Michelle Ward

Michelle Ward is a public relations and marketing professional in the Nashville area, with expertise in social media strategy and graphic design. Michelle currently works at Educational Services of America (ESA) and is also a graduate student at Belmont University, pursuing a master of education degree in organizational leadership and communication.

Michelle has worked for organizations including LightWave Solar, where she focused on industry intelligence research, media relations and an interactive online presence. During her undergraduate career at Belmont, Michelle served as the online publications intern, managing email communications and student blogs. She also worked with the Nashville Predator's Hockey Team as a college ambassador to promote Taco Bell's College Night.

Michelle is a member of the national and Nashville chapters of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and recently served as the social media and newsletter committee co-chair. She was previously on the social media team for the annual unconference, BarCamp Nashville, and volunteered for social media conference Explore Nashville.

As an active member of the community, Michelle believes it is important to use your capabilities to make a difference in the lives around you. She currently serves on ESA's corporate sponsorship committee for Book'Em and volunteers for Agape Animal Rescue and Special Olympics Tennessee events. She served as Environment and Clean Energy Coordinator for Belmont's Unity through Service Week and recently planned a fundraising campaign for Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Nashville. Michelle has volunteered in many Nashville public schools as a teacher's assistant and tutor. She attends Ethos Church, where she also serves in the nursery and participates in community outreach.

Michelle was recognized as the Susan G. Barnes Public Relations Graduate of the Year from Belmont. In 2012 she was nominated for Tech Student of the Year Award by the Nashville Technology Council, accepted the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) National Gold Key Award, the highest individual honor given to members of PRSSA, and was awarded Nashville's PRSA Young Professionals Scholarship Award. In 2011, she received the Lovell Ethics Advocacy Award of Excellence.

In her spare time, Michelle enjoys playing sand volleyball and watching professional sports. She loves to spend time outside, especially with friends and family.