Fall 2017 Newsletter
Staff Spotlight: Meet Jennifer Brown, Public Relations & Marketing Associate
Q: Tell us a little about your role in CEDAC.
On the day to day, I manage all of CEDAC’s marketing and communications materials – so the quarterly newsletters, annual reports, press releases, op eds, and CEDAC’s new blog, INSITES – working with executive and program staff to generate ideas, developing content, and drafting copy. I played a pretty big role in launching CEDAC’s rebranding and redesigned websites as well. I work with the CEDAC team to tell CEDAC’s story and to highlight the work of our community partners across the state.
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
I really enjoy the strategy element of my work. CEDAC’s been around for a while – we’re currently celebrating our 40th year – and as a public private organization, it has evolved to meet the needs of the non-profit partners and local communities we serve. I’m a firm believer in carrying this evolution into CEDAC’s brand as well. We’re a strong organization with a long history in community development and I think it’s important that we keep up with the times when it comes to engaging with stakeholders and partner organizations in the digital world we live in.
Q: Describe some of your favorite CEDAC-funded projects.
For me, my favorite projects are always the ones that I have a personal connection to. Unlike the project managers or other administrative staff, I typically see projects once they are completed. And much of the time, that is at a point when CEDAC has been involved for a number of years. I think my favorite is Chapman Arms, which was the first affordable housing development to be preserved through the Chapter 40T sale process. We featured it in our 2014 annual report and I had the best and most memorable conversation with the resident we featured. She was lovely to talk to and had me laughing for most of our phone call. Hearing her talk about the role she played in organizing the tenants so she and her neighbors could remain in the place they called home was inspiring and really shed light on the importance of CEDAC’s work and that of our community partners.
Q: What’s your background? How did you come to work for CEDAC?
I have a degree in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University but had some experience in public relations and communications through internships. I considered moving to Washington, DC after college but decided to move to Boston to be closer to family, and I found CEDAC. It’s been great connecting the public policy I learned about to work that actually has an impact on people’s lives.