Before me, this position didn’t exist.
I didn’t step into a legacy, I created it.
When I joined the City of Albany as a Special Projects Coordinator, there was no marketing department, no centralized strategy, and no unified voice guiding how 22+ departments communicated with the public.
Within three months, I identified the gaps, built the vision, proved the need, and eventually secured the creation of the City’s first Director of Marketing role.
The job wasn’t there when I arrived. The need was. I connected the two.
What I Walked Into
No marketing staff
No brand standards
No citywide consistency
Marketing treated as the last step, not part of the process
Departments working in silos, communicating however they could
It wasn’t neglect — it was a system that had never included a marketer.
How I Shifted a System
I didn’t start by asking for a title — I started by solving the problems no one was responsible for. I brought clarity to disconnected communications and created order where there had never been structure. I built trust across departments by making their work easier, clearer, and more effective. In doing so, I showed what a centralized marketing function could achieve long before the function existed. By the time I made the case for the role, the city had already felt the difference.
The Pitch
I presented the Mayor with a simple truth:
“What you asked for is a Special Projects Coordinator.
What the City needs is a Director of Marketing.”
The evidence spoke for itself.
The role was created.