Subject Matter Specialist

MELISSA G. SCHMIDT, “MISSY”
Subject Matter Specialist – Strategy Meets Execution

Delivering ROI. Building win-win relationships.

Focused on business development and entrepreneurship.

Breaking down sales and operational silos.

35+ years of experience in innovative leadership and organizational development, delivering on business plans through strategic planning and execution.

Motivating and managing diverse teams for greatest impact and effectiveness.

QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY:
• Strategic Market Planning | New Business Development | Manufacturing & Distribution
• Strategic Communication | Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Data Analysis and Management
• Bleeding Edge Marketing Technologist | Brand Development | Product Development
• Customer Relationships | Key Stakeholder Management & Customer Retention
• Budgeting & Expense Control | Contract & Price Negotiation | Purchasing Management
• Government Contracting | Legislative Monitoring | Community Outreach & Public Affairs
• Manage Technology, Food Service, Automotive, Retail, Nonprofits (Trade and Human Services)

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE

xTuple – World's #1 Open Source ERP, February 2012 – present
xTuple.com – xTupleUniversity.com
Vice President of Marketing: Driving revenue in collaboration with sales and operations teams. Member of management team responsible for strategic planning, company vision, leadership and execution. Tightly connected to arts, economic development, startup and entrepreneurial communities – both locally in southeastern Virginia and nationally.
• Direct buyer persona (target lifecycle development), lead generation, customer conversions
• Manage company's global user conference, all inbound and outbound communication, including sales campaigns, content creation and syndication, websites and external digital properties, social media, public relations and value-added reseller/ channel partnerships
• Interface and guide user experience (UX) development with application engineers
• Influence new business management software development for key customers in manufacturing and distribution, including enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce.

Hampton Roads Partnership, September 2008 – February 2012
(Nonprofit economic development trade association dissolved September 2013, assumed by Hampton Roads Community Foundation)
Vice President of Strategic Communication and Marketing: Moving key stakeholders and citizens to action. Pursuing competitiveness in a global economy by facilitating regional collaboration and action among business, academia, defense, nonprofit, government and citizens. Devise and implement comprehensive internal (membership) and external (public) communication strategy and outreach plan to extend the impact of regional programs. Develop regional Legislative Agenda. Develop public participation component of region’s first comprehensive economic development strategy, "Vision Hampton Roads" and create all communication for “Innovate Hampton Roads.” Archived at http://hrp.org/Site/programs/strategic-plans

Innovation Gardening, May 2007 – February 2012
Chief Innovation Officer/Marketing Ambassador: Award-winning sales and marketing, business development, communication and event planning. Networked within government, business and nonprofits supporting regional economic “gardening” efforts, i.e., economic growth from within local markets.
• Director of Communications and Marketing (contract) for CASE, LLC, part of Chenega Corporation; Develop government proposals, especially past performance reviews, all in support of Business Development
• Technology Hampton Roads “Pentagon South”: Website design and outbound communication for Defense and Homeland Security Consortium, a technology community initiative
• Grassroots video campaign: Hampton Roads Partnership’s “Beat The Gridlock” transportation initiative, including collaboration with Port of Virginia
• Hampton Roads Chapter of American Marketing Association: Website design HRAMA.org

Friendship Industries, Inc., September 2001 – June 2007
Director of Sales and Marketing: Human services organization empowering persons with disabilities with training and employment opportunities in integrated work environments. Built new position from existing base of customers.
• Coordinated feasibility and marketing studies to seek and grow new business opportunities
• Grew business from $1.5M to $4M, operating 90% of time as road warrior
• Contributed to and implemented Strategic Plan and created first Sales and Marketing Plan as part of Executive Management Team
• Managed customer relationships and trained and managed internal customer service
• Negotiated and maintained sales contracts, including estimating and pricing
• Added profitable new business divisions in Contract Manufacturing and Importing
• Achieved first government contract for U.S. Air Forc at $9M as sole source mandatory purchase with AbilityOne
• Developed and launched company's first interactive website: Friendship-Industries.com

