Dooley Communications offers senior level corporate communications and public relations services. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Dooley Communications is led by Adam Dooley, a professional communicator with more than 18 years of experience in newsrooms and at the executive table.
Our expertise bridges traditional and cutting edge tactics, combining old-style media with social marketing, blogs and online news feeds. We help our clients accomplish their business and organizational goals by building (or improving) websites, creating newsletters, white papers and writing and editing various other kinds of promotional materials. We help clients speak directly to their target audiences in person at meetings and community forums, and through media relations by working with reporters and editors to get the right messages out to the right audiences.
We act as corporate communications counsel for organizations, building highly effective, modern public relations and marketing communications campaigns. We also offer media training and manage one-off events and projects, providing excellence in communications services in Winnipeg and across the country. And if crisis hits (or looms), we’re used to acting quickly with advice and tactics honed through years of experience to help our clients through rough patches.
We believe in fostering strong, memorable brands through open, credible communications strategies.
Adam Dooley, President
Adam Dooley is the President of Dooley Communications, a Winnipeg-based public relations and corporate communications firm providing senior level corporate communications, media training, branding and marketing strategies to a variety of corporate clients and government agencies.
With more than 20 years as a communications professional, Adam has developed and executed communications programs for regional, national and North American organizations. As an expert at integrating public relations with advertising and marketing tactics, Adam’s strategies build strong brands and polished corporate images. Beginning his career as a reporter and editor in Southwestern Ontario and Winnipeg, Adam has since held progressively more senior corporate positions, including Vice-President of Marketing and Communications for Cambrian Credit Union. Adam’s efforts helped Cambrian nearly double in size in four years.
Adam has conducted major communications and brand audits to help organizations focus their marketing communications efforts into winning strategies. He builds communications and public relations campaigns from the ground up using a combination of solid research, proven business processes and intuition grounded in experience.
Adam is a former President of the Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Public Relations Society. With Adam at its lead, the chapter’s membership grew by more than 50 per cent. In 2007, the chapter was honoured with the Lectern Award for innovation. While chapter president, he led the creation of CPRS Manitoba’s Communicator of the Year Award, which recognizes excellence in communications.
Adam has also served as instructor at the University of Winnipeg Department of Continuing Education where he taught Advertising Fundamentals and Public Relations Fundamentals for the Public Relations Diploma program.
Adam holds an honours BA in History from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario.
Karen Ilchena, Senior PR Associate
With more than 23 years experience, Karen Ilchena is a public relations consultant specializing in special event planning, media relations, publicity, marketing and writing. Karen has worked for public relations agencies, not-for-profit organizations and private businesses throughout her career. For more than six years, Karen was Account Manager at Smith Radimer Communications where she coordinated and managed all special event projects for a variety of clients; assisted in media training; was responsible for all media relations activities for local and national clients; and researched, developed and wrote proposals, summary reports, news releases, newsletters and other collateral material.In addition, Karen has worked as Marketing Director, Kildonan Place Shopping Centre; Public Relations Officer, Health Sciences Centre Foundation; Account Manager, Wordsnorth Communication Services and in the Promotions Department at Winnipeg Videon. Karen is a graduate of the Creative Communications program from Red River College in 1988.
She has developed comprehensive communication plans; managed and executed events and meetings; produced and written an assortment of publications and websites; and has managed effective media relations campaigns and media training sessions.
Lisa Bernstein, Account Manager
Lisa Bernstein is a skilled writer and creative problem solver with an eye for detail and a flare for presentation. A graduate of Red River College’s Creative Communications program, she helps Dooley Communications with a wide variety of writing projects from client blogs and newsletters to news releases and advertising copy. She is also heavily involved in our media relations outreach, forming strong relationships with journalists, writers and bloggers across Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.
Additionally, Lisa has provided communications support for the Health Sciences Centre Foundation, Manitoba Custody and Youth Corrections, and the 8th Annual Graphic Design Art Auction and Festival. She also holds a BA (honours) in Film Studies from the University of Manitoba.
Jenette Westervelt, Account Manager
Jenette Westervelt is a versatile and talented communications professional overseeing the Western Financial Group account for Dooley Communications while bringing her writing and many other skills to work on other projects as required. Prior to joining us, Jenette looked after social media platforms for The Winnipeg Foundation, one of the oldest and most prestigious community foundations in the country.
Jenette holds a joint degree/diploma in communications from Red River College and the University of Winnipeg. She also worked with Parks Canada where she developed various marketing materials as well as a popular geocaching program.
Lynn Billard, Office Manager (and sometimes photographer)
A growing business tends to have lots of moving parts and Lynn Billard keeps those parts moving along in the right direction. With a background as a professional photographer, Lynn knows that the littlest things need to be in the right place for the bigger picture to look good.
She continues to be an active photographer too, occasionally shooting for us and our clients. Those are her photos on this website, by the way!
