About Me
Over 20 years of senior communications leadership, I have built communications functions from the ground up, directed organizations through national media crises, and advised executive leadership in the room where decisions get made. I have managed departments, mentored emerging professionals, and created programs that other organizations now replicate nationally.
What I have built over that time is institutional trust, with journalists, with executives, with communities, and with the professionals I have trained along the way. Communications only works when the audience believes the source. That takes consistency, credibility, and someone who understands how trust is built and how quickly it can be lost. I have earned both a Master’s degree in Communications, New Media & Marketing and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Before becoming a Public Relations professional, I was a broadcast journalist and news reporter.
Key highlights:
✔ Led COVID-19 crisis communications as sole strategist, authoring 70+ updates for 2,000+ staff over two years
✔ Negotiated and directed an ABC News 20/20 broadcast with Diane Sawyer, reversing a decade of negative coverage
✔ Built a proactive media program from zero, generating 100+ annual placements across LA Times, NPR, AP, and ABC News
✔ Secured passage of a $77M parcel tax and $358M bond through multi-year public confidence campaigns
✔ Founded the Digital Communications Internship, a nationally replicated model now running in districts across the country
I am equally comfortable negotiating with a national broadcast producer, coaching an executive through a live interview, or authoring a crisis update at midnight. The thread connecting all of it is the same instinct: knowing what the audience needs to hear, how to say it in a way that builds trust, and when silence is the wrong move.
What I bring into every role:
✔ Crisis Communications and Real-Time Issues Management at Executive Level
✔ National Media Negotiation and Broadcast-Trained Storytelling
✔ Executive Spokesperson Development and Senior-Level Media Coaching
✔ Integrated Digital Strategy Across Social, Web, Email, and Content Platforms
✔ Team Building, Program Development, and Communications Mentorship
If you are looking for a communications leader who can build institutional credibility, manage a national media crisis, and drive audience trust at scale, reach me at rforan12@gmail.com.
Personal:
While I truly love my work, when I'm away from the office I have several passions and hobbies that I enjoy. In addition to podcasting myself, I enjoy listening to a variety of shows. The Dan Patrick Show is a staple for my sports fix—a natural carryover as a former sports reporter who still loves watching the big games. For a great true-crime thriller, Your Own Backyard is a series I often recommend, and for easy listening with great witty banter and laughs, I love SmartLess with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes.
I also spend a lot of time playing tennis and captaining several USTA teams, which I really love. Tennis has become a true passion over the past decade, both playing and watching, especially the majors. My golf swing is a little unpredictable, but a day on the course with friends is always a blast.
Over the past few years, health and wellness have also become a great passion and interest of mine. I have read a lot of books, listened to a plethora of podcasts, done extensive research, and love talking about nutrition science and biohacking with fellow enthusiasts.
