LeiLani Ching

ching [dot] leilani [at] gmail [dot] com

James Madison University (JMU), Harrisonburg, Virginia

Bachelor of Science, December 2009

Major: School of Media Arts and Design (SMAD), concentrating in corporate communication

Minors: Public Relations and Studio Art

Objective: Searching for a challenging career as a communications professional in the fashion industry.

• Through my integrative undergraduate studies in communication, I have developed broad experience in communications writing, AP writing style, the creation of social media, and graphic design
• Event-planning is one of my greatest strengths and I have experienced great success in planning, marketing, and implementing special events in both educational and professional settings since 2001
• I adapt quickly to new projects and environments and complete all tasks in an organized and timely manner
• This fall, I am finishing my last semester of college in London and working as a PR intern for Stella McCartney

Relevant Experience

Internship and work-related

• As executive assistant to the worldwide PR Director at Stella McCartney, I handled travel arrangements, reconciled corporate card statements, submitted expense reports, conducted Internet research, scheduled conference calls, ordered office supplies, tracked daily press coverage and magazine mentions, and answered the phone. In addition, I helped the US PR Manager and US PR Director in screen and interview fall interns, cast models for events, and plan the East Hampton pop-up shop and Fashion’s Night Out.
• As the Harrisonburg Team Leader of MillerCoors, I managed a monthly schedule of six accounts, assisted in the training of new Miller brand ambassadors, and created an evaluation form to be completed by brand ambassadors following each promotion assignment
• As a client services intern at RedPeg Marketing, I conducted research for three pitches to GEICO, updated the GEICO Events Web site daily, and compiled and edited the work of 10 interns to produce a 20-page presentation introducing suggestions for new and innovative technologies that RedPeg could use to enhance the services it provides to its clients
• As a intern for iMAGINE Alexandria, I played an active role in the creation of the non-profit center, assisted in coordinating all aspects of the center’s first fundraiser, and demonstrated excellent communications skills through the writing of contact reports for meetings, conferences, proposals, and presentations

College activities

• As the Madison MADDness chair for Alpha Sigma Alpha’s philanthropy week, I coordinated six events for a week-long philanthropy week that has raised nearly $10,000 and created marketing materials including a blog, MadisonMADDness.com, to publicize the week
• As the marketing chair for the Special Events committee of the University Program Board, I created promotional and marketing material of special events held on-campus, including flyers, banners, display cases, on-screen theater advertisements, and newspaper ads
• As an executive member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, I coordinated over 35 special events with third-party vendors and other social organizations

Quotes

• “LeiLani went above and beyond the internship expectations and hugely contributed our business. In addition to her responsibilities working on our GEICO account, she was an integral part of our work with iMAGINE Alexandria, a professional organization seeking to create a network of creative businesses in the DC metro area. She put in extra hours advising our Board of Directors on the benefits of social networking, prepared presentation materials to major stakeholders and participated in weekly meetings, weighing in on major organizational decisions. LeiLani is a professional whose passion will make her an asset wherever she goes.” – Jeremy Paredes, Internship and Account Coordinator, RedPeg Marketing

• “LeiLani’s dedication to her job and the pertaining subject matter was outstanding.  She was willing to go above her duties to ensure the tasks at hand exceeded expectations.  LeiLani specifically excelled in market research (even taking a trip to Ocean City to conduct demographic and profiling research), presentations using PowerPoint, and a client recap presentation made in iMovie.” –Meghan Thomas, Account Coordinator, RedPeg Marketing

Relevant Coursework

• At James Madison University, my undergraduate program has allowed me to take a variety of courses in communication, including corporate media writing, public relations writing, advertising, persuasion, employee relations, web communication, mass communication law, corporate communication management, and introduction to communication research
• During the spring of 2006, I took online courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology, including introduction to the fashion industry, fashion business practices, and fashion merchandising: principles and techniques to get a better understanding of the fashion industry

Technical Skills

I am skilled in Internet applications, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver, and Mac-based programs including iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand.

To view my traditional resume, please click here.