Micheal (Mike) L. Walton

4737 County Road 101 #150
Minnetonka, Minnesota 55345-2634
Voice: 651-434-3633
kyblkeagle@aol.com

GOAL: To actively contribute while serving in positions where I can share my knowledge and experience in public relations and marketing, empowering others with the skills to successfully affect corporate and community environments. I thrive where I can continue to learn while contributing my creativity, business capabilities, internet and personal communication skills.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE: -Crisis communication -Organizational representation -Publication management -Leadership -Brand development and management -Media and community relations -Writing (news, feature, creative) -Presentations and training seminars -Team development and building -Social/electronic media development and maintenance -Advertising and brochures -Regional/national campaigns

TARGET LOCATIONS: Kentucky, Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin

Public Affairs Operations Center Chief Executive Officer
Presidential Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA), Kuwait City, Kuwait (2003)
•Managed and coordinated a public affairs operations center of 33 personnel and supported a press center of 60
•As Lead, developed, engineered and successfully executed the Department of Defense's media embedding program before the start of hostilities in Iraq

Public Affairs Support Director
Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), Baghdad, Iraq (2003)
•Managed and coordinated a public affairs operations center of 33 personnel and supported a press center of 60
•Assisted in the CPA’s corporate public relations efforts with the emerging government of Iraq
•Oversaw 31 press conferences, 17 of which were key, and assisted with prepping key military and civilian leaders in advance of those conferences
•Assisted with development of key themes and messages to be delivered by key military and civilian leaders
•Provided for the coordination of information management, life support, administration and logistical needs of the press center

Regional Public Affairs Officer
88th Regional Readiness Command (RRC), Army Reserve, Fort Snelling, Minnesota (2002-2006)
•Served as lead manager/director of the public affairs office team
•Responsible for Region's internal information, community relations, social media and media relations efforts
•Trained and coached subordinate public affairs professionals in nine states
•Devloped and wrote stories for Regional and national military publications

Public Affairs Technician/Community Relations Officer
88th Regional Readiness Command (RRC), Army Reserve, Fort Snelling, Minnesota (1999-2008)
•Served as office manager for the public affairs office team
•Assisted with the Region's community relations and media relations efforts
•Developed, edited and saw through to publication of a biweekly command information bulletin sent to 224 units in the Region
•Devloped and wrote stories for Regional quarterly magazine
•Serve as Combined Federal Campaign fundraising chair for two years
(for two years served concurrently as Emerging Media Team Chief, responsible for content and design of a robust public Internet site and a demanding corporate in-house Intranet, managing a team of two contractors and two civilian employees as part of my duties)
•Oversee websites content and monitor/respond to website communication with the public

Deputy Director, "Ten Years After the Storm" Army project
United States Army Reserve (2000-2001)
•Designed from concept to finished items, products to support the Army's tenth anniversary of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm
•Assisted team Director in all elements of the program process includes step-by-step review of procedures; media, community and internal communications; and the development of media packets and war veterans to speak with the media
•Development of brochures and advertising (print, radio, television and internet)
•Oversee website content and responded to website communication
•Managed team of six soldiers

Public Relations Chair/VP for Communications & Marketing

(since 2016 to present) President
U.S. Scouting Service Project, Inc. (USSSP) (volunteer/no pay) (Aug. 2000 - present)
•Assisting with the development of media tools to communicate the USSSP's mission and scope to the public
•Responding to email inquiries as well as management of three web-based discussion groups within the website
•Developed marketing plan for expansion of Project and integration of electronic mail discussion groups
•Appointed as National Partner Representative and liaison between the USSSP and the Boy Scouts of America
•Led active Facebook campaign to attract new volunteers and parents to USSSP's family of websites and resources
•Led support campaign introducing the BSA's Family Scouting programs to public

Public Affairs/Relations Director at different levels within the Army for 19 years; has been deployed to many overseas locations as the lead or as part of a team of public affairs professionals to manage various events or activities to include Presidential and heads-of-state visits to military locations

Proficent in:
Microsoft Office 97, 2000, XP
DOS, Geos 1x, 2x and 3.2, Windows 3.11, 95,98,2000,XP, Win10
PhotoShop and Paint Shop Pro
PageMaker and Harvard Graphics
several website development packages and programs

confortable with PC, Mac and Geos applications and programs

Public Relations Society of America, Nashville Tennessee, pending member

National Eagle Scout Association, life member

Association of the United States Army, Vessey Chapter Vice-President for Program (three years)

National Guard Association of Kentucky, life member and board member

U.S. Scouting Service Project, Inc. board member (ten years, four as board President)

HTML Writers Guild, member

Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal,four Meritorious Service Medals, seven Army Achievement Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, three Joint Service medals, three Humanitarian Service Medals, three Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medals, two National Defense & Civilian Service Medals; Good Conduct Medal & other awards for overseas active & reserve service, military service, community service & leadership; Combat Action Badge and Expert Field Medical Badge holder & recipient of awards from organizations in support of the United States armed services; recipient of MG Keith A. Ware Military Public Affairs/Journalism Award (in 1977 as part of staff of Inside the Turret, Fort Knox, Kentucky, a personal award in 1998 for field newspaper/newsletter; in 2002 for the 10th anniversary of Desert Shield/Storm project; another personal award in 2005; and as part of the staff of the Blue Devil II (88th Regional Support Command) in 2006 and 2007).

Eagle Scout Badge with Silver & Gold Palms, William T. Hornaday Gold Medal, Certificate of Heroism/Heroism Medal, Exploring Achievement Award, Arrow of Light & other awards which can be earned or received at the unit, district, local Council & Regional levels for service, leadership & training; awards from the Catholic & several Protestant churches for Scouting leadership & service; awards from the Iraq, El Salvador, a German & a British Scouting Association for Scouting leadership & service; Wood Badge Training Awards as a Scoutmaster & as a Explorer Trainer/Advisor; Sea BadgeTraining recognition as a Sea Scouting Skipper and trainer.

four Outstanding Customer Service Awards from J.C. Penney's as well as recognition as the top sales associate of the month for five months--three of which were consecutive; an Outstanding Customer Service Award from Lowe's Home Centers;

named as a member of "Who's Who Among American High School Students" in 1977; a "Outstanding Young Man in America" in 1986 & 87, & commissioned by three Governors as a "Kentucky Colonel", the highest civil honor rendered to citizens in Kentucky.

Authored several short stories published in various military-related and electronic publications, a published short story anthology with five other authors, three fiction novels and a non-fiction book which have not been published; excerpts are found on more than 40 websites in the United States, Canada and Germany. Authored a user guide as well as 47 DEC VAX computer programs that were used as parts of an integrated computer menu/applications program for students at Eastern Kentucky University over a two year period. Have created and placed more than 800 web pages onto the World Wide Web, mostly dealing with Scouting and youth program issues as well as creation of pages for various Scouting organizations and units throughout several States. Contribute to and provide daily content for the U.S. Scouting Service Project (USSSP)'s website in several areas related to organization, extension, uniforming and programming.

Graduate, Defense Information School Social Media Manager Course (2017), NATO Advanced Public Information Officer Course (2009) and FEMA Advanced Public Information Officer Course (2007)

Post-Graduate studies in Communication Studies, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma (2001) and Electronic Communications, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky (1993)

Graduate, Army Command and General Staff College (1993)

Master of Arts in Recreation and Parks Administration (emphasis in Outdoor Education), Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky (1992)

Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications Studies and in Public Relations, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky (1982)

Portfolio available for review

Available upon request