Hello, Bethany Christian Services.
Thank you for considering my application for the Creative Director role. I’m a strategic brand and communications leader with 18+ years of experience aligning enterprise strategy with revenue-driven narrative systems across nonprofit and corporate environments. I also have the proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, influence executive stakeholders, and translate complex organizational priorities into scalable brand frameworks that drive measurable growth, cultural alignment, and market differentiation.
Before you read further:
some things are better said than written, and this is one of them.
Now, let’s get right to it.
Below are specific examples I want to call out that demonstrate my experience with creative direction and integrated communications.
Wycliffe USA
Wycliffe Conversations
When I was at Wycliffe USA, I had the opportunity to pitch a campaign idea and ended up developing and directing the series. The goal was to capture stories of people joining the organization to use for across our marketing initiatives.
I worked with the copywriting team in the Marketing department to give direction on the themes and synopsis of each video interview so that all elements coincide with the storytelling and communication. We then implemented this campaign in an email campaign and the organization’s social media channels.
The screenshot above is one example of many email newsletters we made that pointed audiences to the Wycliffe Conversations series on Wycliffe USA’s YouTube channel.
Year-in-Review
Another major responsibility I had at Wycliffe USA was working with the President of the organization during the end of each year to produce a video for the a year-in-review summary. My role in this is to develop a script focusing on several talking points for us to communicate clearly and effectively to team members, donors, and volunteers.
This would also become shared endeavor with with the copywriting and design team to create an email campaign and splash page once the script was fully developed to provide the appropriate direction on how we are communicating to the audience involved with Wycliffe USA.
Japanese Sign Language
The final example I want to show from Wycliffe USA is a campaign I worked alongside other marketing team members that showcased a Japanese Sign Language project the organization supported.
I was the lead for this team of 4 as we traveled to Japan for a 19-day trip capturing several stories and marketing materials for video, photography and articles. We focused primarily on our video content needs, and from there, the written content developed over time for us to home in on themes for the web site campaign to focus on fundraising.
The video featured above is a teaser trailer we pushed on on social media and the images below are a few screenshots from the website campaign when we launched it in Spring 2020.
Why should Bethany hire me?
Bethany needs a Creative Director who understands both the discipline of brand strategy and the weight of mission-driven work. I bring both. Over 18 years I have built brand systems that unified fragmented organizations, led creative teams through significant transitions, and directed storytelling that moved people to act, whether that meant giving, engaging, or showing up. At Wycliffe USA, I did that work inside a faith-based nonprofit where the mission was not a marketing asset but a lived conviction. At Protos Security, I demonstrated that the same discipline scales to enterprise complexity across multiple divisions and markets.
What I want Bethany to know is that I am not looking for a role that happens to align with my skills. I am looking for work that reflects what I believe and what I am built to do. Strengthening families, advocating for children, and walking alongside people in their most vulnerable moments: that is a mission I want to carry forward, and I want to do it by ensuring that every creative asset, every campaign, and every message Bethany produces reflects the integrity and compassion of what you stand for. That combination of professional capability and personal conviction is what I would bring to this role, and I believe it is rare enough to be worth your attention.
Summit Church
Measured in Stories: A Daughter from Afar
Synopsis: Adoption was always discussed between Brad and Audrey in growing their family, but nowhere in their wildest thoughts did they ever believe they would face an uphill battle of international special needs adoption while fighting and beating cancer.
Role: Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor
Measured in Stories: Healing and Hope
Synopsis: Laura and Jared have partnered with I Care For The Nation located in Ethiopia over the years. Real change is happening in and around I Care For The Nation, and for Laura and Jared, they are honored God has called them both to take part in the work that is being done.
Role: Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor
30-60-90 Day Plan
I looked through the responsibilities for your Creative Director position and how it connects within the Bethany Christian Services brand. I want to take the opportunity here to explain what I would do during the first 30, 60, and 90 days if I were chosen for the role. These are, of course, my first impressions from the tasks and function of the position and I would expect some of my thoughts may develop all the more if I proceed further in the interview process.
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Listen, Learn, and Orient
My first priority is not to arrive with answers. It is to ask the right questions. In the first 30 days I would invest heavily in understanding Bethany's current creative infrastructure: the existing brand guidelines, the content systems in place, the team structure, the workflow, and where the friction points are. I would meet with every member of the creative team individually, not to evaluate but to understand how they work, what they are proud of, and where they feel the work falls short. I would also spend time with key stakeholders across programs and regions to understand how the creative function is currently perceived and what they most need from it. By the end of 30 days I want a clear picture of the landscape before I begin shaping it.
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Identify, Prioritize, and Begin
With that foundation in place, I would move into targeted action. This phase is about identifying the highest-leverage opportunities: gaps in brand consistency, workflow inefficiencies, team development needs, and campaigns or initiatives that need stronger creative direction. I would begin establishing clear creative standards and priorities, not by imposing a new vision overnight but by building shared language around what excellent work looks like at Bethany and why it matters. I would also begin strengthening the team's confidence and creative culture, creating space for collaboration, honest feedback, and the kind of risk-taking that produces work worth being proud of.
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Execute, Evaluate, and Align
By 90 days I want to have delivered meaningful work, not just plans. That means at least one initiative where my creative direction has produced a measurable or visible improvement, whether in a campaign, a brand asset, a team process, or a content system. I would also conduct a honest self-assessment with my manager: where have I added value, where do I need to go deeper, and what are the priorities for the next quarter. My goal by the end of 90 days is to have earned the trust of my team, demonstrated my strategic value to leadership, and established a creative direction that everyone around me understands and believes in.
Protos Security
Brand Anthem Video
One of my first main tasks when coming onboard the Protos Security marketing team was to lead the charge on producing a Brand Anthem video that speaks to the “why” we do what we do.
After understanding some of the language the sales and marketing team members were using, I wrote a video script that would work within the boundaries of Protos’ communications; but I also took the opportunity to create new compelling taglines and speaking points. This updated language was received so well we ended up using the updated phrases for copy on the company website, blogs, print materials, etc.
The screenshot above is one example of many places we have the Brand Anthem Video for Protos Security. Seen here, the video is placed next to the updated copy and embedded in a new website design that was rolled out in April 2025.
Blog Article with Video Storytelling
Here is the blog post if you would like to see the entire article and watch any of the videos that walks through the story of assisting the Dick’s Sporting Goods client.
Protos had a unique opportunity to help one of their clients, Dick’s Sporting Goods, with a special security request. After the success of fulfilling the needs for the client, the marketing team saw this as a great opportunity to tell the story as a blog post and for us to interview the lead sales rep by creating an engaging piece for the reader.
This was a collaborative effort as I focused on interview questions for the story-driven video that would help the copywriter in the additional details needed for the blog article.
Miscellaneous Content Marketing Materials
Below are a few other examples of collaborative projects the demonstrate in setting the strategy and creating additional content for various audiences and marketing use cases.
The Work Continues.
There’s more to see if you’re interested!
Here's a peek into a few of my featured case studies where we set the strategy and raised the bar every time.
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