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

● Prepared and delivered performance dashboards and presentations to executive stakeholders, managed vendor contracts, proofs, and invoices against budget with full ownership and accountability for outcomes. Director of Marketing and Public Relations Centreville Bank West Warwick, RI 2009 – 2013

● Identified and screened corporate giving and sponsorship opportunities across an assigned multi-town territory, recommending awards that increased local visibility, within a $1M annual budget in a regulated compliance environment.

● Conceived and executed Operation Mop Up, a community outreach campaign generating $700K+ in earned media value, coordinating on-site logistics with municipal officials, business associations, and community partners. Press Secretary and Director of Communications City of Cranston Cranston, RI 2007 – 2009

● Represented a municipal executive office before residents, media, and public bodies; monitored council, board, and ordinance activity and briefed leadership to ensure timely awareness and participation, including evening public meetings.

● Built the City's Crisis Management Response Team in under one week — cross-departmental emergency response and liaison infrastructure spanning Police, Fire, Economic Development, and the Executive Office, still operational today.

● Handled media relations, daily news monitoring and summaries, public meeting logistics, and community-facing materials across six municipal departments.

EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Communications Rhode Island College, Providence, RI Certifications: Executive Leadership and Crisis Management Google Analytics Generative AI Frameworks Additional: Valid motor vehicle license Available for emergency storm assignment, extended hours, night and weekend response, evening public meetings, and travel across MA/CT/NH Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship

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