Communications with intention, reach and results. Big picture visionary, with attention to detail. Online, in print, and in person.
Proven Excellence: Three key highlights
- Extraordinary startup success in the world of community news
- Sooke PocketNews (est 2014) is Sooke’s only eco (paperless) news daily (Sooke pop:13,000)
- 1.4 million article reads in the past year alone
- Over 6 million visits since inception
- Deeply understand relationship between effort and income
- Extraordinary community engagement and marketing
- Connected to businesses and municipalities
- Provide marketing consultation and seminars
- Marketing and engagement proven through readership engagement on SPN; sponsors include Telus, Canadian Blood Services, District of Sooke, Premier of BC and more
- Superior writing skills
- This article written for Sooke PocketNews has been read over 11,217 times in a time span of a week: Fentanyl death laced with regret: When you don’t get to say I love you
- Arthur Black of CBC fame (rest his soul), was a fan of my motorcycle column.
“I found her columns both astute and pithy. The lady knows her stuff and she can write too. There’s a growing number of Farts both young and old out here who are taking up two-wheeled, motorized transportation. We could all benefit from a regular dose of Santowski’s wit and wisdom.” – (that) Arthur Black - Other articles are online here.
Experience, by Timeline
- Executive Director, Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce, 2020
- Oversee office, finances
- Produce documentation, reports, presentations as required
- Grow and manage membership
- Publisher, Sooke PocketNews, Sooke BC, Sept 2014 – present
- Standard founder duties (project and strategic planning, marketing, researching, launching and progressing, hiring, contracting and firing, future development) (10%)
- Standard publisher duties (brand management, networking, relationship building, securing advertising, staffing, content oversight, newsworthy directions) (25%)
- Standard journalism duties (editorial, investigative, political portfolio, covering community events, writing, editing, layout, content presentation) (40%)
- Standard web designer, ad development, server maintenance and admin duties (25%)
- Contractor
- Instructor: Royal Roads University, July 2018 to present, Co-teach TRMN 503. Transforming Destinations
- Researcher: Royal Roads University, Sept 2019 to present: (statistics, reports)
- Transformative Learning Foundation, Communications Manager: 2019 (6 months). Blog, website, newsletter, promotional materials
- Editorial Cartoonist and Journalist, News Mirror, Sooke BC, Nov 2011 – Aug 2014
- Standard journalism duties (investigative research, writing, photography, image manipulation, videography, and layout)
- Freelancer, Sooke and Victoria BC, May 2004 – Nov 2011
- Writing, web design and maintenance, taking and editing video, facilitating events, delivering courses, developing curricula, marketing and promotion, networking
- Chief Instructor at Vancouver Island Safety Council, Victoria, BC
- Taught students aged 16 to 86 how to ride (killed no one)
- Oversaw train the trainers (intake, training and final provincial certification)
- Worked with provincial regulators (ICBC) and board.
- Communications Coordinator & Information Architect, BC Gov, Victoria, BC
- Internal communications, newsletter, promoting internal intranet standards and divisional coaching, strategic planning facilitation.
- Trainer/Head Writer at Morgan Media Inc/Big Picture Technologies
- Technical writing manuals and online help, training end users
Accomplishments
Executive Director
- Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce, previously served as a/President (2019) and Secretary (2018, 2019).
Publisher (7 years)
- Founded online community daily news, Sooke PocketNews (SPN) est 2014, launched 2015; strong marketing, networking skills contributed to current high volume success
- Published The Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman, achieving Amazon top seller status
- Familiar with all types of publishing software, InDesign, Photoshop, CreateSpace publishing tools, and various online marketing tool (incl. Amazon)
Educator and Presenter (10+ years)
- Co-teaching Master’s Course on Tourism Management to students, overseeing term projects involving the Districts of Sooke, Langford, Metchosin and Colwood, and the Capital Regional District (CRD) (Royal Roads University)
- Delivered marketing strategies seminars to small business owners (Sooke PocketNews, SPN)
- Chief instructor with Vancouver Island Safety Council, overseeing instructor training for about 30 instructors, and an annual recruiting count of about eight to 12
- Delivered keynote presentation at the in-person book launch (The Three Strategies), and event that sold out and raised $1,800 for a women’s entrepreneur organization
- Created and delivered workshops for women, based on the book, (The Three Strategies)
- Contracted by debt management organizations to give Financial Options seminars
- Wrote documentation for software trainers, and delivered training courses
Self-starter and community leader (10+ years)
- Sought-out speaker, presented at Imagining Possibilities Conference (scheduled for Nov, 2018)
- Committee member, Affordable Housing Committee, District of Sooke
- Founded and chaired mastermind groups (a collaboration of entrepreneurs) for 10 years
- Executive member of the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce
Website Developer (10+ years)
- Designed, developed, launched Sooke PocketNews, TheThreeStrategies.com, and AMatterOfLifeAndDebt.com
- Created multi-user site (Pocketnews.ca) with numerous subdomains
- Developed, managed, maintained Vancouver Island Safety Council corporate website
- Managed and maintained Intranet sites for BC Government
- Expert computer skills including PCs, Mac, Commodore 64s, CMS, troubleshooting server attacks, database management, site migration
Journalist and Writer (10+ years)
- Journalist covering municipal politics and community events
- Freelance columnist: received accolades from Arthur Black (CBC) for Throttle Therapy
- Author: The Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman, exploring confidence built on the attributes of accountability, initiative, and collaboration; Amazon.ca top-seller
- Wrote over 50 book reviews with the Canadian Book Review Annual
- Expert software skills: InDesign, PhotoShop, Fireworks, Dreamweaver and other WYSIWYG processors, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), WordPress, and more
Education
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s: MA, English
- University of Waterloo: BA, English
- Various MOOC courses, primarily on Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Certified Insolvency Counsellor
- Adult Education Principles
- Counselor Training
Volunteer Work
- EMCS Society, board member (current, since 2018), Vice President (since 2019)
- Founded and facilitated a number of Mastermind Groups, Sooke (ongoing)
- Member, Affordable Housing Committee, District of Sooke
- Chamber of Commerce, Executive (Secretary, Acting President)
- Citizen’s Counseling Centre, Victoria
- Sexual Assault Centre, Victoria
- Literary Arts Festival, Victoria
- Centre 507 Drop-In Center, Ottawa