Michelle Neyland, Online Communities Specialist, U.S. Department of State

On March 20, 2012

Company: U.S. Department of State
Title: Online Communities Specialist
http://connect.state.gov
Twitter: @MichelleNeyland

Sessions

Community Management: Big budget vs. Small Budget. Big Numbers vs. Small Numbers (Panelist)

Michelle Neyland is an online communications specialist with expertise in cross-cultural relationship-building and educational applications. She currently works at the U.S. Department of State and manages ExchangesConnect (http://connect.state.gov), the 37,500-member community connecting potential, current, and former educational and cultural exchange program participants so that they can discuss application processes, programs, and living abroad. As Community Manager, she encourages people around the world to join and become active contributors, highlights user-generated content, and organizes regular contests and initiatives to keep members engaged. In addition to her work on ExchangesConnect, Michelle develops holistic web-based public outreach campaigns for her Bureau, using web metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives. She has presented at international education and travel conferences on best practices in community management. Prior to joining the State Department, Michelle worked for a number of NGOs focused on international education and online cross-cultural collaboration. Michelle received her MA in Media, Peace, & Conflict Studies from the United Nations-mandated University for Peace and her BA in Hispanic Studies from the College of William & Mary.