ASC-Automatic Service Company, Edinburg/Lynchburg VA, Jan 1992 – Jun 2001
Divisional Company Manager, 1995-2001: Managed multi-million dollar Food Service Operation, including events, location development and design, sales/marketing, budget/forecast, personnel, purchasing, financials, cash handling; and directed staff of 90 employees and supervisors in over 50 client locations.
Virginia Sales and Marketing Manager, 1992 – 1995: Operated as sales, marketing and customer service force of one. Created and implemented sales plans, goals and objectives and designed all Business and Industrial (B&I) employee Food Services.
• Increased sales by $.5M in first year
• Added $2.0M in second year, more than doubling Edinburg Division’s size
• Created all collateral marketing materials, print and direct mail

Grubbs Chevrolet, Inc. (GrubbsChevrolet.com), Woodstock VA, Dec 1985 – Jan 1992
Sales and Marketing Manager: Developed first marketing calendar and budget, utilizing Chevrolet co-op available, emphasizing the family-ownership brand.
• Researched, established and operated first Rental/Leasing Department
• Researched, created and implemented first Credit & Collection Policies and Procedures
• Graduated Chevrolet’s Professional Sales School, earning recognition as #1 Sales Specialist


EDUCATION
• B.S. cum laude – Dept. of Home Economics – Merchandising and Marketing (now School of Business); Minor – Business Administration, James Madison University (JMU.edu), Harrisonburg VA


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Tidewater Community College CED Certificate – Navigating Business with the Federal Government, Virginia Beach VA, TCC.edu/wd/govseminar.htm
• General Services Administration (GSA) Expo Certificate-Selling to the Federal Government, Advertising and Integrated Marketing Solutions with GSA/Federal Supply Service GSA.gov
• NISH Business Development Certificate and JWOD University Graduate (Now AbilityOne)


SOFTWARE/HARDWARE QUALIFICATIONS
• MS Office Power User-Access, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, industry-specific software, Adobe Creative Suite, HTML, web-publishing, xTuple Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Corporate/Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software

NOTE-confidential and proprietary materials, such as solicitations and proposals, are not archived or available for review.


PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
• Startup Marketing or How to Market Your Venture with Little to No Money - HatchConf 2012
• American Planning Association (Virginia Chapter) Annual Conference – "Placemaking: Building a Regional Community of Communities," 2010 • Opportunity, Inc. Board of Directors – "Vision Hampton Roads, Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy," 2010
• Various city and county governments in Hampton Roads – "Presentation of the Hampton Roads Partnership Annual Impact," 2009
• Tidewater Community College’s Academy of Nonprofit Excellence – “Discovering and Navigating Niche Markets, Resources for the Nonprofit Marketer,” 2008
• Virginia Association of Community Rehabilitation Programs (vaACCSES) – “Building Brand Loyalty from the Inside Out – Creating Ambassadors Within Your Organization,” 2006
• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Marketing & Membership Conference – “Creating Passion is an Inside Job — The Why and How of Building a Great Staff Culture for Your Organization’s Success,” 2006
• Small Business Development Center – “Direct Mail and Me or Mailing: By the Numbers: Direct Mail 101," 2005


PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
• 2007 NISH National Community Outreach Award for creative use of print materials, press releases, and other media to educate the community NISH.org
• 2007 USPS Professional Certificates–Nonprofit Mail and Targeted Mail Marketing USPS.com
• Numerous Employee of the Month Awards


PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
• American Advertising Federation's Hampton Roads VA Chapter, past AAFHR.org
• American Marketing Association’s Hampton Roads VA Chapter, past VP-Marketing/current member HRAMA.org
• ASAE, American Society of Association Executives, past Vendor Member ASAECenter.org
• Downtown Norfolk Council, board member DowntownNorfolk.org
• DMAW, Direct Marketing Association of Washington, past DMAW.org
• Technology Hampton Roads, past – Defense and Homeland Security Consortium, Marketing Sub-Committee Head, Website Admin PentagonSouth.org (now unpublished)
• National Speakers Association of Virginia, past NSAVirginia.org
• Public Relations Society of America, Hampton Roads VA Chapter, current member PRSAHR.org
• Tidewater Association of Service Contractors, past TASC-TGIC.org
• Town Point Club, Norfolk VA Town-Point.com
• UXPA Norfolk, user experience UXPANorfolk.com
• WHRO, Public Media for Hampton Roads, Leadership Circle Member WHRO.org