I am teaching basic communications courses at local community colleges. Topics include:
I'm teaching Writing for the Mass Media. It encompasses writing across multiple media including news (radio, television and print), blogs, Twitter, and writing for podcasts and video/television. A fun course with a lot of different applications.
I worked with video production, graphic design, and web design and upkeep. For the last two years of my tenure, I oversaw the public relations department in addition to serving as liaison to the Council on Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee. I also served as the organization-side producer for three annual meetings and "called the show" for these events. Our team won more than 20 national awards for graphics, video and print while I served as team leader—very talented team! I was smart enough to let them run!
As a freelance communications specialist, I produced videos for large corporations and small non-profits. Some of my clients were:
I assisted lobbyists in researching issues and I wrote for the statewide "Family" magazine. I produced and edited a video series entitled, "Family Policy Perspectives" which took an in depth look at twelve public policy issues and featured interviews of nationally recognized spokespeople in each segment. I was interviewed and served as a spokesperson on several radio and television programs.
I worked at various radio stations doing news, but the last one was WRAL-FM and the North Carolina News Network. I covered news conferences and events, wrote news stories and newscasts, and anchored newscasts for both entities.
NC State's Masters in Communication is research- and theory-based with good practical application on creating communication and public relations campaigns and a strong emphasis on social media. A member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society at North Carolina State University (4.0 GPA).
I was a officer of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes group at UNC-CH for three years. I was also a member of the Varsity Fencing Team.
This video won a first place award from the Baptist Communicators Association. It defined the theme for the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.
This video was used to generate excitement around our new website launch and during New Pastor Orientations to provide a brief tour of the resources available to them on our site.
A survivor in Haiti—Baptist State Convention of NC website
Ignoring our most vital resource—on donor relations, from my blog
Time to Reconsider—Raleigh News and Observer
New Editor of Biblical Recorder (with audio)—Baptist State Convention of NC website
Transformation India Research Paper (download) This is a research paper that I wrote at the completion of a study I did on Transformation India Movement in Bihar, India. The goal was to quantify the effectiveness of the ministry and thereby help raise awareness and funds for its expansion.Amber Lehman, CEO, First Choice Pregnancy Solutions, Wake County, NC—"Traci Griggs is just delightful! She has done several projects for us on a "Non-Profit budget" and resourcefully produced great videos that communicate our message very well. I especially recommend Traci on her character and on her heart to see non-profit causes flourish."
Mary Amundsen, Board Member and Former Chair of LifeCare, on recent contract work for their organization—I have known Traci Griggs for more than ten years as a talented professional and a gifted spokesperson for vital causes. More recently, Traci conducted a confidential survey of our donors and incorporated its results into insightful recommendations for outreach. She crafted an electronic challenge grant for our Fatherhood Initiative which not only met its income goal but exceeded our expectations for innovation and creativity.
Sally Hulick, Chief Marketing Officer with FMI—Traci is a visionary, phenomenal communicator, producer and non-profit extraordinaire!
BT Walsh, Trailblazer Studios Business Services Manager on producing seven video and television projects for IBM—I found Traci to be very talented, creative, cooperative, well-organized, a good communicator and an effective manager of people and tasks. It has been my experience that it is difficult to find someone who does so many things well in this business.
Joanne McDaniel, Center for the Prevention of School Violence on producing a series of statewide PSAs and an instructional video on bullying—Her work has been professional, high quality, and youth focused. She understands youth culture and is focused and energetic in her approach to work. She has provided us with quality products in a timely manner and has done so with limited funding and quick turn-around time.
Michael B. Long, M.L Video Productions on producing a video training series—The smartest decision I made regarding production was securing Traci as producer. Traci exhibits above and beyond professionalism to any project she’s involved and she certainly exceeded my expectations in the quality of work she produced for me. Her manner and demeanor are superb. Her ability to work with others is extraordinary. She is not only talented in her field; but charming, creative, and caring. Traci is a hard worker completely dedicated to the task at hand.”
