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Rae McNally, MBA, MS
Experienced professional bringing over two decades of public sector insight, visual and web design, storytelling, content strategy, creative problem solving, and results-driven leadership. I help build strong, inclusive teams and systems-based lean strategies to develop sustainable public-private partnerships.
Digital Portfolio of Work
Click the right and left navigation arrows to scroll through work product highlights.
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2024 Capital Levy Campaign
The passage of Proposition No. 1 was crucial for the Puyallup School District to address critically deficient buildings and sites. The well-researched, strategically planned, and effectively communicated levy aimed to enhance infrastructure and prevent adverse consequences, such as safety risks and impacts on teaching and learning environments. This campaign showcased a robust communications strategy that integrated research, planning, implementation, and evaluation to engage and inform the community about the importance of supporting the capital levy.
School Capacity and Utilization Task Force Story
The School Capacity and Utilization Task Force (SCUT) in Puyallup has been actively addressing the challenges posed by increasing student enrollment and limited building capacity. In their recent meetings, the task force has proposed a variety of recommendations to the Puyallup School Board aimed at managing these issues until future capital projects are funded and constructed.
Key recommendations include utilizing portable classrooms to alleviate space constraints and optimizing current facilities to better accommodate students. The task force also highlighted the necessity of securing additional bond funding to support long-term solutions for school construction and expansion.
For more detailed information and additional stories about the task force's work and recommendations, you can visit the Puyallup School District's website. (Link below)
Key recommendations include utilizing portable classrooms to alleviate space constraints and optimizing current facilities to better accommodate students. The task force also highlighted the necessity of securing additional bond funding to support long-term solutions for school construction and expansion.
For more detailed information and additional stories about the task force's work and recommendations, you can visit the Puyallup School District's website. (Link below)
Interactive PowerBI Story Analysis
Explore a comprehensive analysis of Capital Projects story data, meticulously categorized by region, grade level, month, and topic. This powerful interactive tool provides an insightful breakdown of projects and stories, ensuring that we deliver equitable news coverage to families and community members throughout our district.
Tacoma Public Schools Website
Tacoma Public Schools launched a new district website and 60 school sites with a goal of 75 percent Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA accessibility within one year. The new websites were built in partnership with Finalsite on the Composer content management system. All sites feature AudioEye ADA support, and Weglot Translations.
Our previous sites were developed in-house on a SharePoint framework and did not meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements, which was confirmed in a 2019 accessibly review with the Bureau of Internet Accessibility.
TPS website traffic has increased up to 400 percent on select school sites since our launch in 2020 and our quality assurance, SEO, and accessibility currently score at 80 percent compliant.
Tags: Project Management, Webmaster, Program Management, RFQ, RFP, Budgeting, Staff Management, HTML, Design.
Our previous sites were developed in-house on a SharePoint framework and did not meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements, which was confirmed in a 2019 accessibly review with the Bureau of Internet Accessibility.
TPS website traffic has increased up to 400 percent on select school sites since our launch in 2020 and our quality assurance, SEO, and accessibility currently score at 80 percent compliant.
Tags: Project Management, Webmaster, Program Management, RFQ, RFP, Budgeting, Staff Management, HTML, Design.
Media Coverage - KNKX Public Radio, Ashley Gross
2020 media coverage highlighting Tacoma Public Schools social media strategy. Tacoma Public Schools injects some humor into its social media about snowy weather
Tags: Program management, Media relations, spokesperson, media coverage, social media strategy
Tags: Program management, Media relations, spokesperson, media coverage, social media strategy
K12 Enrollment Marketing
Engaging K-12 marketing materials, including postcards, PeachJar flyers, and digital assets, have been created to promote kindergarten and new student registration for the summer of 2024, ahead of the 2024-2025 school year. Tracking codes have been incorporated into the print materials to measure their effectiveness, with results expected in October 2024.
