The Schott Foundation recently announced that Rick Ellis has joined its staff as the director of communications. In this capacity, Ellis is responsible for media and public outreach, managing Schott’s multiple websites and social media, and promoting all foundation programs, including its “Opportunity to Learn Campaign.”
Before joining the Foundation, Ellis held key communications roles with ATandT Wireless, America Speaks, the Cleveland Municipal School District and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. As coordinator for special projects for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Ellis developed media campaigns that led to the closure of more than 700 crack houses. While also there, he promoted a fugitive sting operation that resulted in more than 1,400 arrests of fugitive felons and national media coverage.
Before relocating to Boston, Ellis coordinated the media campaign for America Speaks’ Voices and Choices project designed to develop a community dialogue and agenda for creating a regional government in Northeast Ohio. He convinced television news directors in five counties to jointly produce a two-week series highlighting current economic issues and exploring the benefits of communities working together as a region. Seven commercial and public television stations carried the series, producing more than 4.1 million impressions per day.
