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Summary

Senior association and non-profit professional, specializing in strategic communications and government relations

Trilingual (French, English, Spanish) 13+ years experienced relationship builder in public relations, lobbying, social media, stakeholder relations in roles as a Stakeholder Liaison, Senior Communications, Membership Recruiter, and Association Management Consultant.  

Advanced skills in association/ non-profit strategy planning in governance, public affairs, board/ employee relations, marketing communications, advocacy and public relations. Accredited in Public Relations, Co-Author of Online PR and Social Media for Not-for-Profits and Associations.

Core strengths:

  • Member Services & Retention: Membership Recruitment, Donor Loyalty, Donor & Sponsor Recruitment
  • Grassroots Advocacy Campaign Design: Direct marketing, Email campaigns, Advocacy Group coordination, eAdvocacy
  • Media Relations & Public Relations: Social Media, Press Releases, Marketing Communications, Media Training, Public Relations Plans, Strategic Communications Plans, Public relations crisis management
  • People Management & Human Resources: Employee Retention Campaigns, Human Resource Planning
  • Stakeholder Relations: Focus Group Coordination, Stakeholder Engagement, Employee Communication, Brand Reputation, PR Strategy, Community Consultation, Stakeholder mapping
  • Government Relations: Lobbying, Public Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Meetings with Members of Parliament, Issue management, Policy Development
  • Marketing/ sponsor strategy: Online marketing, Sponsorship, Advertising, Marketing design, Social marketing strategies
  • Internal Communications: Corporate communication, Employee engagement, Effective communication skills, Communication skills training, Staff communication, Interpersonal communication skills
  • Change Management: Project management, Risk Management, Business management, Non-Profit Governance / Association Governance, Organizational change, Turnaround Management
  • Social Media Strategy: Social networking, Viral marketing, Social media optimization, Online marketing strategy, Social media monitoring, Social media public relations
  • Budget Management: Project management, Financial management, Project management tools
  • Grant Writing: Non Profit Fundraising, Government grants, Proposal writing, Non profit grants
  • Organizational Leadership: Change management, Organizational development, Leadership Skills, Team leadership

Accomplishments

  • History of recruiting and retaining new partnerships/ corporate memberships for national associations 
  • Transformed under-performing staff structures into ones that exceed business objectives
  • Doubled and tripled attendance at annual lobbying events with Members of Parliament
  • Secured meetings with parliamentarians and high level civil servants to address complex legislative reforms
  • Facilitated major media sponsorship generating significant new revenue sources
  • Coordinated internal membership communications strategy and structures for multi-million dollar organization while streamlining diverging stakeholder campaigns
  • Invited lecturer on social media, public relations strategy before organizations such as the Canadian Society of Association Executives, the Canadian Institute, and Humber College
  • Saved over 20% in outreach budgets while building successful national brand campaigns
  • Presented and trained government and non-profit sector executives in the use of social media for internal and external communications campaigns
  • Coordinated diverging association coalitions bringing consensus of different brands under one umbrella 
  • Coordinated coalitions of associations raising legislative issues with Members of Parliament
  • Contributed to significant policy advances both on Parliament Hill and in public affairs roles for numerous associations
  • Contributing author to the American Society of Association Executives’ book on association governance, “The Will to Govern Well” and Co-Author of “Online PR and Social Media for Not-for-Profits and Associations”
  • National media coverage for multiple organizations with well-written press releases, public service announcements and other texts of complex and varied nature in both official languages

 

Work History

Tecker Consultants

Yardley, PA, United States
Jun 2010 - Present
Senior Consultant 

Board Governance strategy, Social Media, Public Relations, Marketing for North America’s leading association governance consultancy. Accomplishments: Leading contributor of content to the American Society of Association Executives’ CEO symposium.

