Brenda C. Siler is a communications/marketing/branding consultant who has worked with national associations and nonprofits. As a consultant, she has written for and managed media relations, social communications, exhibits, events, and executive communications for groups that include Afro American Newspapers, Washington Teachers’ Union, “Cupcake Wars” contestant Chef Lynnette Jackson (aired 5/19/13), Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), “Washington Watch” – with Roland Martin, American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Reach for College!, and National Center for Learning Disabilities.
As a staff lead, Siler has worked inside of organizations directing communications activities for AARP DC, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Independent Sector, the Council on Competitiveness and UNCF-the United Negro College Fund. At UNCF, she oversaw the rebranding of America’s largest minority scholarship fund maintaining its iconic tagline “a mind is a terrible thing to waste”. Early in her career, Siler spent 12 years in radio broadcasting as a news reporter, public affairs producer/host and producer/host of a weekly jazz program.
Siler is a past international chairwoman for the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) leading that organization’s 25-member international executive board that serves more than 12,000 members in 80 countries. She was the first person of color to chair IABC and remains very active in the organization, today.
Siler is frequently requested to present at national and international conferences, to write columns for industry publications and to offer opinions on organizational communications issues. In 2014, she spoke on the topic “Twitter Tactics that Build Relationships with Journalists” at the National Press Club for the PRNews National Media Relations Conference. In October 2015 she was featured in the PRNews article “How Do Journalists Truly Feel about PR’s Spray & Pray Approach? You May Not Like the Answer”