The examples below reflect senior-level communications leadership in complex, research-driven, and reputationally sensitive environments. In many cases, the work involved confidential matters, collective effort, or institutional voice. For that reason, these summaries focus on context, role, judgment, and outcomes rather than artifacts.
Context: A large, research-intensive faculty operating in a fast-moving public and institutional environment, with multiple internal stakeholders and external audiences.
Role: Senior communications lead advising academic and administrative leadership; accountable for strategic alignment, media readiness, and narrative coherence.
Work: Designed and executed integrated communications strategies; advised leaders on positioning, messaging, and timing; translated highly technical research and institutional priorities into accessible narratives.
Outcome: Improved alignment between leadership priorities and public communications; clearer narrative discipline; stronger confidence among leaders engaging media and stakeholders.
Context: Senior leaders navigating organizational change, public scrutiny, or high-stakes decision-making.
Role: Strategic advisor and communications lead supporting executive decision-making.
Work: Developed leadership messaging, briefing materials, and internal communications; advised on tone, risk, and stakeholder perception; ensured consistency between stated values and public actions.
Outcome: More confident, credible leadership communications; reduced reactive messaging; stronger trust with internal and external audiences.
Context: Complex media environments involving research, public interest, and institutional reputation.
Role: Lead for media strategy and response, working closely with subject-matter experts and senior leaders.
Work: Proactive media strategy, reactive issues management, message development, and spokesperson preparation.
Outcome: Accurate, balanced media coverage; reduced reputational risk; leaders better prepared to engage with journalists and public audiences.
Context: Periods of organizational change marked by budget constraint, evolving leadership priorities, and the need for greater clarity, efficiency, and strategic alignment across communications functions.
Role: Senior communications leader responsible for advising leadership, restructuring teams and workflows, and aligning communications capacity with institutional priorities.
Work: Led the reorganization and growth of a communications and events team to better support leadership objectives; clarified roles, decision rights, and expectations; contributed to and supported a university-wide functional review of communications, with a focus on governance, capacity, and strategic coherence.
Outcome: Improved alignment between communications functions and leadership priorities; clearer accountability and decision-making; a more resilient, strategically focused communications operation under ongoing constraint.
Context: Highly technical or specialized research requiring public explanation without oversimplification.
Role: Communications strategist translating research into public-facing narratives.
Work: Shaped research stories for media, institutional channels, and stakeholders; worked with researchers to identify significance, impact, and relevance.
Outcome: Increased visibility and understanding of research; stronger alignment between research activity and institutional priorities.
Context: Organizations seeking to articulate values, responsibility commitments, or research-informed positions.
Role: Communications consultant providing strategy and research support.
Work: Stakeholder analysis, messaging frameworks, research synthesis, and communications planning.
Outcome: Clearer positioning, stronger credibility, and communications strategies grounded in evidence and ethical consideration.
Additional examples and references are available upon request.
Copyright © 2026 Jon Parsons - All Rights Reserved.