The season of giving is upon us. We’d be remiss here at Teak if we didn’t express our gratitude for our steadfast Vice President of Public Relations Diana Brown McCloy who gives so much of her heart to our team and clients. For the past 15 years, her keen eye for storytelling, passion for helping others and attention to detail has landed countless opportunities to drive awareness and revenue for nonprofits. Always a team player, she is also the glue that holds the internal team together working to ensure colleagues are happy, engaged and supported.
I recently sat down with Diana to hear more about her experiences, her favorite moments and what she has learned here at Teak.
What did you do before coming to Teak?
I spent 12 years as a correspondent for The Boston Globe, writing feature stories and a regional events column. Then, I worked briefly as a publicist for a small local nonfiction book publisher, Commonwealth Editions, and for four years before the Globe as a staff reporter at The Eagle Tribune, where I worked with Jackie Herskovitz before she started Teak Media. For quite some time, I was focused on raising my two daughters, so I worked part-time until I was able to commit more hours to my career.
How and why did you decide to join the Teak team?
I really enjoyed doing publicity for the book publisher and its authors, even more motivated when I got a piece placed in Coastal Living magazine. So, I think I was ready to make a shift to media relations. Teak pitched me as a reporter, so I knew they were a solid team, working for very worthy nonprofits and getting their stories to reporters, editors, and producers. It felt like I could do what I loved by unearthing those gems, shining a light on causes, and working with reporters at newspapers, radio stations, blogs, and TV stations to educate the public. My admiration and passion for journalism has never wavered so I still feel like I am part of the process.
You’ve been with us for over 15 years now. Wow!!! How has your work at Teak changed from when you started back in 2007?
It is amazing that it has been 15 years at Teak. As a company, we have broadened our focus from nonprofit clients to include socially responsible companies. We still focus on the stories that are rooted in causes and missions, often around sustainability and environmental solutions. What has changed most is the media landscape. Gone are stalwart publications like Improper Bostonian, many small town weekly papers, and radio shows like “The Connection,” for example. Reporters are moving around frequently or leaving the profession all together. Blogs, podcasts, social media, and influencers have widened the work we do. In many ways, it’s interesting strategically to find new ways to tell those stories for nonprofits, but I just don’t want to see traditional, mainstream journalism shrink any further.
What is the secret sauce to good storytelling?
Leading in from an inspiring source. In our work, that means offering a person who has benefitted from a nonprofit’s work. A child who receives a winter coat and boots from Cradles to Crayons. A former gang member who graduates with a college diploma from Boston Uncornered. A sea turtle rescued, rehabilitated, and returned to the ocean by the New England Aquarium. Simpler, the better, for impact, and get to the reason that it’s a good story for media quickly. Reporters are busy so we aim to make it easy for them too.
As a publicist, you wear so many hats. How do you juggle it all?
We work as a well-oiled machine at Teak. We are small, nimble teams so we all work together, handing off the batons to each team member as seamlessly as possible. I like lists to keep it all straight and reliable teammates who keep all the balls in the air right alongside me. Breaking news makes our work exciting – and challenging at times – and that’s when we feel we are working right in step with the media.
What has been your favorite or most memorable moment working for Teak thus far?
Many memories. Often triumphant media stories. Such as Rhea Vedro on NBC’s “Making a Difference”; the New England Aquarium’s Right Whale Team on “NBC Nightly News” and CNN.com; “Boston’s Apollo” exhibition at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on “PBS News Hour”; Keith Jones’ profile by Don Aucoin in the Boston Globe; and Billy Baker’s profile of Stan Kozak as the Gardener at the Gardner in the Globe.
What drives you to do this work?
Giving underdog nonprofits, their leaders, their clients, and their missions a louder voice in the media. And, conversely, offering good, solid stories to media.
If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be?
Michelle and Barack Obama. I continue to be in awe of their grace, intelligence, humor, integrity, and tremendous poise amid so much pressure and backlash for all they accomplished. My respect and admiration has only grown in light of all that followed after they served.
What has working in this industry taught you?
In the best of all possible worlds, our work to educate media, readers, viewers, donors, foundations, and lawmakers leads to increased donations and funding to continue the incredibly important work that our clients do. The New England Aquarium is still my best example. A story we helped place in the New York Times/Science Times/International Herald-Tribune brought third party credibility to one little-known global conservation program then. We since learned that the story saved the program and has raised more than $575,000 to date and counting.