 

 

Action Strategies

Gatineau, QC, Canada
Jun 2001 - Present
Communications & Advocacy Consultant/ Principal and Chief Magnifying Officer 

 

Founded full service Public Relations and Government Relations consultancy with expertise in the non-profit and government sector.  Service areas of expertise include:

  • Social Media Strategy, Media Relations, Lobbying Government, Grassroots advocacy, Stakeholder and Partnership Engagement, Marketing Communications, Strategic Communications/ Public Relations

Sample Projects:

Member of the Senior Management and Strategic Planning Team, overseeing and coordinating External Relations and Communications functions:

  •  
    • Lead & managed up to 7 junior and intermediate public relations staff
      • Thorough integration of various communications strategies into the CPC's business plan lead to staff reporting higher levels of job satisfaction and in several instances, business objectives were exceeded.
    • Negotiated advertizing, sponsorship, and broadcast/publishing rights deals
    • Linked 13 different outreach campaigns under strategic communications plan that tied business efforts into direct deliverables staff understood and acted upon
      • Brought 22 different brands into a consolidated platform.
    • Spokesman before French and English National Media
    • Coordinated parliamentary caucus presentation with presence of Minister for Sport
  • Canadian Ski Council: Public Relations Consultant, Nov. 2007 – Feb. 2008
  • Education Quality Accountability Office, Ont. Gov’t: Senior Communications Officer, Feb. 2007 – April 2007
  • NAIMA Canada: Public Policy Researcher, Consultation & Government Relations Consultant, Aug. 2006 – Nov. 2006; Nov. 2008 - Feb. 2009
  • Canadian Academies of Science: Media Relations Consultant, Jan. 2006 – Feb. 2006

Additional client/ project list available on request

 

Information Communications Technology Council (ICTC)

Ottawa, ON, Canada
Nov 2009 - Jan 2011
Stakeholder Relations Liaison 

 

Liaise with community stakeholders on ICTC’s Immigration Initiatives. Co-ordinate workshops and communications; communicating awareness and promotion of online services; conduct nationwide focus groups; internal communications strategy for organization-wide stakeholder cooperation.

  • Building and growing relationships with partners and stakeholders with six new ententes signed within the first 3 months of starting.

 

Canadian Construction Association

Ottawa, ON, Canada
Nov 2003 - Jan 2005
External Communications Director 

Developed strategic communications and government relations services to reach out to legislators, Canadian youth and women, as well as to the national media.  Lead member growth and retention initiatives in Quebec.

  • Identified where brand was not penetrating or being identified with targeted publics.  Initiated widespread consultation process with the national press gallery.  Lead a volunteer committee in reviewing the brand standards of the association.  Result: CCA was equipped with a brand standard policy and revised its promotional materials with nationwide reach.
  • Coordinated government relations/ grassroots advocacy campaigns. Identified stakeholders and government officials who could assist in gaining policy advances for the construction industry.  Result: High-level presentations were secured with government decision makers bringing awareness of the industry’s concerns
  • Lead the development of one of the first intensive media relations campaigns to place the industry’s prominence in the same light as similar sized Canadian industries.  Undertook an intensive consultation process with the national press gallery, changing the association’s messaging to meet the gallery’s expectations.  Result: Press coverage was attained twice in Macleans Magazine, the Atlantic Business Journal, the Toronto Star, the Ottawa Citizen, and CBC Business Newsworld.

Canadian Hydropower Association

Ottawa, ON, Canada
Mar 2003 - Nov 2003
Public Affairs Manager 

Coalition building, government relations strategy, and organizing the annual public policy forum on hydropower.

  • Lobbied federal government to present the case of hydropower as the solution to reaching Kyoto Accord targets.  A strategic plan was developed to identify parliamentarians with significant hydropower resources in their riding.  Outreach efforts were then undertaken to educate them on this presence. Result: Presentations before MPs & civil servants.
  • Implemented first ever NGO outreach program, advanced industry's agenda with MPs.  Result: The coordination of the first coalition of solar, wind and hydro energy associations.

