Yasmeen Elayan
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City,TN
3
Languages
21
years of professional experience
Creative marketing and communications leader with 20 years of experience leading award-winning creative teams, developing strategic marketing initiatives, and producing compelling multimedia content. Expertise in creative direction, brand management, project leadership, and cross-functional collaboration across higher education and media.
Work History
Director of Creative Services
4 Years- Provide university-wide leadership/collaboration for creative services, overseeing brand, web, graphic design, photography, and video teams.
- Supervise professional staff and creative leaders while directing project priorities, production schedules, and resource allocation.
- Provide creative direction for storytelling across print, web, video, photography and social media.
- Helped lead major institutional initiatives resulting in a potential audience above 1.1 billion and $10+ million in earned media value for Marching Bucs to Macy's campaign.
- Managed video production efforts from concept development through final edits, delivering engaging content that resonated with audiences.
- Partner with executive leadership to align marketing and communications with university priorities.
- Develop and implement creative workflows, standards, and processes that improve efficiency and quality.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to produce engaging multimedia content for various platforms, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and standards.
- Mentored junior staff members, fostering an environment that encouraged professional growth and development.
- Championed innovation within the department, inspiring team members to explore new ideas and techniques.
Project Manager
11 Months- Led project planning and execution for academic initiatives, ensuring alignment with university objectives.
- Managed cross-functional teams to streamline processes, enhancing collaboration and efficiency across departments.
- Coordinated stakeholder meetings to gather requirements, providing clarity on project goals and deliverables.
- Implemented quality control measures, increasing accuracy in project outcomes and reducing revisions needed.
- Trained new team members on project management tools, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and support.
- Successfully managed multiple projects simultaneously by prioritizing tasks according to urgency, resource availability, and alignment with organizational goals.
- Planned, designed, and scheduled phases for large projects.
On-Location Film & Production Crew
6 Months- Operated production equipment to ensure smooth workflow and adherence to project timelines.
- Collaborated with team members to maintain high standards of quality and safety on set.
- Assisted in troubleshooting technical issues during filming, minimizing downtime and delays.
- Trained new crew members on equipment usage and safety protocols for efficient operations.
Executive Producer/Special Projects Producer
4 Years 2 Months- Produced flagship 6 p.m. newscast, documentaries, breaking news coverage, and live special broadcasts, enhancing audience engagement and viewership.
- Directed editorial planning and coordinated newsroom operations during major news events, ensuring timely and accurate reporting.
- Directed editorial planning and coordinated newsroom operations during major news events.
- Mentored newsroom staff while collaborating with reporters, anchors, photographers, and production teams to foster a cohesive and effective work environment.
Producer
8 Years 11 Months- Produced and wrote scripts for daily television newscasts in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
- Managed breaking news coverage, special event coverage, editorial planning, and newsroom coordination.
- Collaborated with newsroom personnel to deliver accurate and compelling broadcasts, meeting tight deadlines consistently.
- Worked with marketing department & graphic designer to request graphics to enhance coverage, website information & social media
- Grew 6 p.m. newscast to number 1 slot in ratings for daily WJHL newscasts
- Sole producer of the Battle of Bristol Special, which generated successful ad venue for WJHL & was broadcast live across Tri-Cities, Nashville and Knoxville TV markets.
Production Associate
1 Year 8 Months- Operated Chyron/graphics programs during news broadcasts
- Operated audio board during news broadcasts
- Set up studio lighting, cameras and microphones ahead of live broadcasts
Education
Master of Arts - Professional Communication
Bachelor of Arts - RTVF - Broadcast Communications
Skills
Brand Management • Creative Direction • Project Management • Strategic Planning • Team Leadership • Producer • Web Strategy • Workflow Development • Copywriting & Editing • Storytelling • Executive Communications • Multimedia Production • Photography • Video Production • Crisis Communications • Web Strategy • Person-centered manager
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Arabic
Native or Bilingual
French
Professional Working
Timeline
Director of Creative Services
East Tennessee State University
09.2022 - CurrentRead More
Project Manager
East Tennessee State University
10.2021 - 09.2022Read More
On-Location Film & Production Crew
Netflix
06.2020 - 12.2020Read More
Executive Producer/Special Projects Producer
Nexstar
01.2016 - 03.2020Read More
Producer
Media General
01.2007 - 12.2015Read More
Production Associate
Media General
05.2005 - 01.2007Read More
East Tennessee State University
Master of Arts from Professional Communication
Read More
East Tennessee State University
Bachelor of Arts from RTVF - Broadcast Communications
Read More
Awards
Content Marketing Awards (July 2026):
Finalist: Most Innovative Content Distribution Strategy
ETSU Marching Bucs documentary
Finalist: Best Topic-Specific Video
The ETSU Marching Bucs: A Comeback Story documentary
TCPRA Awards (May 2026):
Best in Show:
- A Campaign to Support the 2025 Documentary: “The ETSU Marching Bucs: A Comeback Story”
Gold:
- “The ETSU Marching Bucs: A Comeback Story” (News/Feature Video)
- A Campaign to Support the 2025 Documentary: “The ETSU Marching Bucs: A Comeback Story” (Overall Promotional Campaign)
Silver:
- “Hurricane Helene: One Year Later” (College Promotional Video)
- Holiday Video: “Can Bucky Stay on Santa’s Nice List?” (News/Feature Video)
TCPRA Awards (May 2025):
Best in Show:
- Hurricane Helene Response (Crisis Communication Campaign)
Gold:
- Hurricane Helene Response (Crisis Communication Campaign)
- ETSU “Vibes” Video (Video Advertisement/PSA)
- Hurricane Helene: "Rising with Hope” Series Trailer Video (News/Feature Video)
Silver:
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Public Relations Campaign (Special Event, More than 7 Days)
News/TV Industry Awards:
· Regional Edward R. Murrow Award (2020)
· Best Producer, TN Associated Press (2015, 2016, 2017)
· Best Newscast, TN Associated Press (2017)
· Best Breaking News, TN Associated Press (2017)
· The Battle at Bristol Special, TN Associated Press (2016)