CERT ID is a third-party certification programs helping food producers certify their products as free from the presence of genetically modified food. I created product descriptions for their online bookstore. I collaborated with CERT ID staff on an article published in Food Quality & Safety, an industry magazine, published by Wiley, which is one of the world’s foremost academic and professional publishers publishing more than 1,400 scholarly peer-reviewed journals, books, major reference works, databases, and laboratory manuals in print and online.
The article Global Food Safety Initiative Improves Organizational Culture, Efficiency in Food Industry
by Rhonda Wellik, was published in the Food Quality & Safety April 2, 2012 Issue.
Singer/Songwriter Jane Roman Pitt asked me to launch a two-month PR campaign to publicize her music video “Iowa Gold.” Our short campaign produced multi-state press coverage, a segment on Iowa Public Radio’s Talk of Iowa, a feature on Iowa Department of Economic Development Travel Iowa website, and recognition of Jane’s song by members of the Iowa state legislature. The campaign culminated with a meeting at the State Capitol with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and a presentation of the video to him. We added an “Iowa Gold” landing page to Jane’s website and created a Facebook page for the music video. Also, as a result of our campaign’s media efforts, video images of rural Iowa by photographer Ken West, Pitt’s co-creator on the video, caught the attention of the producers of Market to Market the nationally syndicated PBS show produced in Iowa. These images are now the permanent visual background each week for the show with 60 million viewers nationwide.
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Thresholding Palliative Care Services co-owners, Jennifer Hamilton, BSN, RN and Liza McClure, LPN, ADN are ‘local heroes’ who serve their rural Iowa community by attending to the needs of our growing population near the end of life. Together, they are ‘movers and shakers’ facilitating a larger dialogue about death and dying, and helping to better prepare individuals and families for this final transition.
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, published in the The Iowa Source Jun 2012 issue.
ART52 owners Dale and Julie Stephens are passionate about serving artists. I share their belief that ‘the world would be a better place if more artists were able to make a living doing what they do best—creating beautiful works of art for society to enjoy. ART52’s gallery openings, art reproduction studio, and website are part of their effort to help local artists grow their businesses and position themselves for a successful career. I’ve written numerous articles, blogs, and news items about their business and the artists they represent.
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Cafe Paradiso co-Owners, Steve and Meret Giacomini asked me to write a cover story to celebrate their 10th anniversary in business. Cafe Paradiso is an authentic Berkeley style coffee house and home to the Paradiso Stage, a widely recognized music venue in Fairfield IA. The article featured a history of their ten years in business and the launch of Cafe Paradiso’s unique blend of organic, shade-grown, fair trade coffee beans, both online and at food markets in Iowa City and Des Moines.
Cafe Paradiso: One Man’s Passion Pays Off at Popular Fairfield Coffeehouse was published in the The Iowa Source Aug 2014 issue.
Artists and Their Work
Business
My husband, artist Tony Ellis is a favorite client of mine. In 2014, we launched a PR campaign for his fine art installation FINDING BEAUTY : GRAND RAPIDS during ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan. An estimated 80,000 people visited his installation at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art (UICA) during the three weeks it was on display. His piece was acquired by UICA and remains on permanent display in their ‘Loft’ space. In February 2017, I wrote a Press Release for Space Gallery in Denver, Colorado for VANTAGE POINT, a two-man exhibition of Fine Art Photography opening February 17th, 2017 and featuring the work of artists Tony Ellis and Paul Brokering.
Taking the Mundane to the Magical: The Art of Tony Ellis, a blog post at ‘Creatives in the Community’ www.MUM.edu, 02/01/2016.
Tony Ellis: The Art of Collaboration an article published in The Iowa Source Aug 2014 Issue.
FINDING BEAUTY: GRAND RAPIDS [Web log post]. ArtPrize Entry Profile. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
Kaczmarczyk, J. (2014, September 30) ‘Inside Edition’ anchor Deborah Norville ‘knocked out’ by ArtPrize 2014 The Grand Rapids Press, Retrieved December 9, 2016.
Scott Group Studio’s Facebook “TBT” post. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
Butterfield, E. (2014, September) STREETBOX I: Collaboration With Artist Tony Ellis For ArtPrize [Web log post]. Scott Group Studio, Retrieved December 9, 2016.
VANTAGE POINT [Web log post]. Exhibition of Fine Art Photography by Tony Ellis and Paul Brokering at the Space Gallery, Denver Co. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
Singer/Songwriter Jane Roman Pitt asked me to launch a two-month PR campaign to publicize her music video “Iowa Gold.” Our short campaign produced multi-state press coverage, a segment on Iowa Public Radio’s Talk of Iowa, a feature on Iowa Department of Economic Development Travel Iowa website, and recognition of Jane’s song by members of the Iowa state legislature. The campaign culminated with a meeting at the State Capitol with Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and a presentation of the video to him. We produced “Iowa Gold” landing page for Jane’s website and a Facebook page for the video. As a result of our campaign’s media efforts, video images of rural Iowa by photographer Ken West, Pitt’s co-creator on the video, caught the attention of the producers of Market to Market the nationally syndicated PBS show produced in Iowa. These images are now the permanent visual background for the show’s 60 million viewers nationwide.
Dan Hurlin is a New York, performance artist, puppet artist and Director of Graduate Theater at Sarah Lawrence College. With performances in New York at Dance Theater Workshop, PS 122, La MaMa, E.T.C., Danspace, The Kitchen, St. Ann’s Warehouse, and alternative presenters throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, he holds dozens of awards in his field.
Beyond Sesame Street an interview published in The Iowa Source, Sep 2012 Issue.
Non-Profits
The Jefferson County Farm to School Greenhouse, was a Hometown Harvest partnership with Schaus-Vorhies Kleaning, Inc. Farm to School Greenhouse project leader Jan Swinton, a self-described farmer’s daughter worked closely with project partner, Greg Vorhies co-owner of Schaus-Vorhies. The project uses Schaus-Vorhies’ waste heat to create an ideal grow environment in the project’s on-site greenhouse. Greenhouse produce was harvested and delivered directly to local schools. My PR efforts for Jan and her project resulted in multi-state press coverage, including a front-page story in The Des Moines Register, (Eller, Donele. “A Green Thumbs-Up: Rare partnership of factory, school and non-profits delivers fresh, local veggies to kids.” The Des Moines Register 4 Apr 2014: A2. Print); coverage in the Iowa Press Citizen, the Omaha World Herald, and Living the Country Life.
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DREAM GREEN was a 2012 KRUU-FM radio series to educate Iowans about the most innovative and successful energy practices in their state. Dream Green played weekly on 100.1 KRUU-FM, reaching a hometown population of 10,000, and streamed live on KRUU’s website, with more than a million visits per month. A new website was built as a permanent hub for the series’ content with other radio stations, libraries, businesses, and schools. Together with Stuart Tanner and James Moore, I researched targets across the state, highlighting key cities, projects, and people to present in the series. I scheduled and conducted each show’s pre-interviews and subsequent on-site productions. I wrote articles, press releases and online materials for the series website. Our team spent the summer of 2012 visiting and interviewing leaders and innovators in a new Iowa location each week while producing 20 hours of new programming for the station.
FAIRFIELD BLUE ZONES asked me to write a monthly blog with the goal engaging our community’s participation in order to achieve official Blue Zones Community designation. The blog provided updates on local events, tips on achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and Blue Zone diet and cooking tips.
Fairfield Blue Zones did achieve official designation in 2016 enhancing the health and wellness this rural community of 10,000.
