Liselle Yorke has more than 15 years experience in strategic communications, media outreach, and special events. She is currently the group lead for marketing at Grameen Foundation and also led media relations at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Throughout her career, she has developed and executed communication strategies for nonprofit organizations in the international development and domestic policy arenas, with particular focus on poverty alleviation, health care, economic development and political participation. She has also consulted with and provided pro bono communications support to various organizations in the Washington, D.C. area, including the Institute of Caribbean Studies and the University of the West Indies Alumni Association. She earned her master’s degree in communications at Howard University and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of the West Indies.
Center for Social Impact Communication: Describe your career path and your current position.
Liselle Yorke: I’m currently the senior marketing lead at Grameen Foundation, a global nonprofit that focuses on global poverty. I’ve been here for 10 years. My journey here was interesting. I’m originally from Trinidad and Tobago and came to the U.S. to pursue a master’s degree in communications at Howard University. Being from the Caribbean, my first thought was to pursue a career in travel and tourism PR. I had already done some television work at home (behind and in front of the camera), so it seemed like a natural fit. But a two-week internship with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a DC think tank, changed that. I found my inner nerd and was keen to learn more about the policy issues facing communities of color. It was a great place to cut my teeth in media relations and I met lots of interesting people along the way. After working there for seven years, I wanted to be part of an organization that was more action-oriented. Just by chance, I learned of the opening at Grameen Foundation – and I still enjoy it today.
The Center: What is your best piece of career advice?
LY: Soak up all the experience you can. During my time at the Joint Center, I did everything from managing events to standing over the fax machine (imagine that!) sending invitations and receiving RSVPs. Here at Grameen Foundation, I learned about social media management and managing the back-end of a Drupal-based website by watching others and on-the-job learning. These types of experiences make you resilient and relevant and will carry you throughout your career.
The Center: What career accomplishment are you most proud of?
LY: Being part of a small team can bring out the best in you. Two years ago, our two-man team was tasked with a branding re-launch, a website launch and putting out an annual report (while still doing our day-to-day duties). It was a tall order but we did it. Are there things we could have done better? Absolutely. But it was a great test of my capabilities.
The Center: What can someone be doing now to ensure they secure a position similar to yours?
Hone your writing skills and seek out communications-related opportunities through volunteering.
The Center: What skills are necessary to work in your field?
LY: Good writing (I cannot stress this enough) and analytical skills that will enable you to measure the effectiveness of your communications strategies.
The Center: What is your go to source to learn about trends in your field?
LY: PCDC listserv (Progressive Communicators of DC), Bulldog PR Reporter, PR Strategist and K.D. Paine.
The Center: We always love to ask, is your organization hiring?
LY: We’re not hiring right now. We have a pretty small marketing and communications team. Most of our hiring is on the program side, where we’re always looking for people with experience in social enterprise and mobile technology.
The Center: Thank you, Liselle, for this excellent insight!