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Lise Dykes

Lise Dykes

@lhdonline.bsky.social

Director of Communications & Creative Strategy | 30+ Years Building Brands, Teams & Campaigns for Mission-Driven Organizations

Director of Communications and Creative Strategy at Capitol Technology University

Crofton, Maryland, United States🇺🇸
Open to:Full-time rolesCommissioned workMentoring othersCollaborationsBoard positions
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I build communications functions that work—the strategy, the systems, the team, and the content—for organizations doing work that matters.I've led communications and marketing programs for nonprofits, higher ed, associations, and mission-driven orgs across the DC metro area and nationally. My background spans the full communications lifecycle: brand strategy and narrative development, integrated campaign planning, editorial direction, digital and social media, CRM and email marketing, multimedia production, and executive advisory work.

What sets me apart is that creative has always been connected to strategy. I've spent three decades working across both: directing visual design, UX, multimedia production, and environmental installations alongside communications strategy, editorial direction, and brand governance. For organizations with lean teams or limited agency budgets, that integration matters: you get tighter alignment between message and execution than you'd typically get from a single leader.

What I bring that's harder to put in a bullet: I'm someone who can hold strategy and execution together without either suffering. I've built brand voices from scratch, mentored communications teams, advised presidents and executive directors, and also written the copy, designed the campaign, managed the vendor, and fixed the workflow when it needed fixing. If you're looking to fill a Director and/or VP-level communications/brand/marketing role and you're building something worth communicating, I'd love to talk.

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Career: 5

Director of Communications and Creative Strategy

Capitol Technology University

Oct 2024 - Present

Lead university-wide marketing, communications, and brand strategy in partnership with executive leadership. • Drive integrated, omnichannel campaigns across digital, print, video, social, and environmental channels to increase enrollment, visibility, and engagement • Lead and mentor a cross-functional team of staff, contractors, and student employees, balancing strategic direction with hands-on creative oversight • Manage budgets, vendors, and resources while optimizing workflows and improving delivery timelines • Establish and enforce brand standards, accessibility compliance (WCAG/Section 508), and creative quality across all communications • Collaborate with admissions, advancement, faculty, and student life to align marketing initiatives with institutional priorities

Founder, Creative Director (Consulting)

LHDonline

Crofton, MD

Dec 1995 - Present

Founded and continue to lead an active creative consultancy delivering brand, marketing, and digital strategy for enterprise, nonprofit, healthcare, and education clients. • Serve as senior advisor on brand strategy, UX/UI design, accessibility, and omnichannel communications • Direct distributed creative teams and manage budgets, timelines, and vendor partnerships • Lead design and development of responsive websites, email campaigns, and scalable social media systems • Partner with executive stakeholders to solve complex communications, workflow, and visibility challenges • Selected clients include Conde Nast, Six Flags, CAMRIS International, International Literacy Association, PowellTate, and Access Intelligence

Creative and Multimedia Director

JBS International, Inc.

United States

Feb 2022 - Mar 2024

Oversaw enterprise creative and editorial operations supporting national healthcare, justice, and equity initiatives. • Scaled internal agency services by 300% through workflow redesign, staffing strategy, and operational optimization • Led corporate website redesigns and large-scale digital initiatives in partnership with internal teams and external vendors • Developed organizational standards for accessibility, editorial quality, and ethical use of AI • Recruited, trained, and managed multidisciplinary creative and editorial teams • Partnered with senior stakeholders to improve creative quality, consistency, and delivery across programs

Senior Graphic Designer

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Annapolis, MD

Sep 2015 - Feb 2022

Delivered award-winning creative supporting fundraising, advocacy, and engagement initiatives. • Designed and art-directed integrated campaigns that increased revenue by 25% • Created digital and social campaigns re-engaging 2,300+ lapsed supporters and generating $182K+ in revenue • Built responsive email design systems supporting accessibility compliance and engagement growth • Provided creative leadership, mentoring, and quality control for staff, interns, and vendors • Consulted on digital project management, accessibility standards, and workflow optimization

Early Career Roles (Design, Research, Publications

Various

1992 - 1996

Built a strong foundation in editorial, research, and visual communications. • Designed and produced print and multimedia materials for academic and nonprofit organizations • Supported grant development, training materials, and publication workflows • Managed print schedules, budgets, and vendor coordination

Skills: 70

Other

AccessibilityAccessible PDFsAdobe Creative SuiteAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopAdvertisingArt DirectionBrand Management
Brand StrategyBrandingBranding & IdentityBrochuresCascading Style Sheets (CSS)CMSCommunications PlanningContent StrategyCopywritingCorporate IdentityCreative DirectionCreative StrategyCross-functional Team LeadershipDesign Team CoordinationDesign ThinkingDigital MarketingDirect MailDonor CommunicationEditingEditorial DirectionEmail MarketingExecutive-level CommunicationGraphic DesignHTMLHTML EmailsIntegrated MarketingLeadershipLogo DesignMagazinesMarketing Campaign ManagementMedia RelationsMentoringMicrosoft WordNewslettersNonprofit OrganizationsOnline AdvertisingOperating BudgetsPeople ManagementPersuasive PresentationsPrintProject ManagementRecruitmentResearchResource ManagementResponsive Web DesignSEOSocial MediaSocial Media MarketingStaff DevelopmentStakeholder EngagementStrategic CommunicationsTeam LeadershipTypographyUser Experience (UX)User Interface DesignUser-centered DesignVisual DesignWeb Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)Web Content ManagementWeb DesignWeb DevelopmentWordPress

Education: 1

Washington Bible College

BA, Journalism/Design

Aug 1989 - May 1993

Activities / Societies: Student Government, Choir/Chamber Singers, Drama

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