Kenya Godette
Norfolk
Summary
Strategic, highly accomplished Public Affairs and Media Relations executive with extensive experience directing high-profile, statewide and national communications initiatives across government, public health and higher education sectors. Proven track record serving as an official agency spokesperson and Public Information Officer (PIO), with deep expertise in establishing trusted media relationships and executing emergency response communications. Exceptional ability to synthesize complex information into clear, impactful content across multiple digital and print formats. A collaborative leader skilled in advising senior government officials, managing multi-audience stakeholders and utilizing modern content management systems to drive transparent public engagement.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of News and Media Relations
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA
03.2023 - Current
- M&A & Enterprise Brand Integration: Partner with executive leadership to architect the public relations and media strategy for the historic integration of Eastern Virginia Medical School into ODU (forming Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences), managing multi-stakeholder messaging and driving massive regional and national visibility that yielded a combined audience reach exceeding 376 million.
- R1 Research Positioning & Thought Leadership: Formulate and execute comprehensive public affairs and PR strategies for flagship institutional economic initiatives—including the State of the Region and State of the Commonwealth projects—solidifying ODU's national profile as a premier Carnegie R1 research university.
- High-Stakes Crisis Leadership: Direct rapid-response media operations and stakeholder communications during high-profile campus shooting incident, weather crises and active public safety events in lockstep with the executive cabinet.
- Brand & Commercial Partnerships: Spearhead media relations and cross-functional storytelling for high-visibility institutional projects including ODU's partnership with Google to create a first of its kind AI incubator, featured segment on the Amazon Prime College Tour, as well as high-profile commercial brand partnerships and licensed product launches.
- National Thought Leadership & University-wide Coaching: Cultivate Tier-1 media relationships to secure high-impact features in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today; establish and lead an institutional media-training program for faculty experts across all schools and colleges to maximize messaging efficacy and elevate ODU's R1 research profile.
- Digital Transformation & ROI Tracking: Re-engineered the university's communication infrastructure, transitioning legacy operations into enterprise project management workflows (Asana & Monday.com); deployed Meltwater data analytics to establish the department's first data-driven KPI and monthly performance tracking models.
- University-Wide Editorial Governance: Serve as Editor-in-Chief for all enterprise news products, managing content strategy, quality control and distribution across the ODU homepage, external newsletter, central News Center and individual college digital media footprints.
- Award-Winning Engagement: Relaunched and redesigned the unified internal/external corporate newsletter, Inside ODU, scaling viewership to nearly 60,000 stakeholders and earning the 2024 PRSA Pinnacle Award.
Communications Manager
Guilford County Health Department
Greensboro, NC
01.2021 - 03.2023
- Crisis Leadership & Public Relations: Served as agency spokesperson and Public Information Officer during the COVID-19 pandemic, driving media engagement and public trust.
- High-Impact Public Affairs: Engineered a targeted influencer campaign that successfully increased county vaccination rates by 5.5% in two months, earning national recognition on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
- Bilingual Omnichannel Campaigns: Developed and executed comprehensive public health communications campaigns reaching over 549,000 residents across digital, broadcast, print and community outreach channels.
- Media Partnership Development: Established a recurring public health broadcast segment with WGHP FOX 8 and facilitated weekly media briefings with emergency management leadership.
- Internal Communications: Launched a monthly enterprise newsletter that achieved a 60% open rate, significantly improving internal culture and employee engagement.
Communications Officer
The Government of Bermuda
Hamilton, Bermuda
05.2018 - 01.2020
- Executive Speechwriting & Ministerial Counsel: Served as a trusted advisor and strategic speechwriter for 10+ Cabinet Ministers and senior government officials; authored high-profile executive addresses, policy rollouts and strategic messaging to ensure maximum impact and alignment with national priorities.
- High-Stakes Media Coaching: Provided direct, one-on-one media training and crisis-preparedness coaching to government leadership ahead of press conferences, live broadcasts and high-scrutiny international media opportunities.
- International & Intergovernmental Affairs: Represented Bermuda as a national communications delegate at the UK Overseas Territories Search and Rescue Conference; served as primary global media liaison to NGOs, including Greenpeace and The Waitt Foundation, to amplify national initiatives.
- National Crisis Management & Public Safety: Spearheaded rapid-response crisis communications during critical national events, including Hurricane Humberto, public sector labor strikes, school closures and widespread environmental protests to maintain public trust and safety.
- Large-Scale Public Affairs & Sustainability Campaigns: Directed nationwide public relations campaigns reaching 62,000 residents and 650,000+ annual tourists; successfully engineered public outreach for multi-million dollar infrastructure projects, including a 6MW Solar Power Project, NASA Space & Satellite initiatives and major public education restructurings.
Communications and Development Coordinator
Freedom School Partners
Charlotte, NC
09.2016 - 05.2018
- Institutional Rebranding: Led a comprehensive organizational rebrand, including messaging framework, visual identity, website redesign and style guide development.
- Fiscal Optimization: Secured more than $30,000 in pro bono marketing and public relations services through successful grant writing and corporate proposals.
- Growth & Engagement: Boosted organic social media engagement by 25%; managed full-scale donor stewardship, media relations and annual reporting for an educational nonprofit serving thousands of students. (Progressive growth within organization from Volunteer Coordinator / Assistant roles, 2015–2016).
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Communications
University of North Carolina At Charlotte
Charlotte, NCSkills
- Executive Speechwriting & Thought Leadership
- High-Stakes Crisis & Reputation Management
- Tier-1 Media Relations
- Bilingual Omnichannel Campaigns
- Operational Modernization & Workflow Design
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
Timeline
Director of News and Media Relations
Old Dominion University
03.2023 - Current
Communications Manager
Guilford County Health Department
01.2021 - 03.2023
Communications Officer
The Government of Bermuda
05.2018 - 01.2020
Communications and Development Coordinator
Freedom School Partners
09.2016 - 05.2018
Bachelor of Arts - Communications
University of North Carolina At Charlotte