Nicole Fincham

Selected Contributions:

Client: U.S. Tiger, Inc.

Client: E-Connect Card Systems, 1st State Sports Club, (same client)

• Provided Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Business Development, Web and Design Development services for an iphone application and two sports league organizations on a part-time basis.

Client: Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance

• Arranged and participated in various on-air radio interviews with Mix 106.5, 98 Rock, and WYPR 88.1 to promote a Gala and a neighborhood house tour event.
• Obtained media articles for various clients with The Baltimore Sun (online and print) and various local event blogs including Charm City Moms.
• Obtained over $4,000 worth of silent auction donations for a Gala, including hotel and airline accommodations, group wine tours and dinners, memberships to The Maryland Zoo and The National Aquarium, and gift certificates to retail stores and restaurants.
• Developed and promoted an event blog and social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Client: Sports International Football Camps

• Drove 100% increase in revenues and transformed company into content and ecommerce powerhouse by expanding niche to open up opportunities
• Achieved goal to raise brand awareness by effectively researching, developing and implementing an action plan to target each market’s niche through social media.
• Designed and developed social marketing sites for 23 football camps, which included targeted photos and videos for each market, while continuously building their fan base network.
• Distributed online brochures, flyers and press releases to a substantial list of online networking sites.

Professionals For Paws We are a group of professionals whose mission is to raise money and awareness for animal rescue organizations in the Baltimore area.

Run and manage the Social Media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr (beta)

• Pawject Runway, A Dog & Cat Fashion Show to benefit BARCS! Apart of the team that raised $18, 393.00 for Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter

Animal Allies Rescue Foundation (AARF) is dedicated to promoting the rescue and adoption of abandoned, abused, homeless, and neglected animals.

Baltimore Humane Society

March of Dimes

Rescue The Chesticles Suzanne Whang

Provided full marketing, advertising, event planning, and website development support for the Commercial, Retail, Self-Storage, and Residential property sales teams.

• Introduced management team to social media as a means to develop leads and track competition.
• Led the creative and design direction of all branding and marketing collateral.
• Updated, re-organized, and modernized all property files, sales kits, and websites with pivotal key points to build brand awareness.
• Coordinated with local web, print, and billboard agencies to increase and improve visibility for all properties and to promote specific events and/or new vacancy opportunities.
• Developed a strong contractual relationship with specific vendors in order to develop flat rates for all catering, printing and collateral needs.
• Created, designed, and coordinated the printing of all marketing collateral, such as fliers, programs, rack cards, signage, banners, advertisements (web & print), and promotional items such as duffle bags, t-shirts, etc.
• Monitored each industries trend along with competitors by and subscribing to their Google alerts e-mail list serves.
• Established uniform and marketing collateral correspondence procedures and style practices.
• Developed and executed comprehensive multi-channel marketing campaigns based on budgets created from scratch, with minimal comparison information.
• Created and distributed new property or vacancy press releases and media materials, such as fact sheets and press kits to CoStar and Loopt.
• Optimized programs designed to increase revenue and market share growth for key, newly-flagged, and properties under construction.
• Coordinated Broker dinners, happy hours, and golf events to showcase new and vacant properties.
• Developed a strong community presence by participating in local fairs, sponsoring local sports leagues and organizations such as the Frederick Keys and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, and facilitating donations to local shelters and food drives.
• Responsible for establishing and implementing all aspects of each departments event and monthly promotional calendars
• Coordinated two large seasonal concert events with popular local bands and coordinated the donation of all beer garden proceeds to local charities.
• Coordinated and executed a successful Trick-or-Treating Halloween event, which included pumpkin carving and best-costume contests.
• Coordinated a “Breakfast with Santa” event at a local tenant, IHOP restaurant.
• Coordinated and designed menus and layouts for 11 of the larger corporate offices holiday parties.
• Promoted all above events in local newspapers and online networking sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, and various blogs and message boards and canvassing posters, flyers and adding banners throughout the shopping center.

This was a newly-developed dual role designed by the operators, Columbia Sussex Corporation, to provide corporate sales support by increasing catering and sales revenue for the Sheraton Baltimore City Center while effectively cross-promoting the Private Dining Room for Shula’s Steak House.

Catering Sales Manager (Sheraton Baltimore City Center)

• Coordinated with various internal departments to create cost-effective packages to corporate groups for customized meeting room set-ups, appropriate audio/visual equipment, and tailored catering menu designs.
• Promoted the newly-renovated hotel by hosting meetings with KoffeeTalk and NACE and donating the restaurant catering services.
• Developed referral incentives and customer loyalty programs.
• Tracked state conventions and major corporate functions by reviewing reader boards and following local event calendars.