Office of Jason Kenney, Member of Parliament

Ottawa, ON, Canada
Feb 1997 - Mar 2003
Executive and Legislative Assistant 

First elected to Parliament in 1997, Jason Kenney served as the Official Opposition Critic for National Revenue, then as the Official Opposition Critic for Finance and later as the Critic for Canada-US Relations. He now serves as the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

 

Recruited first as a Junior Legislative Assistant, I later advanced to Executive Assistant handling correspondence, managing staff and volunteers, and various legislative and campaign projects.

 

Media Relations: Organized successful media campaigns that resulted in national exposure and also handled challenging and hostile media inquiries during 2001 leadership crisis.  I crafted well-written media releases and press kits.  Under media pressure and in crisis communication situations, I maintained a cool demeanour and stayed on message. Result: Jason Kenney remained one of the most quoted MPs in Ottawa and during the leadership crisis; I was able to limit negative media coverage and exposure.

 

Leadership: Responsible for office budget of $250,000 and oversaw the needs of two other staff members and hired summer interns.  I reviewed the budgetary needs of investing in staff.  Result: Budgetary savings from overhead equipment were reinvested into staff training, development and retention.

 

Campaigning: Undertook a variety of outreach efforts to support Mr. Kenney’s Private Members’ Bills.  I developed a database of over 20,000 names and categorized them by interest.  In addition, various public relations efforts were undertaken to raise awareness.  Result: Over 55,000 signatures were amassed nation-wide in support of 2 minutes of silence on Remembrance Day.

Education

University of Ottawa / Université d'Ottawa

Ottawa, ON, Canada
Sep 1993 - Apr 1997
Bachelor, Political Science

Carleton University & the Government Relations Institute of Canada

Ottawa, ON, Canada
Jan 2000 - Apr 2000
Masters Certificate, Government Relations

Master’s Level Seminar: Government Relations Fundamentals - Received ''A'' and commendation from former advisor to Prime Minister Chrétien

Skills

Fluent in French & Spanish

(Expert)
7-9 Years Experience, (Last Used <1 year ago)
Skillometer_4

Certifications

APR

(Canadian Public Relations Society)
Dec 2007 - Has no expiration

CPRS Accreditation (APR) is a respected measure of professional experience in the field of public relations. This program recognizes the dedication, energy, perseverance and competence of successful public relations professionals. To pursue the accreditation process candidates must satisfy the following eligibility requirements:

  • In good standing of the Canadian Public Relations Society.
  • Employed full-time in a public relations position for at least five years; and
  • Spend at least half of one's professional time involved in specific public relations activities.

The examinations consist of three parts: a review of a work sample, a written examination and an oral examination. The exams are designed to test the breadth and depth of a candidate's public relations experience and ability. The goals of CPRS National Council on Accreditation are to assure professional competence; establish standards for professional practice; increase recognition for the profession within business organizations and the community, and influence the future direction of the profession.

Learn More about Me

Mark Buzan on LinkedIn

Get to Know Mark Buzan

Click Here for an Enlarged Video Presentation

Testimonials

Mark Gets Press Coverage

Scoring 2 mentions in Macleans in 6 months

Maclean's front cover

As an Experienced Media Relations Professional, I scored the Canadian Construction Association 2 mentions in Macleans Magazine in a 6 month period.  This coverage was otherwise difficult for CCA to obtain before I worked with this national trade association.

Media Relations Success

Scoring Otherwise refused media coverage for Special Olympics

Special Olympics

In 2007, Special Olympics Ontario called upon my help to publicize it's annual "World's Largest Truck Convoy" from London, Ontario to Paris, Ontario.  As a result of my help, the organization was interviewed for the first time on Toronto's biggest talk news radio station - coverage that had previously been denied them.

Lecturer on Social Media

Slideshare_16 Yes, Non-Profits CAN Build an Energized Fan Base through Social Media

This was a presentation given via webinar before close to 100 registrants

Co-Author & Speaker