Michele Lutz

About Michele Lutz

I’m a strategic marketing, and communications leader with experience across global advertising, media, consulting, and nonprofit leadership. I help organizations build reputation, momentum, and revenue by aligning strategy, storytelling, and high-impact relationships — particularly in complex, stakeholder-driven organizations.I began my career in global advertising agency account management, managing complex, high-visibility engagements for blue-chip clients including Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods, Citigroup, Northwest Airlines, Sara Lee, and the U.S. government. This experience grounded me in disciplined execution, stakeholder management, and message clarity at scale.After earning an MBA from Harvard Business School, I served as a Dean’s Research Fellow in the Entrepreneurial Management unit, co-authoring case studies on growth, M&A, online business models, and ethics on companies including Scientific Atlanta, Cox Communications, and Enron. I later held business and consulting roles across media and professional services, including serving as a Business Manager at The Wall Street Journal and founding a consulting practice advising nonprofit, healthcare, real estate, and professional services organizations.For the past decade, I’ve held leadership roles in nonprofit and healthcare organizations, most recently as Director of Public Relations & Communications at Caron Treatment Centers, where I lead communications, executive visibility, media strategy, and digital channels, while supporting business development and fundraising through strategic events and partnerships.In parallel, I’ve held leadership roles with Harvard Business School alumni organizations, including Treasurer of the HBS Club of New York and Program Committee Co-Chair of the HBS Club of South Florida.

Experience

1. Director of Communications and Public Relations

   Caron Treatment Centers

   Aug 2022 — Present · Wernersville, PA, US

   Lead enterprise-wide communications and public relations for an internationally recognized, multi-site nonprofit healthcare organization, serving as the senior communications advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team in a highly regulated environment.• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team, shaping organizational messaging, executive positioning, and narratives across internal and external audiences.• Own and lead the organization’s PR and communications function, integrating media relations, executive visibility, internal communications, digital channels, and events to strengthen reputation and organizational alignment.• Direct media relations and thought leadership strategy, securing selective, high-impact national coverage across Tier 1 outlets (including broadcast, print, and digital) to reinforce leadership credibility and organizational priorities.• Oversee internal communications and leadership messaging, including executive communications, workforce updates, and leadership forums, ensuring clarity and consistency during periods of growth, change, and complexity.• Lead crisis and issues management, advising senior leadership on sensitive operational, workforce, and reputational matters.• Manage and mentor the communications team and agency partners, setting strategy, priorities, and standards while balancing speed, quality, and governance.• Oversee social media, email marketing, and digital communications channels to ensure alignment between internal messaging, external positioning, and brand voice.• Design and support high-profile events and executive engagements, regularly convening influencers across media, government, philanthropy, and community leadership to strengthen relationships and support business development and referral growth.

Education

• Rutgers University

  BA, Economics

• Harvard Business School

  MBA, General Management

Skills

• Social Media
• Strategic Partnerships
• Advertising
• New Media
• Marketing Communications
• Online Advertising
• Online Marketing
• Direct Marketing
• Financial Analysis
• Strategy
• Management
• Entrepreneurship
• Digital Strategy
• Start-Ups
• Creative Direction
• Strategic Planning
• Business Planning
• Fundraising
• Marketing Strategy
• Business Development
• Digital Marketing
• New Business Development
• Public Relations
• Business Strategy
• Social Media Marketing
• Marketing