2022-2023 School Year Calendar
The 2022-2023 School Calendar is mailed in July to all Tacoma Public Schools households. I was the graphic designer for this project using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
Tags: Graphic design, Adobe Creative Suite, illustration, layout, print preflight, brand management, brand development, writing, social media strategy, marketing strategy
Tags: Graphic design, Adobe Creative Suite, illustration, layout, print preflight, brand management, brand development, writing, social media strategy, marketing strategy
#BetterTogether, 2022-2023 Calendar Campaign
The TPS #BetterToghter campaign materials leverage stories and other content shared in the 2022-2023 School Calendar. This series of content included a crowd sourcing platform for story collection, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram post and story content, as well as a branded campaign website. The social strategy for this campaign included monetization to amply reach. I was the graphic designer, web designer, and social strategist for this project.
Tags: Graphic design, Adobe Creative Suite, illustration, layout, brand management, brand development, writing, social media strategy, marketing strategy
Tags: Graphic design, Adobe Creative Suite, illustration, layout, brand management, brand development, writing, social media strategy, marketing strategy
Photography for Puyallup School District
Building Excellence at Puyallup School District. Capturing our transformative construction projects with the Canon R5 for stunning visuals that elevate our brand image and recognition.
Capital Projects Educational Campaign
communities, as it directly impacts the quality and safety of school facilities. The capital budget is a financial plan for acquiring, maintaining, or improving fixed assets like buildings, technology infrastructure, and equipment, focusing on long-term investments rather than day-to-day operating expenses. For schools, this includes constructing new buildings, renovating existing structures, and upgrading facilities. The authorization process for spending involves the school district administration preparing a detailed proposal, which is then reviewed and approved by the local school board, followed by public input and often further approval by higher government authorities. Funding sources include local taxes, state and federal grants, bonds, and sometimes private donations. Key components of school construction and planning involve needs assessment, planning and design, bidding and contracts, and project management. The Foundations for Our Future social networks and the Capital Projects website can effectively communicate this information by sharing updates, educational materials, and engaging with the community through social media platforms and a dedicated website section that provides detailed project information, enhancing transparency and community involvement.
Legislative tracking and communications
During my time at the Puget Sound Partnership and the Washington State Department of Commerce I held dual roles. My first role was to track state legislation and budget proposals. This included daily tracking and notifications to department staff, presentation development, and meetings with Legislators and special interest groups. My second role was communicating to staff and constituents what the changes meant for our programs, staff, and funding priorities.
Tags: Government relations, legislative tracking, communication, email communications, writing, editing, social media, legislative strategy
Tags: Government relations, legislative tracking, communication, email communications, writing, editing, social media, legislative strategy
Foundations for Our Future Social Icon Campaign
The Foundations Hardhat possesses a distinctive character, autonomously engaging social media users to eagerly anticipate its upcoming appearances. This interactive approach serves as an engaging means to acknowledge seasonal occurrences while effectively redirecting attention to our platform.
Multilingual Print and Digital Marketing
Creating multilingual flyers and digital marketing resources to encourage ESL families to participate in school-community activities involves several key steps. First, identify the top languages spoken in the community, such as Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian. Design bright, welcoming materials with clear layouts and culturally appropriate images, and craft concise, friendly messages highlighting the benefits of participation. Use professional translation services to ensure accuracy and have native speakers proofread the translations. Distribute the materials in both digital and print formats through various channels like school websites, social media, emails, and local community centers. For digital marketing, post regularly on social media with engaging visuals and concise text, send newsletters in multiple languages, and create a dedicated section on the school website for ESL resources. Partner with local organizations serving ESL communities to extend your reach. This approach ensures inclusivity and encourages greater participation from diverse families in school-community activities.
Career and Technical Education Partnership; Puyallup Works
Puyallup Works is a collaborative initiative developed as a private-public partnership between the Puyallup School District's Career and Technical Education Program, the Puyallup-Sumner Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Puyallup. This innovative program offers high school students the opportunity to earn credits while gaining valuable work experience and wages. Designed to bridge education and industry, Puyallup Works aims to prepare students for future career success by providing hands-on learning experiences in various fields.
