References
“Minerva quickly became an important member of our Eastern States team and consistently looked for ways to strengthen our communications and better tell the stories of our employees and programs. She built strong relationships across our 31-state region and earned the respect of employees and leaders alike. She's an excellent writer who takes initiative and can be counted on to handle complex projects with professionalism and sound judgment. One of the things I appreciate most about Minerva is that she never waits to be asked. She reached out to our District and Field offices, looked for opportunities to highlight their work and followed through. Our communications program is better because of her contributions. I recommend Minerva without hesitation and would welcome the opportunity to work with her again.”
Mitchell Leverette, State Director | Eastern States | Bureau of Land Management
(202) 431-2262 | mleveret@blm.gov
“I had the privilege of serving with Minerva while she was Chief of Public Affairs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District, where she served as my senior communications advisor and a trusted member of the command team. Responsible for communications across a vast Indo-Pacific region, Minerva directed every aspect of our public affairs program, advising senior leaders, managing media relations, strengthening community partnerships and translating complex, often controversial issues into clear, meaningful communication. She played a pivotal role in communicating one of the District's highest-profile infrastructure initiatives, the Ala Wai Flood Risk Management Project, building understanding among elected officials, community leaders, partner agencies and the public through thoughtful engagement, strategic messaging and transparent communication. Her strategic insight, sound judgment and ability to build trust made her an invaluable advisor to district leadership.
Minerva's leadership was equally evident during the Red Hill Water Crisis on Oahu, when she served as the District's lead communicator during one of the most challenging and closely scrutinized events in our region. Working under intense public and media attention, she coordinated timely, transparent messaging across multiple agencies while maintaining public confidence and supporting mission success. Throughout our time working together, Minerva consistently demonstrated professionalism, integrity and an exceptional ability to anticipate challenges before they emerged. I recommend her without reservation and am confident she would be an outstanding asset to any organization seeking a strategic communications leader.”
Lt. Col. Alberto Baez, Dep. Commander for Latin America | Mobile District | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(251) 363-7264 | alberto.a.baez2.mil@mail.mil
“We hired Mindy to manage public affairs for our 12 National Park Service sites across New York Harbor. She immediately established herself as a fully engaged and dependable colleague, successfully working with our separate sites under the banner of the National Parks of New York Harbor. Whether managing public relations, fielding media inquiries, or expanding our digital footprint, Mindy consistently delivered insightful, creative, and reliable results as a vital member of our leadership team. Beyond her strategic capabilities, she is a skilled writer, graphic designer, and photographer and was an excellent mentor to younger staff members and seasonal employees. I highly recommend Mindy and would eagerly work with her again in the future.”
Joshua Laird, Executive Director | Palisades Interstate Park Commission | New York (Former Commissioner for National Parks of New York Harbor)
(845) 786-7911 | joshua.laird@parks.ny.gov
“Minerva has excellent public affairs skills, and handled many complex, high-profile projects and issues during her time at the BLM New Mexico State Office. She developed beneficial relationships with local media contacts, handled VIP visits, and publication roll-outs of BLM rules and documents. She created materials for public outreach, including an informational piece on the importance of prescribed fire to wildfire risk reduction. Minerva also led efforts for internal communication to our organization’s 700 staff to build cohesion, camaraderie, and pride in our public service mission. And, she was fun to work with!”
Melanie Barnes, Land Management Professional - Energy, Environment and Policy | Executive Leader (Former New Mexico State Director)
(505) 660-3049 | melgbarnes@gmail.com
“I had the pleasure of knowing Mindy during our time serving in the Army at Fort Campbell. What stood out most about her was her unmistakable creativity and artistic eye. Mindy has a gift for seeing beyond the surface. She is an excellent photographer who knows how to capture not just an image, but the spirit and story behind it. One of my favorite photos ever is the one Mindy took of my dog, Leah. I still have it and cherish it because she captured her essence so beautifully. That kind of creative instinct is rare. Mindy brings imagination, sensitivity, and storytelling ability to her work, and I believe those gifts will serve her well as she moves into new opportunities.”
Pamela Hart-Vines, Corporate Videography | Editing | Aerial Video and Photos | Documentary @ Vines Film and Media
(202) 257-9292 | pamela@pamelahartvines.com
“As the newest Army Component at the time, we hired Mindy to lead our Command Information team which operated on three continents (Africa, Europe and North America). She performed her job magnificently while helping to implement the newest strategies in critical areas such as social media and multimedia operations. Her success in public affairs has continued to expand with increasing responsibilities and positions. I strongly recommend Mindy to provide exceptional support to anyone looking for Public Relations, photography and media products.”
Col. David Konop (ret.), U.S. Army Public Affairs
(315) 804-7747 |. dbkonop@gmail.com
“I had the opportunity to work closely with Mindy during her time as Chief of Communications at Winn Army Community Hospital, where I served as Chief of Human Resources. Although I was not her direct supervisor, our offices collaborated regularly, giving me the opportunity to see firsthand her professionalism, integrity, initiative and ability to build relationships throughout the hospital.
She is a strong partner to Human Resources, particularly in efforts to recruit nurses, physicians and other healthcare professionals. She coordinated recruitment advertising with local newspapers, developed and wrote advertisements and worked closely with our team to present WINN and our opportunities in a way that would attract strong candidates.
Our collaboration extended beyond recruiting. Mindy supported employee recognition efforts, including developing Apple Award certificates presented by the hospital commander to employees who went above and beyond. She also arranged for an artist to create an apple tree mural for the hospital lobby where the most current awardees could be recognized - she understood the importance of communicating not only what the hospital did, but who was doing the work and the standard of care and service behind it.
She was equally proactive about reaching across the hospital, building relationships with physicians, nurses, clinical staff, administrative teams and leadership. One example was the Speakers Bureau she developed, which gave healthcare professionals opportunities to share their expertise with the community on topics such as chronic disease, nutrition, mental health and preventive care. She also coordinated local radio call-in programs that connected hospital experts directly with community members on timely health topics.
Mindy brings professionalism and integrity to everything she does. She is collaborative, creative, dependable and genuinely interested in helping others succeed. I worked with her closely enough to speak confidently about her character, work ethic and ability to build relationships across an organization. She was a valued colleague and partner, and I would recommend her without hesitation to any organization looking for an experienced communications professional who understands healthcare, values teamwork and knows how to connect an organization’s mission with the people it serves.”
Debbie Abrahamson (ret.) Chief of Human Resources | Winn Army Community Hospital | U.S. Army Medical Readiness Command
(912) 977-0426 | dabrahamson59@hotmail.com
“Absolutely impeccable integrity and drive to succeed. Mindy is exceptionally competent, experienced and someone you can trust with your messaging.”
Col. Edward (Eddie) Kertis (ret.), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers | Currently Superintendent | Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
(808) 492-0180 | edward.kertis@noaa.gov