Jennifer Collins has joined the Darlington Community as content manager for the Communication Office.
"I have worked in content management for many years, often going at it alone, and it can be somewhat daunting to generate relatable and consistent content on a daily basis," said Collins. "At Darlington, I'm impressed at the variety of events and activities and how deeply involved students and faculty are in the content generation process. I especially look forward to working with students, finding ways to look for their perspective and highlight their talents and interests through both Darlington's website and social media channels."
Collins holds a B.S. from Shorter College and multiple certifications, including HubSpot's Inbound Marketing Certification and the Southeast Tourism Society's Tourism Marketing Professional Certification.
She has nearly 20 years of experience in marketing and public relations, serving most recently as inbound marketing manager at SAI Digital. Her previous roles have included digital marketing and public relations officer at Katahdin Trust Co., a dual role as public information officer for the City of Rome and marketing coordinator for the Greater Convention & Visitors Bureau, account representative and creative director for the Rome Braves, creative director for Lamar Advertising, and promotions and marketing director for K-98 Radio.
"My first job in high school was as a weekend DJ at a small hometown radio station. At the time, I was also serving as editor in chief of my high school's yearbook staff," said Collins. "I never imagined that these two interests would so strongly define my career path, but ever since then I've been using the skills learned during those foundational years and have built on them from there.
"I have led marketing efforts for a variety of industries and at the core of everything has been clear written, visual, photographic and spoken communication done in a collaborative environment," she continued. "The tools and channels have changed quite a bit through the years, but at the heart of my work the basics have remained constant."
Collins and her family recently returned to Rome after spending the past six years living in Maine.
"Before we moved back, I told my husband that I'd love to be able to find a marketing position in either education or healthcare, two of Rome's strongest industries," she said. "When a position opened up in Darlington's communications department, I was elated. I have been most impressed by the spirit of service and humility that is embraced by Darlington's faculty, staff, and students each and every day. There is a sense of community that is inspiring and an energy that is contagious."
Tannika Wester, Darlington's director of communications, is excited to welcome Collins to the communications team.
"Jennifer brings with her a wealth of experience across numerous sectors, including finance, government, and tourism, and has been primarily responsible for generating compelling content in all of her previous roles," said Wester. "She has great ideas and is a storyteller in the truest sense of the word. I am so glad to have her on our team as we seek to share the Darlington story far and wide."
Outside of work, Collins enjoys spending time with her husband, Daniel, and their children, Emalee, 10, and Eston, 6.
"Our family loves to kayak, fish and camp, often with our springer spaniel in tow," she said. "I also love to garden and can usually be found with my camera nearby."
In addition, she has an entertaining personal blog about parenting and life, which can be found at www.graceful-mess.com,
"I'm a sporadic blogger and have had my work syndicated by BlogHer, Scary Mommy, Mamapedia, Great Moments in Parenting, and Brain, Child Magazine," she said. "I've also had my work published in a great parenting anthology, 'Never Would I Ever! (And then I had kids).'"
Collins is a member of the Downtown Development Authority Promotions Committee and a graduate of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Rome program.