Human Resources Marketing Materials for Print and Digital
To encourage applications and interest in employment with the Puyallup School District, we created a suite of welcoming and engaging human resource marketing materials, including print postcards designed to capture attention and provide essential information, in-house printed half-sheets that highlight key benefits and opportunities, visually engaging and information-rich flyers displayed in various community locations, and digital marketing materials tailored for online platforms to promote recruitment events and presence at local farmers markets. These materials collectively support our efforts to attract talented individuals, emphasizing our commitment to community, growth, and excellence in education.
K12 Anti-Vaping Concept Campaign
Capital Projects Infographic Campaign
communities, as it directly impacts the quality and safety of school facilities. The capital budget is a financial plan for acquiring, maintaining, or improving fixed assets like buildings, technology infrastructure, and equipment, focusing on long-term investments rather than day-to-day operating expenses. For schools, this includes constructing new buildings, renovating existing structures, and upgrading facilities. The authorization process for spending involves the school district administration preparing a detailed proposal, which is then reviewed and approved by the local school board, followed by public input and often further approval by higher government authorities. Funding sources include local taxes, state and federal grants, bonds, and sometimes private donations. Key components of school construction and planning involve needs assessment, planning and design, bidding and contracts, and project management. The Foundations for Our Future social networks and the Capital Projects website can effectively communicate this information by sharing updates, educational materials, and engaging with the community through social media platforms and a dedicated website section that provides detailed project information, enhancing transparency and community involvement.
PowerED Energy Vampires Social Campaign
The Puyallup School District (PSD) embarked on a multi-year project to meet the stringent building upgrade requirements mandated by Washington State's Clean Building Act. As the state's second-largest contributor to energy consumption and emissions, commercial buildings, including all PSD schools, were targeted by this legislative initiative to enhance energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The act introduced Energy Use Intensity (EUI) targets, a pioneering national approach mandating specific energy performance goals for commercial buildings. In line with this initiative, in collaboration with McKinstry, PSD launched the Energy Vampires campaign during Energy Awareness Month in October 2023. This campaign shared on the Foundations for Our Future social networks, educated the community about energy consumption, particularly focusing on the insidious impact of devices that, although turned off, are still plugged in—dubbed Energy Vampires. The campaign significantly contributed to building awareness, with notable increases in Facebook and Instagram metrics: a 3.14% rise in Facebook followers, a 27.42% increase in Facebook reach, and a 22.6% boost in Facebook engagement. On Instagram, the campaign resulted in a 13.7% growth in followers and an impressive 197.2% surge in reach, demonstrating the project's success in both fostering awareness and engaging the community in sustainable practices.
Capital Projects Marketing Materials
Our capital communications initiative prioritizes transparency, leveraging narrative storytelling to clarify the complex workings of our buildings.
By providing insights into the infrastructure's functionality and its integral role in supporting the educational objectives of our district, we aim to empower students, staff, and families with a comprehensive understanding of their learning environment.
By providing insights into the infrastructure's functionality and its integral role in supporting the educational objectives of our district, we aim to empower students, staff, and families with a comprehensive understanding of their learning environment.
Northeast Tacoma Elementary Logo
The Northeast Tacoma Elementary School logo was designed in partnership with students, staff, parents and administrators. Students, staff, and families were surveyed on icon, color, and design preferences. The goal of this project was to design a more inclusive, gender-neutral icon that could be used for athletics and to build community spirit.
Tags: Graphic Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Communications Survey, Partnerships
Tags: Graphic Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Communications Survey, Partnerships
Downing Elementary School Logo
Downing Elementary School logo was designed in partnership with the Downing Elementary administration and PTA.
Tags: Graphic Design, Adobe Creative Suite
Tags: Graphic Design, Adobe Creative Suite
Tacoma Youth Sports Initiative
The current national model for youth sports have created expectations of financial investments that are not affordable for most families; leads to sports specific specialization (and injuries) at increasingly younger ages, and fosters a hypercompetitive environment that removes the joy of playing and leads to burnout and ultimately
dropout when kids decide to completely stop playing sports. I worked in partnership with Heize & Associates to develop the Tacoma Youth Sports Initiative proposal.