 Business Development Manager (Shula’s Steak House)

• Developed monthly themed sports promotions and packages by capitalizing on the Shula name and the restaurant’s large sports bar.
• Participated in an on-air interview with the 98 Rock morning show to increase awareness of the restaurant and to promote a large New Year’s Eve event.
• Increased restaurant awareness with promotional flyers and banners, signage and e-mail marketing through Fishbowl.
• Promoted the restaurant to hotel guests by developing “lunch specials” for meeting attendees and distributing fliers and menus to meeting rooms.
• Assisted with the design and development of innovative and cost-effective menus.
• Coordinated the promotion, menu and reservations for Restaurant Week.

Events & Promotions Manager (9/2007 – 11/2008) / Interim Marketing & Public Relations Manager (9/2007 to 2/2008)/Special Events Coordinator (4/2006 to 9/2007)

From conception to completion, seamlessly orchestrated private and public, on and off-site events, with budgets up to $500,000 with up to 10,000 attendees, including Zoomerang.

• Employee of the month, January 2008.
• Responsible for the training, delegation, motivation, schedules, and evaluation of (1) full-time, (2) yearly interns, (16+) part-time staff, and (200+) volunteers.
• Maintained the marketing staff by training and challenging them, developing personal and professional growth opportunities, creating a performance incentive program and giving them opportunities to learn and grow from each event experience.
• Designed, planned and managed all aspects of private donor and high profile events, public events such as press events, music festivals,5k races, overnight camping, Trick or Treating throughout the Zoo, etc.
• Served as the main point of contact Behind the Scenes and donor high profile events which included such guests as including Mayor O’ Malley and Rosie O’Donnell.
• Effectively increased attendance and billable revenue by identifying each event’s theme’s niche market along with following trends and approaching our audience and peers and asking for their suggestions on improvement.
• Bridged the departmental gaps, by including each department head in key event component decisions, and developed a mandatory meeting schedule one week prior to each event to finalize all details
• Developed and implemented detailed tracking policies, procedures, and protocol for each event, which effectively allowed us to enhance reoccurring events and allow conformity which increased the comfort level for participating zoo departments, while most importantly increasing R.O.I.
• Attended and monitored other Zoo event trends, along with local like competing events, while also setting up specific Google alerts, and subscribing to e-mail subscriptions.
• Continuously adding “value” to events such as Street Teams handing out free promotional items, adding niche vendors, a children’s area, along with face painters, roaming entertainment, partnering with urbanite that provided labeled lawn chairs for our guests, in return or membership, adding VIP tents, along with a lavish private area sponsored by Don Pablo’s.
• Developed a stronger community presence by participating in festivals, partnering with local charities by allowing them to have a strong presence at our events, etc.
• Created, designed, and coordinated the printing of all marketing collateral, such as fliers, programs, rack cards, signage, banners, advertisements (web & print), and promotional items such as duffle bags, t-shirts, etc.
• Developed online marketing strategies and tactical link building tools using Google Analytics, Ad words Editor, Google Ad Words, and other cross-channel tracking for non-Google campaigns along with the most popular social media sites.
• Participated in multiple local news interview segments regarding event promotions and represented the zoo in a television commercial for Baltimore County Saving Bank.
• Increased news and media coverage by building an extensive database of key influencers and journalists and networking at industry events.
• Developed and managed execution of non-traditional promotional plans including print and broadcast advertising, collateral materials, internet marketing opportunities, off-site distribution outlets, and partner-supported special events (resulted in at least 40% increased attendance for each event).
• Played key role in Zoo wide advertising by working closely with the Leffler Agency and our affiliates.
• Successfully developed "on-the-spot" contingency plans during adverse weather conditions and staff/volunteer shortages.
• Developed formal sponsorship opportunities offering and array of opportunities to advisers, including offering membership and event sponsorship packages (150) local organizations, such as Don Pablo’s, FOP. Winner, Starleigh Entertainment, Charm City Hospitality, etc. which effectively saved The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore over $500,000. For example, developed an annual contracted sponsorship agreement with Don Pablo’s in return for substantial advertisements on-site, print and online. Also, aligning with Zoomerang’s theme, Panamanian Golden Frog, I approached Rainforest Café regarding possible décor donation.Their warehouse full of décor effectively saved the zoo over $10,000.00.
• Exceeded fundraising goals and broke previous records each year by forging strategic alliances with specific organizations and received thousands of dollars of in-kind donations for live and silent auctions ranging from weekend getaways, free Southwest flights, and packages such as a helicopter ride to New York followed with a Broadway show, dinner and hotel accommodations.
• Worked with local colleges to assist with the recruitment of students or recent grads for relevant event staff positions. 