John S. Thomas, former Pastor of Administration, Colonial Baptist Church on producing five videos for a large church—…without exception, Traci has been a true joy to work with. Her attention to detail and high quality of her work has resulted in videos that were perfectly suited to our purposes. I observed in Traci an ability to combine an understanding of our needs with the creativity and professionalism that produced outstanding results. In addition, her warmth and friendliness promoted an atmosphere that allowed our people to relax. She has been a true delight to work with.
Paul Green, Ph.D., Senior Clinical Research Scientist on producing a training video for a drug manufacturer—Traci was able to bring forward a video that was far beyond the creative and production capabilities of our group. She was also very sensitive to our budget constraints, with the result being a high quality training video without out budget limits. She was very patient in dealing with our in-house scientists and clinicians and with our outside experts on bipolar disorder.
Bill Boatwright, former News Bureau and Public Relations Leader on long tenure producing projects for the Baptist State Convention of NC—I have known and worked for Traci as a creative producer for almost 20 years. Perhaps Traci’s greatest contribution is her ability to capture the true ‘heart and soul’ of the program. She has demonstrated an unusual talent to capture the essence of an event. In a word, Traci’s programs are believable.
Brian Davis, Executive Leader for Administration, Baptist State Convention of NC on serving as Team Leader of the Creative Team and PR at the Baptist State Convention of NC—Traci, in less that one year’s time, has brought organization, order, and effectiveness back to the team. Her leadership, management style/skills, administrative efforts, budget management, and interpersonal skills are to be recognized.
Sarah London, Communications Instructor on teaching Communications at NC State University—Traci’s enthusiasm and creativity are very impressive. Traci had diverse examples and used a variety of teaching methods that catered to students with different learning styles. She has an enjoyable and captivating presence.
First Place, Baptist Communicators Association, UpClose: Discipleship Feature, 2012.
First place, Baptist Communicators Association, Annual Meeting Theme Interpretation Video, 2010
M.E Dodd Grand Prize Winner, Baptist Communicators Association, UpClose audio magazine, 2006
First place, Aegis awards, St. Joseph's of the Pines promotional video, 2002
ITVA Silver Reel Award, Mandate Video Magazine, 1990
First place, Associated Press, Tornado Coverage, 1988
First place, Associated Press and United Press International, Vietnam Veterans joint series, 1987
NC Association of Educators School Bell Award, 1985
First place, United Press International, Death Row Series, 1984
Road biking, triathlons, reading, good movies, teaching college and young careers class at our church.
My focus in working with non-profits is to help you take your communication to the next level. I walk with the staff and board to evaluate your existing donor and marketing strategies. We identify the ‘next steps’ toward communicating your message more effectively, and develop a plan that works within your organization’s resources.
This is provided on a contractual basis so you can get the help you need without adding additional staff.
I work from my home office and since I don't have the overhead of agencies, I can work for much less. However, I have a whole host of experts I can call on if I need to assemble a team for bigger challenges.
Here are some more specifics on how I can help you:
A little bit about me:
After working as a radio news reporter for 7 years out of college, I started my own production company doing on-camera talent and narration, script writing, audio editing, and then video producing and editing. I worked for large, multinational companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and IBM, and a host of smaller non-profits (my personal favorite).
I saw the value of incorporating more research into my communications toolbox so I launched into a Masters in Communication program. Research and theory help organizations make informed decisions and allow them to utilize best practices when developing a communication/public relations plan—instead of just 'going with your gut'. Research also helps to measure whether the communication plan needs to be tweaked or is having the desired effect.Please take a moment to look at just a few of the videos I've produced recently on your right. The top one is a project that combines video and audio production, coupled with field study and a research paper documenting the positive change that this ministry is having on the villages in India. I am using it to apply for grants for Transformation India Movement.