Ellen Lewis, VP Of Corporate Communications, Sesame Workshop
Ever heard of Sesame Street? Chances are, if you have watched any television during the last 40 years, you could whistle the tune to the timeless kids' educational program at
the drop of the hat. But keeping it that way for younger generations, especially in an increasingly cluttered commercial environment, is no small feat.
Enter Ellen Lewis, VP of corporate communications for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind that show and many other educational initiatives. She leads the
group's efforts to raise awareness of research-based educational media projects in countries around the world - a task that involves more than just functional communications
skills.
How to Get to Sesame Street
In spite of her vast portfolio of responsibilities, her efforts surrounding Sesame Street publicity are enough to justify industry-wide recognition. Recently, Lewis
successfully spearheaded the development and implementation of Sesame Street's 38th season, along with the show's ongoing international development. More specifically, she
oversaw the launch of the new Sesame Street coproduction in India; worked with the White House to arrange press around First Lady's guest appearance on the program; and
coordinated publicity activities around a 10th anniversary celebration of Alam Simsim, the Egyptian coproduction.
Big Bird Goes to Cyberspace
One could argue that a program as timeless as Sesame Street would be immune to the changing consumer environment, but 'anachronistic' isn't in Lewis' vocabulary; rather, she
embraced digital communications and helped bring one effort - Sesame Workshop's Corporate Sponsorship, Philanthropic and Outreach divisions - online. Under her purview, Sesame
Street even premiered new season segments on YouTube. When Big Bird makes his YouTube debut, you know you've made the big leagues.
Phil Zepeda, VP Of Communications, America's Second Harvest
Phil Zepeda has a knack for comedic relief. The nonprofit veteran - who has honed his communications skills at organizations like the American Red Cross and Northwestern
Memorial Hospital - is the VP of communications for America's Second Harvest, and his sense of humor, according to coworkers, is among his most defining quality.
But his funny bone isn't just an appealing social characteristic; it served his organization well during the last year when serious situations called for non-traditional
approaches.
An Appetite for Humor
Case in point: America's Second Harvest combats domestic hunger, and doing so effectively requires support from organizations large and small; it also demands the ability to
engage multiple stakeholder groups and enact change. Zepeda's communications skills were put to the test when the nonprofit's 2006 Annual Conference venue needed to be relocated
with only three weeks' notice.
His quick reflexes allowed him to pull off the move - not to mention a memorable show at the conference's Hunger's Hope Award banquet. When addressing an audience that
admittedly expected a tiresome ceremony, he "charmed them with uncanny comedic relief" and "shocked them with artistic vignettes" - moves that secured additional support for the
coming year.
Undesirable Side Effects
2006 wasn't all fun and games for Zepeda, who had to navigate America's Second harvest through a crisis. When one of the organization's network members became involved in
activities that were in violation of its contractual obligations, top-tier media jumped on the story. Instead of suppressing the story, Zepeda reached out to the media, confirmed
the facts, developed internal and external communication plans, and successfully minimized the negative impact of the news.
All in a Day's Work
In between stand-up comedy acts and crisis management, Zepeda also managed to spearhead a number of successful Second Harvest initiatives: He created visibility for "Hunger in
America 2006," the most comprehensive study ever conducted on domestic hunger; he played an integral role in securing a partnership with Wal-Mart to increase awareness of domestic
hunger through the "Be a Part of the Solution to End Hunger" campaign; and he oversaw the fifth annual Hunger Awareness Day on June 6, 2006.