• Ensured that all safety methods, practices and programs were implemented and maintained.
• Designed, planned and managed all aspects of the Executive Committee Meetings, Clinical Advisory Meetings, Board of Trustees Meetings, Donor Remembrance Ceremonies, along with all formal dinners, and holiday parties, including but not limited to, catering, meeting agenda, book speakers, along with their travel, meeting minutes and sent out pre-meeting preparation materials, these events were both on and off-site.
• Prepared for all of the above meetings by obtaining and tracking statistics and trends reported by the Donor Services Center.
• In order to maintain organization, from registration, booking air, hotel, ground transportation, and dinner reservations, to providing local attractions and events, including all agendas and preparatory worksheets, I created a formal “Travel Accommodations”, which is still used to this day.
• Developed a strong sense of maintaining small to little budgets, and incorporated new cost-saving ways.
• Negotiate the purchase of office supplies and office equipment in accordance with company purchasing policies and budgetary restrictions.
• Maintained a clean, professional and safe working environment by inspecting and scheduling maintenance, and ensuring that all office and warehouse equipment is properly accounted for and in safe working condition.
• Reviewed clerical and personnel records to ensure accuracy.

Research & Development Coordinator (12/2002 to 4/2006)

• Handled all Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable.
• Kept track of personal, vacation and sick time taken from all of the District Managers.
• Sourced and executed all aspects of local and out-of-state meetings.
• Coordinated all flights, meals, hotel and travel accommodations, including the rooming lists for each District Manager and their Store Managers for quarterly meetings. (over 1000 people),
• Create and Design each PowerPoint Presentation for every meeting.
• Processed placed and expedited purchase requisitions for supplies, equipment, and services as well as resolved accounting issues regarding invoicing.

Accountants, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida – 3/2000 to 5/2001/Baltimore, Maryland – 11/2000 to 5/2001

Office Manager

• Played a large part in the successful opening of the Jacksonville Florida branch.
• Worked from the owner’s home for the first month while the newly built office was finalizing completion.
• Worked closely with the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
• Responsible for the branch’s human relations functions which included scheduling interviews, completing personnel paperwork, and maintaining personnel files, payroll and expense reports.
• Managed the upkeep of office equipment, housekeeping, and security.
• Responsible for all temporary agents payroll.
• Provided schools with marketing materials for promotional use and organize career fairs on and off campuses.
• Supported sales managers and sales representatives with all mailings, letters and all other requests.
• Responsible for Petty Cash.
• Screen, test and pre-interview job applicants.
• Verified academic degrees for candidates who registered with us.
• Organized Open House for candidates and Meet & Greet for clients.
• Investigated credit references for potential clients.
• Distributed and graded accounting tests to new candidates.
• Designed newsletters, brochures, charts, graphs and PowerPoint Presentations.

Baltimore, Maryland-3/2000 – 11/2000

This position was responsible for handling all aspects of the billing, invoicing, and payroll duties for ten of our branch offices.

• Developed strong relationships with each branch office administrator, which enabled us to maintain a strong level of trust.
• Provided all aspects of travel support for designated offices for training purposes.

Please click here to view a Letter of Recommendation from Charlie Alexander.

“Nicole Fincham is a hardworking, detail-oriented and highly motivated Events & Promotions Manager. She has the strong ability to develop and implement multiple high attendance events while maintaining essential returns on investment. I had the pleasure of working with her and would be honored to work with her again in the future. Highly recommended!”

July 7, 2008

Caroline Tippett,Marketing Manager, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimoremanaged Nicole at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore

It is with great pleasure that I recommend Mrs. Nicole Fincham as a candidate for employment with your company.

Mrs. Fincham worked with our company on a social media project this year and I can't speak highly enough of her performance.  We are not hiring at this time or she would be a top candidate.  During my association with Mrs. Fincham, I have not worked with a more professional, hard working, loyal, or dedicated person.  She is dedicated to the betterment of our company and no one will out work her. 

She consistently demonstrates outstanding leadership and an ability to complete the required task.   She has also shown a willingness to accept responsibility above and beyond what is expected of her.  When we need something important done (on time and correct), she is one of the first people that come to mind for the task.  Her contemporaries have a very high respect for her ability, her enthusiastic leadership and the professionalism she demonstrates. 

I recommend Mrs. Fincham with the highest of recommendations for the Robert H. Smith School of Business.   She will be an asset and a leader for your program. 

Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss further or if you need additional information. 

Best regards,

Chad Bollweg

Vice President, Sports International

301-575-9502

Please click here to view a Letter of Recommendation from Nina McCarthy.