Tags: Graphic Design, Report Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Page Layout, Editing, Partnerships, Information Graphics
dropout when kids decide to completely stop playing sports. I worked in partnership with Heize & Associates to develop the Tacoma Youth Sports Initiative proposal.
Tags: Graphic Design, Report Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Page Layout, Editing, Partnerships, Information Graphics
SmartCyte Federal Proposal for an Indian Health Services Pilot Project
This one-pager for SmartCyte was part of a marketing campaign developed to support the grant funding of and Indian Health Services Pilot Project which would build temporary hospital facilities on select tribal lands across the United States.
Tags: graphic design, branding, layout, copy editing, Adobe Creative Suite, partner relations, contract management
Tags: graphic design, branding, layout, copy editing, Adobe Creative Suite, partner relations, contract management
Safety and Security Communications
As the Safety and Security pillar lead, I helped to craft monthly communications to our board, staff, and the community. Communications include, but are not limited to internal story posts, memos, briefings, talking points, social media posts and graphics, photography, web updates and more.
Tags: RPIE, storytelling, technical writing, graphic design, social media, crisis communications, crisis strategy
Tags: RPIE, storytelling, technical writing, graphic design, social media, crisis communications, crisis strategy
New campus support specialists bring student-centered approach to school safety
I wrote this article on student-centered approached to school safety to support the goals of the Safety and Security communications plan.
For this piece I interviewed the TPS Safety and Security Directors, front-line staff, and customers of the program. I worked in partnership with our staff photographer to capture images to support the piece.
This particular piece was shared in the November 2022 print newsletter and delivered to every mailstop in Tacoma, Washington. Additionally, it was shared internally on our staff HUB, and on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and multiple websites.
Tags: Writing, Interviewing, Editing, Storytelling
For this piece I interviewed the TPS Safety and Security Directors, front-line staff, and customers of the program. I worked in partnership with our staff photographer to capture images to support the piece.
This particular piece was shared in the November 2022 print newsletter and delivered to every mailstop in Tacoma, Washington. Additionally, it was shared internally on our staff HUB, and on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and multiple websites.
Tags: Writing, Interviewing, Editing, Storytelling
LinkedIn Recommendations
Brian Boice
Managing member of
Boice Law Firm, PLLC
Rae is an exceptional leader who is an amazing resource. Her wisdom in the ways of providing her services are beyond compare, and she had compassion and understanding for me in carrying out my needs; even when she knew better than I did about what those needs were.
Thank you, Rae!
Rae has boundless energy and professional insight that helps teams keep moving forward. I am always impressed when she leads communications, operations, and strategic initiatives because she has a unique talent for weaving them all together in a seamless fashion that gets results, while masterfully incorporating the uniqueness of each person, circumstance, challenge, and opportunity. Rae has rightfully earned tremendous admiration as an achiever, thought leader, and lifelong learner in both the public and private sectors. Most importantly, Rae is a very kind individual who cares deeply for the people she works for and those they serve. Whether driving change, implementing enterprise-wide projects, or developing people, any organization would be lucky to have her on its leadership team. It has been a pleasure to work with Rae and I wholeheartedly support any of her future endeavors.
Rae McNally is a data analysis and strategy pro. I've had the privilege of working with Rae in various roles over the years, including peers in partner organizations, colleagues in the same department, and colleagues in different departments. Rae has grown her skills and abilities exponentially over the years to encompass an expanse of topics and depth of knowledge that is rare in this field. A true leader in understanding data and how it can be used to execute strategy, Rae connects numbers with results.
Michael Grayum, MPA
City Administrator, City of Zillah
CEO, Grayum Consulting
Former Mayor, City of DuPoint
Alicia Lawver, MPA, APR
Tacoma Public Schools
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