Gwen Fitzgerald

About Gwen Fitzgerald

Gwen Fitzgerald develops multi-channel communications and marketing campaigns that inspire target audiences to take action and make change. She has served at advocacy groups for more than 25 years and has developed and implemented communications campaigns for some of the most important and controversial issues of our times including human rights, death with dignity, gun control, reproductive rights, and juvenile justice. At Compassion & Choices she built a team who increased the organization’s presence in traditional media and online. Earned media coverage increased more than 300%. Website metrics skyrocketed: 1,800% increase in sessions, 1,500% increase in users and increase in pageviews (Sept. 2013 – Sept. Additionally, she led efforts to align messaging across channels (field operations, mass communications and donor outreach) and refreshed the branding. Her team developed a game-changing campaign with Brittany Maynard – a 29-year-old woman dying of brain cancer who moved to Oregon to use its Death With Dignity Act. The six-week campaign resulted in: • more than 16 million views of campaign videos via YouTube • new C&C supporters • media hits • supportive editorials in 20 newspapers in 11 states • a six-fold increase in new volunteers Most significantly, the Oct. 2014 campaign led to a six-fold increase in the number of states considering death-with-dignity laws in 2015 and passage of the End of Life Options Act in California less than one year after her death. As Managing Director of Communications for Amnesty International USA she led visibility efforts and served as executive editor of Amnesty International Magazine. She was a spokesperson for the organization’s global campaign to stop the execution of Troy Davis (2011). She cut her teeth on political communications as the Associate Director of Communications for Handgun Control, Inc, working with Jim and Sarah Brady to enact the Brady Law and the assault weapons ban.

Experience

1. Director, Public Messaging

   LeadingAge

   Apr 2021 — Present

   LeadingAge represents more than nonprofit aging services providers and other mission-minded organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside its members and 38 state partners, LeadingAge uses applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building to make America a better place to grow old. Our vision is an America freed from ageism.

Education

• Pennsylvania State University

  Bachelor of Arts (BA), Journalism