Melissa Hayes

North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority

   Senior Director, Communications & External Affairs, October 2023 

• Provides executive level direction and manages the Communications & Public Affairs and Outreach divisions.

• Ensures adherence to federal requirements of Metropolitan Planning Organizations; coordinates agency participation in federal certification reviews; and plans, organizes, and prioritizes the work of the NJTPA Central Staff in response to all applicable federal requirements, Board of Trustee initiatives, and commitments as set forth in the annual Unified Planning Work Program.

   

   Senior Manager, Outreach, January 2019 — October 2023

• Directs outreach team responsible for engaging the public and stakeholders in planning projects and programs. This includes producing events, creating surveys and developing specialized outreach initiatives to engage traditionally underrepresented populations and ensuring agency projects and programs are accessible to all.

• Develops communications plans – including templates, style guides and editorial calendars – for print, web, email and social media campaigns.

• Assists with video production.

• Works across various departments, quickly learning about new projects and programs to assist with product creation, ensuring complex information is presented in a way the public can understand.

• Provides communications support to executive leadership and Board of Trustees, including developing talking points, presentations, fact sheets, memorandum, newsletters, blog content and other products as needed.

• Handles media relations, writing and distributing press releases and interacting with reporters.

• Oversaw consultant effort to rebrand the Street Smart NJ pedestrian safety campaign to improve messaging and expand the program’s reach

​

    Editor, Social Media/Communications Specialist, October 2015 — January 2019

• Served as managing editor of InTransition, an annual transportation planning magazine. This included developing themes and story ideas and managing freelancers.

• Developed and maintained social media content calendar.

• Wrote blog posts, press releases, talking points, fact sheets and prepared presentations for executive staff.

• Edited planning studies, reports, presentations, web content and other documents.

• Staffed events and assisted with public and stakeholder outreach initiatives.

​

The Record, Woodland Park, NJ

    Specialty Writer, April 2012— October 2015

• Reported on Governor Christie, state and presidential politics, building a network of state and national sources.

• Wrote multiple articles daily, including breaking news for the web, daily print stories, investigative reports and analysis pieces.

• Contributed to the bureau’s Facebook page and used Twitter to promote The Record, drive traffic to NorthJersey.com, interact with followers and live tweet events.

• Appeared regularly on television shows including NJTV’s Reporters Roundtable and News 12 New Jersey’s Power and Politics. Made guest appearances on MSNBC, CNBC, CNN and NPR affiliates.

 

    Reporter II, December 2010 — April 2012

• Local news reporter assigned to cover as many five municipalities and six school districts simultaneously.

• Wrote several news stories daily, as well as profiles, features and investigative reports, and contributed to the Bergen Beat blog.

• Regularly appeared on Fios News.

​​

The Jersey Journal, Jersey City, NJ

    Staff Writer, October 2009 — December 2010

• Initiated an expansion of the Jersey City beat to include coverage of the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders and statewide political issues.

• Reported on breaking news for the web and wrote multiple daily print stories.

• Trained in SEO and social media engagement.

• Helped develop the paper’s social media presence, growing a following on Twitter and managing the publication’s Jersey City Facebook page.

 

The Burlington County Times, Willingboro, NJ

    Staff Writer, June 2006 — October 2009

• Won a New Jersey Press Association first place award for an investigative series that led to the resignation of two county political party officials.

• Covered municipalities and local military bases before being promoted to report on county government and politics.

• Balanced the demands of meeting multiple daily story deadlines with working on investigative reports.

• Developed contacts at local military bases, resulting in stories on the impact of reduced operations on the surrounding towns and features on veterans and wounded soldiers.

​

The New Egypt Press, New Egypt, NJ

    Managing Editor, September 2005 — June 2006

• Supervised a full-time staff of four, freelance writers and photographers.

• Planned all content, designed graphics and layout for 24-page weekly paper.

• Edited articles and photographs, and worked with staff reporters and freelancers to sharpen reporting, writing and photography skills.

• Served as a liaison to the community and worked with the advertising staff to implement strategies to generate revenue and increase readership.

• Wrote multiple news stories, features and business profiles each week.

 

Packet Publications, Princeton, NJ

    Staff Writer, September 2004 — September 2005

• Covered three local school boards and 18 public and private schools for two weekly papers, the South Brunswick Post and Cranbury Press: Monroe/Jamesburg Edition.

• Monitored state and federal regulations and wrote stories about their impact on education in the region.

• Assisted with municipal reporting, occasionally covering police and fire news, and council meetings.

• Wrote long-form features for the Lifestyles section.

• Part of a team of reporters who won a New Jersey Press Association award for a series about a local food pantry and community members in need.