PALADIN COMMUNICATIONS
ABOUT PALADIN COMMUNICATIONS
Tailored solutions for executive communications
You have the vision. You know the impact your organization, company or team can make.
We have the communications strategies and insights that will help you motivate key stakeholders. At Paladin Communications, we lean on the historic meanings of our name to be your trusted partner and champion of your cause. We’ve worked with start-up businesses and Fortune 500 companies, managed communications during crises that drew national media attention, and coached executives to be high-impact communicators.
What and how you communicate will be the foundation of your path forward. At Paladin Communications, we customize our services to you and your organization.
In times of absolute leadership — when dealing with change, competition or crisis — we’ll help you express the value of your organization and the opportunities it presents.
OUR APPROACH
A CUSTOMIZED APPROACH
Our clients view us as trustworthy, thought-provoking partners who deliver personalized service. Leaders say they and their organizations are more effective and achieve higher, more strategic goals through their focus on communications with Paladin.
Executives turn to us when they face times of great challenge and great possibility, knowing their own leadership personas and communications are of utmost importance. They turn to us when issue management is critical and when clear, deliberate and consistent communications, both internally and externally, will accelerate their organization’s trajectory.
You can expect that our work with you will be customized. We’ll help you evaluate barriers and opportunities. Then, we’ll support you in identifying and implementing high-impact communications.
TESTIMONIALS
John Rathje
Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
at Kent State University
“Jim was our first director of communications and marketing for the new Central Michigan University College of Medicine. He came in at a time when we were facing criticism on campus and in two key communities, as well as confusion among our partners. His focus on internal communications, listening sessions and media relations was instrumental in positively changing the conversation and sentiment.”
MEET CO-FOUNDER SHERRY KNIGHT
Sherry Knight partners with executives to develop and project a leadership mindset, focused on priorities and messages that inspire target audiences to take action. She is an expert in tone and resonance of communications.
Sherry refined her talent for C-suite and organizational communications through nearly 20 years as a consultant and through her own executive roles. She mindfully designs communications to support the achievement of key business objectives — always.
She launched Paladin Communications in 2019 after seven years as the associate vice president of communications at Central Michigan University. Sherry led CMU’s brand development, issue and crisis management, marketing, and internal and external communications efforts.
As a member of the president’s cabinet, Sherry counseled and developed communications for
CMU’s top administrators. She directed market research that led to Central’s “Put Your Stamp on the World” campaign, which captured the university’s value proposition and spirit. The tagline was embraced and repeated often by students, alumni and faculty.
Sherry also led communications during a deadly, on-campus domestic violence shooting in 2018 that brought instant media attention from across the world.
Prior to CMU, Sherry supported clients nationwide for 16 years as owner of an executive communications firm near Ann Arbor, Michigan. She worked with leaders of a major public utility, one of the world’s top chemical companies, a state charter schools association, and a start-up health care company that used advanced technology to improve oncology treatments.
She also has served as an executive in the telecommunications industry and was an award-winning newspaper reporter.
MEET CO-FOUNDER JIM KNIGHT
Jim Knight helps leaders and enterprises succeed by encouraging authentic and consistent communication that allows employees to buy in and external audiences to understand and take action.
Jim believes the essential key messages and goals of any organization need to be precise and central on every communication platform, such as news releases, web pages, social media, newsletters, presentations, speeches and graphics.
His focus on communications started with a 30-year, award-winning career in daily newspapers, where he was an editor for more than 17 years. He moved into the world of communications plans, media relations and issue management with marketing and communications roles at the University of Michigan and Central Michigan University.
Jim created and managed early social media accounts as part of a small team that transitioned in 2009 from The Ann Arbor News to a start-up 24/7 online news operation — a national pilot in the industry before it became part of MLive Media Group. At Central Michigan, he oversaw more than 30 social media accounts in the competitive industry of Division I collegiate athletics.
Jim refined his coaching and teaching skills for client training sessions as an adjunct journalism professor at CMU. That time included leading a capstone class project that resulted in a multiple-page spread in the industry magazine Editor & Publisher.
As a liaison to the media, he has worked with reporters, producers and on-air personalities from outlets such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Fox Sports Detroit, CBS Sports, MLive.com, the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News.
MEET PARTNER/VICE PRESIDENT HEATHER SMITH
Heather Smith, Paladin partner and vice president of strategic communications, offers clients extensive experience in storytelling, leadership coaching, and issue, event and communications campaign management.
Before joining Paladin, Heather was executive director of communications at Central Michigan University. She also had been interim associate vice president of communications, serving as a member of the president’s cabinet and leading more than 30 marketing, communications, web, multimedia and graphic design professionals. Her achievements over 12 years at CMU include:
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Providing communications and media counsel and training to senior administrators;
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Overseeing CMU’s COVID-19 preparedness and response communications;
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Playing a lead role in the March 2018 campus shooting communications response;
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Spearheading development of a social media policy and approach; and
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Providing guidance on a new website and brand campaign.
A native of Mt. Pleasant, Smith also has served as communications director for the City of Mt. Pleasant and directed public relations for Special Olympics Michigan.
MEET PETE MANIEZ
Pete Maniez is a marketing and special projects lead for Paladin
He is a marketing expert with extensive expertise in working closely with a diverse group of clients to build strategic marketing plans and customer-engagement experiences.
Pete currently is the Director of Business Development with Playfly Sports at Michigan State University and previously was the Director of Marketing with Penn State University Athletics. He also worked in marketing for five years with Central Michigan Athletics.
He has a wide range of technical skills, such as video editing, web design, creative planning and execution of social media campaigns, digital advertising, and scripting of complex events.
MEET MONICA CLARK
Monica Clark, Paladin’s vice president for marketing and analytics, relies on data and goals as she partners with clients to refine their digital and traditional marketing strategies. She builds and implements successful campaigns as she connects clients with their target audiences.
Monica led the marketing team at Central Michigan University for 10 years, developing annual plans and directing campaigns from concept to completion. She led the market research that produced the “Put Your Stamp on the World” tagline and spearheaded implementation of the resulting, high-impact marketing campaign.
She also oversaw the content and branding of CMU’s web space, leading multiple web redesigns, improving architecture and functionality, and creating the university’s first recruitment microsite.
Monica’s expertise includes assessment of CRM, email, web, social media and advertising analytics, using the findings to plot the marketing and communications strategies that will best influence key audiences.
