About
about
I’ve spent my career telling stories.
Some have involved pioneering heart surgeons, breakthrough medical technologies, environmental campaigns, and clean energy innovators. Others have been told from a stage with an acoustic guitar in my hands. At their core, they’ve all been about the same thing: helping people understand what matters and why.
I believe the most important work happens where purpose meets communications. It is here that understanding takes place, information gets shared, and change happens. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to help organizations navigate change, celebrate milestones, respond to crises, and share ideas that improve lives and strengthen communities. Along the way, I’ve learned that the best stories aren’t about companies or institutions. They’re about people who make things happen.
This website is less about my resume and more about the experiences, values, and lessons that have shaped who I am. Welcome.
What I Do
At Its Simplest..
…I help organizations communicate.
Sometimes that’s through strategy. Sometimes it’s through writing, storytelling, media relations, leadership communications, or helping an organization find its voice. Often, it’s about bringing clarity and alignment to situations that are complicated, uncertain, or moving quickly.
I’ve never been interested in communications for its own sake. What interests me are the people and ideas behind it. The physician trying to advance a new treatment. The entrepreneur building something that didn’t exist before. The nonprofit serving a community in need. The leader trying to unite people around a common purpose.
My role is to help those stories be understood, trusted, and remembered.
Services
my services
Here's What I'm Good At
Communications Strategy
- Corporate
- Internal Communications
- Brand
- Executive Positioning
- Speech Presentations
- Message Development
Internal Communications
- Brand Management
- Voice & Tone Development
- Communications Alignment
- Strategy Development
- Executive Messaging & Communications
- Enterprise Communications
Public Relations
- Executive Interviews/Spotligh
- Media Relations and monitoring
- Press Releases
- Content Development
- Messaging Crisis Communications
- Media Training Community +
- Government Relations Advocacy
- Coverage Reports
Crisis & Reputation Management
- Monitoring
- Crisis Plan
- Stakeholder Matrix
- Scenario Mapping
- Response Protocols
- Stock Messaging
- Spokesperson Training
- Executive Counsel
services
Work
my work
What I've Done
I'm Ready...
The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region serves nearly 10 million people in 88 cities within Los Angeles County. We also serve Inyo and Mono Counties and the eastern third of Kern County. We are dedicated to helping victims of disaster and providing programs and services that help our community prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
Prepare SoCal is a public awareness campaign to create more resilient communities that are better equipped to help each other prevent, prepare for and respond to life-threatening disasters. Being prepared is the key to surviving a disaster, and Prepare SoCal wants to help viewers be prepared.
To address the need to build greater awareness and change behavior to create more resilient communities in the Los Angeles region, Jon develop a content marketing campaign that provided and pushed forward valuable preparedness information to Southern California communities through creative channels. The campaign was designed to attract new donors, encouraging them to make the mission of the American Red Cross their own.
While remaining mission driven and keeping with the deeply rooted traditions and principals of the American Red Cross, the “I’m Ready…” campaign helped attract and engage a younger generation of volunteers and donors, while raising the overall profile of the Red Cross brand in PrepareSoCal regions.
I'm Ready...
The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region serves nearly 10 million people in 88 cities within Los Angeles County. We also serve Inyo and Mono Counties and the eastern third of Kern County. We are dedicated to helping victims of disaster and providing programs and services that help our community prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.
Prepare SoCal is a public awareness campaign to create more resilient communities that are better equipped to help each other prevent, prepare for and respond to life-threatening disasters. Being prepared is the key to surviving a disaster, and Prepare SoCal wants to help viewers be prepared.
To address the need to build greater awareness and change behavior to create more resilient communities in the Los Angeles region, Jon develop a content marketing campaign that provided and pushed forward valuable preparedness information to Southern California communities through creative channels. The campaign was designed to attract new donors, encouraging them to make the mission of the American Red Cross their own.
While remaining mission driven and keeping with the deeply rooted traditions and principals of the American Red Cross, the “I’m Ready…” campaign helped attract and engage a younger generation of volunteers and donors, while raising the overall profile of the Red Cross brand in PrepareSoCal regions.
Ridding California of e-Waste: eRecycle.org
California passed new regulations in 2003 that would make it illegal for residents to throw certain electronic devices, specifically computer monitors and televisions, into the trash. The California Integrated Waste Management Board was tasked to educate the public about this new law.
