Tara Powers

About Tara Powers

With 20 years of public relations and strategic communications experience, I have worked in a variety of industries. I currently serve as Global Director of Communications at Avenues: The World School, an independent school which is building a global network of campuses in the world\'s leading cities, serving students age 2-18. With campuses in New York, São Paulo, and Shenzhen, as well as virtually with Avenues Online, Avenues provides more than students around the globe transformative, world-focused learning experiences. I am responsible for the strategy and execution of all corporate communications, including global and campus-based parent and colleague communications, external communications, public relations and crisis/issues communications.Prior to joining Avenues, I spent 16 years at Lambert, Edwards & Associates, where I led the firm\'s award-winning consumer practice, providing strategic counsel and overall account management for all of the firm’s retail and consumer product and service clients, as well as playing a key role in the agency\'s growth.Clients under my direction included: major brands such as Krispy Kreme, Moosetracks ice cream and 5-Hour Energy; national retailers Family Christian Stores, chain Mattress Firm, Pier 1 Imports and Shopko; a number of education clients including the nation’s largest charter school operator, National Heritage Academies; and a variety of faith-based organizations, including the world’s leading Christian publisher, Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins.During my time as Managing Director, the firm\'s Consumer practice group won a number of national awards, including three Silver Anvil Awards (the Oscar of the PR industry) and six Bulldog Reporter Awards, including PR Innovation of the Year in 2010 and Best Integration of PR and IR in 2011.My areas of expertise include strategic communications, regional and national media relations, community relations programs and crisis/issues management.

Experience

1. Global Director of Communications

   Avenues The World School

   Jun 2016 — Present · New York, NY, US

   Avenues: The World School (“Avenues”) was founded in 2010 with the vision to establish one school with many campuses that are intentionally connected and interdependent, located in leading global cities. Avenues is one highly integrated learning community, supported by a common mission, a shared education design and curriculum, world-class technology and a talented headquarters team in New York City. Through this effort, Avenues is helping to define a new category of school—a world school. Avenues exists to develop future world-wise leaders who are uniquely equipped to understand and solve global-scale problems.Avenues’ first campus opened in New York City in September 2012 and today serves more than 1700 students in nursery through 12th grade. Avenues\' second campus opened in São Paulo, Brazil in August 2018 to more than 800 students. Avenues Online launched in 2018 and Avenues Shenzhen is planned to open in fall 2019. Additional campus development efforts are underway in China, Europe and the United States.

Education

• Calvin University

  Bachelor of Arts

  1992 — 1995

• San José State University

  Master's

  1996 — 1998

Skills

• Corporate Communications
• Creative Direction
• Community Development
• Crisis Communications
• Marketing Strategy
• Issues Management
• Strategic Communications
• Product Launch
• Brand Development
• Strategic Counsel
• Marketing Communications
• Product Launches
• Marketing
• Public Relations
• Internal Communications
• Media Relations
• Press Releases
• Social Media Measurement
• Social Media Marketing
• Investor Relations
• Social Media
• Integrated Marketing
• Strategic Planning