Kassi Filkins

Experience

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  Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

  Jul 2015 - Dec 2017

  Guest Engagement Team Lead

  Responsible for ensuring guest service and ensuring the guest engagement teams were empowered to provide the same individual-focused service to daily guests. Created schedules, labor logs and filed other forms of documentation. Led three to five engagement teams out on zoo grounds at any given time, encouraged team members to succeed and make every guest’s day “G.R.E.A.T” and made sure team members and guests needs were provided for.

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  The Kent Stater

  Jan 2016 - Dec 2017

  As a photographer at the Kent Stater, it was my responsibility to receive photo assignments and complete them by a given deadline. I covered events, took portraits and photographed wild-art, as well as sports and short-term stories. Led a staff of up to 14 photographers, collaborated with reporters on stories to create strong visuals, assigned photo requests and ensured photographers adhered to a strict deadline for both print and online.

  • Photographer

    Aug 2015 - Dec 2017

  • Director Of Photography

    Jan 2016 - Dec 2016
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  Transitions Magazine

  Feb 2017 - May 2017

  Editor
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  The Burr Magazine

  Aug 2017 - Dec 2017

  Photo Editor

  The magazine’s lead photographer. Led the photo staff and coordinated with other editors. Responsible for editing all photographs that appear in print and on web. Actively spent time in the photo studio and working on-location for photo stories.

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  University Communications and Marketing

  Aug 2017 - Dec 2017

  Photo Intern

  Photographed on-campus assignments including: events, sports, portraits and other assignments. Filed photos in the campus filing system and performed other office duties. Worked side-by-side with other campus photographers.

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  Southeast Missourian

  Feb 2018 - Jun 2019

  Photojournalist

  Photographed assignments ranging from: events, features, portraits, sports and breaking news. Photographed assignments for the paper’s multiple special publications. Captioned and edited photos before filing photos on daily deadline for both print and online. Managed organization of multiple special publication photo assignments and ensured photographers completed them by deadline. In addition to photo duties, produced weekly written news and feature copy. Generated story ideas weekly, compiled interviews and wrote copy on daily and weekly deadlines. Show less

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  The Hartford Courant

  Jul 2019 - Jul 2021

  Visual Journalist

  Through daily assignments, built relationships with individuals, gained informed consent, reviewed confidentiality, provided robust interviewing techniques and worked collaboratively to capture another person’s story in ways that were ethical and empowering to that individual. Photographed events, portraits, sports and breaking news. Additionally, managed time individually to ensure daily, weekly and monthly deadlines were met.

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  Niantic Community Church

  Jul 2021 - Mar 2022

  Communications + Office Manager

  Led efforts in internal and external non-profit focused communications, while empowering church members in sharing their stories with the wider community. Sent press releases to local and state media. Created content for the organization's social media pages, managed posting schedules for social media and other content such as the church's blog, produced a weekly e-newsletter, managed the church's community calendar and updated the website weekly, as well as created the Annual Report. Met daily, weekly and monthly deadlines. Managed office functions, leading a team of volunteers to execute day-to-day admin duties. Oversaw the office and communications budgets, as well as managed building contracts. Built, grew and maintained relationships with church staff, volunteers and members. Collaborated with local artists and community members. Show less

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  MJH Life Sciences™

  Mar 2022 - Nov 2023

  Editor

  Create and produce multi-media content for Optometry Times, with an emphasis on increasing the reach and impact of the brand digitally. Manage established brand social accounts, collaborate with senior editors, designers and doctors on meeting content and production deadlines, and create weekly e-newsletters. Attend conferences for on-site coverage, including conducting video interviews and editing/producing videos for website. Produce quarterly digital audits and look at best practices. Solicit monthly articles and edit received content for publication digitally and in print. Show less

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  Signal Akron

  Nov 2023 - Mar 2025

  Multimedia Producer and Reporter
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  MJH Life Sciences®

  Mar 2025 - now

  Editor

  Create and produce multi-media content for the Eye Care Group, with an emphasis on increasing the reach and impact of the brand digitally. Manage established brand social accounts, collaborate with senior editors, designers and doctors on meeting content and production deadlines, and create weekly e-newsletters. Attend conferences for on-site coverage, including conducting video interviews and editing/producing videos for website. Produce quarterly digital audits and look at best practices. Solicit monthly articles and edit received content for publication digitally and in print. Show less