Chris Iven

Experience

• 

  The Providence Journal

  Jan 1997 - Feb 1998

  News Reporter
• 

  The Lowell Sun

  Mar 1998 - Mar 2000

  News Reporter
• 

  Associated Press

  Mar 2000 - Jun 2000

  General Assignment Reporter
• 

  The Post-Standard

  Jun 2000 - Sept 2009

  • Developed and produced Voices, a weekly print and online section of news and opinion by teens, for teens and about teens; recruited and coordinated more than 400 student volunteers• Created and maintained the Voices blog, which attracted more than 11,500 page views a month, plus the Voices e-newsletter and social media pages • Managed bureaus of reporters; planned and edited daily stories; planned and produced a weekly tabloid section, posted breaking news on Syracuse.com • Coordinated a team of eight education reporters

  • Community Editor

    Aug 2007 - Sept 2009

  • Bureau Chief

    Jun 2004 - Aug 2007

  • Assistant Regional Editor

    Apr 2003 - Jun 2004

  • Government Reporter

    Jun 2000 - Apr 2003
• 

  Capital Region BOCES

  Nov 2009 - Nov 2010

  Communications Specialist

  • Led all community engagement efforts for the Fayetteville-Manlius School District; advised the district’s superintendent and board members on messaging and positioning strategy• Produced text and photos for press releases and daily news updates on the district website, including articles that won state and national writing awards

• 

  YMCA of Greater Syracuse

  Dec 2010 - Jul 2018

  • Led two YMCA branches plus an outdoor camp - 200,000 square feet of indoor space, 75 acres• Developed and managed budgets for all three sites, boosting revenue over three years by 17% to $9M, boosting fundraising revenue 66% and net revenue (profit) 120% • Managed 479 staff members; led training in messaging, relationship building and philanthropy that resulted in 13.4% growth in membership units over three years• Recruited community leaders to serve on the branch’s volunteer board; led board meetings, workshops and retreats to develop a strategic plan for the branch and its programs• Organized a summit of local nonprofit, government and business leaders which identified youth suicides and drug overdoses as the area’s most urgent problems; led a coalition of community groups to address those problems Show less • Led efforts to engage the community through all media, including print, outdoor and digital advertising, email blasts, social media and earned media for a 40,000-member association• Developed the crisis communications plan; served as the association’s spokesperson• Advised the CEO on messaging; directed the yearly messaging plan, with an emphasis on positioning, philanthropy, membership development and program promotion• Redesigned the website; expanded social media presence to include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram; trained branch-level website and social media coordinators• Led communications for a successful $6 million capital campaign to build a new YMCA; organized community meetings and made presentations; supported a committee of outreach volunteers • Wrote and produced the annual report, produced the annual meeting, organized and led the staff retreat• Directed the brand transition, which included redesigning all signage and training staff, making the association among the first in the nation to be certified as brand compliant Show less

  • Regional Executive Director

    Jun 2015 - Jul 2018

  • Communications Director

    Dec 2010 - Jun 2015
• 

  Child Advocacy Center Foundation Inc.

  Jan 2019 - Mar 2019

  Director of Fund Development

  • Developed and executed fund-development strategy that led to record support for the annual fundraising event

• 

  U.S. Census Bureau

  Mar 2019 - Sept 2020

  • Managed media relations for the U.S. Census Bureau in Upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine • Developed partnerships with Upstate New York governments, community-based organizations, faith-based groups, schools and businesses to promote participation in the 2020 Census • Coordinated, trained and coached other Upstate partnership specialists

  • Media Specialist

    Feb 2020 - Sept 2020

  • Senior Partnership Specialist

    Mar 2019 - Feb 2020
• 

  Elmcrest Children's Center

  Oct 2020 - Jul 2022

  Director of Philanthropy

  • Led all fundraising efforts, including annual, major gift and capital campaigns, to raise more than $1M annually• Grew annual campaign donors by 125%, total donors by 60%; grant funding by 482%, total fundraising by 30%

• 

  Unity House of Cayuga County, Inc

  Jul 2022 - now

  Chief Advancement Officer