Jon began to brand the concept of electronic waste recycling by creating a message that was distributed to numerous electronic waste handlers for their use as well. Jon worked with a graphic design team to create icons that represented the newly created ewaste industry. He helped develop a strategic plan that would not only help provide information about the new state regulations but would also make it easy for consumers to comply.
Jon’s strategy involve making electronic recycling easier and more convenient for the consumer. To do this, he promoted a new website, eRecycle.org, devoted to providing information about new environmental regulations as well as allowing consumers to find a recycling facility nearby based on their county or zip code. This would help consumers to easily dispose of their electronics and do the right thing for the environment.
Other strategies included the creation of public service announcement that were played on broadcast and radio stations repeatedly and partnering with major electronic retailers such as Walmart and Best Buy to help promote the proper recycling of electronic products.
eRecycle.org was an award-winning campaign that continues to this day, and has helped keep millions of pounds of harmful electronics out of California’s landfills.
Hear Them Roar: Promoting Lions, Tigers & Bears
As San Diego’s only big cat sanctuary, Lions, Tigers & Bears wanted to increase its exposure to the local
region, raise funds to support the care of the animals and become more active in national wild animal issues that were making headlines.
Jon began with creating an interactive social media strategy that would build a following and spread the message through the social-sphere. Along with a new Facebook page, Jon developed a new Twitter account on behalf of the sanctuary’s new arrival and now resident black bear, @LibertytheBear. Liberty Bear authored tweets about himself, the other residents of the sanctuary and all the news around the facility.
As a media strategy, Jon leveraged national news on wild animal issues that were grabbing headlines. He worked with media writers and producers to place the sanctuary’s director as a thought-leader in wild animal advocacy and issues, becoming a strong voice and opinion in this space. Jon secured earned media placement locally and nationally for the sanctuary owner.
Creating A New Culture
Background: The Victim Compensation Program in California, while a vital initiative providing financial relief to victims of violent crime, faced internal challenges impacting staff morale. Issues included complaints of uneasiness among employees, staff transfers to other agencies, and the spread of false information about the program.
Objective: Jon Myers was tasked with addressing these concerns and boosting organizational morale. The primary goal was to identify staff concerns and improve internal communication.
Strategic Approach: Working closely with the Executive Director and the executive team, Jon initiated internal surveys to understand staff needs. The findings revealed a lack of clear communication channels regarding the organization’s vision, direction, and activities. To address this, Jon shifted the management of the Intranet to the communications office, rebranded it, and created a user-friendly and interactive platform.
Communication Enhancement: To tackle limited organizational communication, Jon implemented weekly messages from the Executive Director, providing insight into the organization’s goals. The team polled staff for interests and preferences, leading to the creation of engaging site segments such as “How I Do It,” showcasing staff members and their talents. Other segments included “What’s On Your iPod,” revealing music preferences, and “Picture of the Week,” highlighting personal and organizational milestones.
Results: Following these changes, a follow-up survey indicated a significant improvement in staff perception and satisfaction. The revitalized Intranet became a dynamic tool for fostering a sense of community and pride among staff, contributing to a more positive work environment.
This case study highlights how strategic communication, coupled with thoughtful engagement initiatives, successfully transformed internal dynamics, creating a more cohesive and satisfied organizational culture within the Victim Compensation Program.
Haven't Victims Paid Enough
The California Victims Compensation Program provides compensation to victims of violent crime, reimbursing for expense occurred as a result of that crime. A noble program that provides a valuable service to victims of crime. However, it was discovered that many victims across the state were unaware of the benefits they could receive, depriving them of this valuable resource. Jon helped create a multi-faceted statewide campaign that utilized outreach to county district attorney’s offices, law enforcement and healthcare facilities as well as a dedicated ad campaign. Breaking away from the typical outreach efforts conducted by state agencies, Jon focused on direct and reach the targeted audience with key messages that would resonate and be relatable.
A series of ads were created that focused on human trafficking, elder abuse, child abuse and domestic violence. After more research, many of the potential claimants were in underserved communities. This focused the ads to be placed in public transit locations, billboards and within healthcare and law enforcement facilities.
The campaign was successful as the program saw a significant increase in applications.
my work
Media
in the news
Media Placement
media
