Jackie Rodgers
773-329-5871 jackierodgers.com
Experienced branding, marketing, communications and digital executiveMy diversified experience includes leading a Fortune 500 company’s global marketing interests in soccer, running multiple professional sporting events, forging change in city and state government agencies, managing corporate communications and starting up profitable small businesses ahead of the trend. Leadership development and staff growth and development are my passions.
professional experience
Illinois State Board of Education, Chicago, IL 2016-2018
Chief Communications and Partnerships Officer
Led a team of six in creation and oversight of all internal and external communications at ISBE, including: media relations, special event production, district communications, preparing internal and external mandated reports, editing, promoting and marketing public education on social and digital media.
- Led re-design and content upgrade for the new ISBE website to make the design responsive, intuitive and mobile-friendly.
- Re-imagined ISBE’s approach to communications, created subject-matter experts in communications, changed media approach to be pro-active from reactive, and created a strategic plan that aligned with the agency’s goals, and vastly expanded social media reach.
- Created agency’s first editorial and branding guidelines.
- Team produced agency's most important cyclical publications such as the Budget Book and Annual Report and guided the release of the award-winning Illinois State Report Card.
- Selected to serve on two Governor’s sub-committees around Youth Empowerment
- Promoted from Executive Director, Collaboration and Quality Implementation after 6 months
Executive Director, Digital and Marketing
Led all branding, marketing, digital and social media efforts in the nation’s 3rd largest school District serving nearly 400,000 students. We were tasked with improving public perception and brand image of CPS.
- Created and served as Executive Producer of a bi-weekly news magazine broadcast, “Inside CPS.” This 10-15 minute show spotlighted students, teachers, District initiatives and news, serving CPS stakeholders and the City of Chicago.
- Devised a student design contest and subsequent creative team that created a new CPS logo
- Led content redesign of the http://www.cps.edu website—first overhaul since 2008. Its responsive, mobile-first design was touted as a first for a major school district.
- Directed rapid expansion of extensive social media and digital platforms in less than one year:
- Increased Facebook followers from less than 6,000 to more 38,000
- Increased Twitter followers from less than 4,000 more than 28,000
- Team recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as “Best Use of Twitter. “
- Introduced two e-newsletters—a weekly to employees and a monthly from the CEO to nearly 55,000 recipients, as well as a blog aimed at parents and stakeholders
- Created first-time editorial, branding and social media standards
- Led mass communications across all channels around the historic closing of 53 schools and the subsequent enrollment push to new schools.
Sports and Entertainment Marketing/PR Consultant, Owner
Created marketing, media and activation opportunities for Athletes, Brands and Properties, including:
- Professional soccer players: Represented Sean Johnson of the USMNT and Chicago Fire (now New York FC) for marketing, branding, public relations and media opportunities.
- Manchester United Football Club: Twice enlisted by world-famous soccer club to assist with state-side marketing, public relations and community out-reach programs in multiple cities.
- Ridgeline Entertainment: Provided marketing strategy consultation for Facebook platform integration and original broadcast programming from the producers of the “Deadliest Catch.”
- Leverage Agency: served as consultant on sponsorship strategy for premier sports marketing firm
- Reach Out Community Center NFP: Provided consultation in fundraising, marketing and PR
Marketing Manager, Latino Initiatives, Soccer, Local Marketing
- Directed and delivered $2.25-$1 profit ROI on Best Buy’s Chicago Fire Sponsorship, evaluated by Navigate Marketing to be in top 2% of all their evaluated sponsorships. Creatively leveraged a local sponsorship into a national reach through unique marketing, social media, promotions, 27 away market customer events and partnered with Panasonic to activate their dormant sponsorship which resulted in increased TV sales and a multi-year renewal for its MLS sponsorship.
- Directed more than $15 million in global soccer sponsorships.
- Member of Silver Reggie Award winning team for the Best Buy All Access promotion in Chicago.
- Negotiated and secured for Best Buy maximum visibility on front and rear covers of EA Sports FIFA 10, resulting in all North American copies of the game displaying Fire player in Best Buy jersey
- Increase YoY TV sales by directing Best Buy’s World Cup 2010 efforts across all cross-functional teams
- Devised strategy and directed Best Buy’s first integrated international marketing promotion with USA, Canada, UK, China, Mexico and Turkey. This included directing agencies on $5M Univision buy, creating vendor partnerships and promotions with Sony, EA Sports, and Coca Cola, and launched Best Buy Soccer Twitter and Facebook campaigns resulting in BBY’s fastest-growing Facebook page
- Led one of the regional Women of Leadership Forum teams (WoLF) that created projects designed to grow, gain and retain female employees and customers, driving positive financial gains for BBY.
- Served as Marketing Strategist for Latino Initiatives team that delivered in more than $93M in incremental revenue and drove double-digit same-store Latino customer comps in one year.
President, Founder, Owner
- Innovated concept of upscale pet sitting by founding one of Chicago’s first pet sitting services.
- Generated more than $250,000 in annual revenue, growing company to one of largest in USA.
- Staff of 16 cared for 100 customers’ pets daily and more than 450 customers on as-needed basis.
- Raised more than $8,000 by creating two fundraisers for at-need animals.
- Sold company to a veterinary clinic and it is still in operation
Director, New Business Development
- Sold and created experiential programs for clients such as S.C. Johnson, Pepsi, and Universal Pictures
- Team developed and managed all aspects of Expo at Spring Break in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, resulting in more than 50,000 college students attending and connecting with more than 20 blue-chip sponsors.
Consultant
- Devised sports media strategy and trained staff for firm’s first involvement in professional tennis—Virginia Slims of Chicago-- gaining both national and local media placement for event and players.
- Helped agency establish a foothold with the Chicago sports media
Event Manager, Professional Tennis Tournaments and Events
- At one of world’s largest sports marketing firms, directed and delivered profitable ROI results for seven professional tennis tournaments, two fundraisers and one international volleyball match in six cities and four states over four years.
- Twice managed United Cerebral Palsy’s 2nd-largest fundraiser next to its telethon. The Pro-Celebrity weekend raised more than $1.2M, netting more than $500,000 for UCP each year.
- Duties included: Budget ($500K-$1.5M), staff, marketing, public relations, sponsorship, ticket sales, site and facility preparations including vendor bids, permits and contracts, working with professional athletes, celebrities and agents, commercial production, design and production of printed materials, network broadcast coordination.
Owner, Founder
- Served as Tournament Director for Virginia Slims of Los Angeles tennis tournament, delivering profitable ROI. Duties same as ProServ.
Executive Director
- Served as Commissioner of the professional Team Tennis league
- Tournament Director of the Virginia Slims of Chicago in 1984 and 1985, delivering profitable results
- Recipient, Hispanic Hero Award, MLS Soccer
- “Best Use of Twitter” by Crain’s Chicago Business (CPS)
- Keynote address, Retail 360 Conference, (for Latino retailers) Las Vegas (Best Buy)
- Panelist, Hispanic Sports Summit, New York, NY (Best Buy)
- Past Board member, Chicago Fire Foundation
- Past Chairperson, Chicago Sports Awards
- Member Silver Reggie Award winning team for “Best Buy All Access” promo in Chicago
- Multiple recipient of the “Chairman’s Award” at Best Buy
education
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL
- B.S. Journalism
- Sports Editor for 25,000 circulation Daily Egyptian
- Assistant Sports Information Director, Men's and Women’s Athletics (scholarships)
- Assistant Sports Information Director, Men’s Athletics and Broadcast assistant, men’s basketball