Addi Vander Velde

Who is Addi Vander Velde

about me…

Hi, I’m Addi Vander Velde—a passionate communicator, strategist, and advocate for impactful storytelling. With a dual background in Political Communications and Graphic Design, complemented by a forthcoming M.A. in Political Management from The George Washington University, I thrive at the intersection of creativity and strategy.

My professional journey includes working with organizations like the National Park Service, EarthDay.org, and the U.S. Office of the Inspector General, where I’ve honed my skills in media relations, public affairs, and content creation. From managing crisis communications to designing engaging campaigns, I bring a unique blend of analytical thinking and artistic vision to every project.

I’m driven by a commitment to building connections, amplifying underrepresented voices, and making complex ideas accessible to diverse audiences. Whether it’s crafting compelling narratives, designing impactful visuals, or collaborating with cross-functional teams, I aim to create meaningful, lasting change.

When I’m not strategizing or designing, you can find me exploring national parks, running with friends, or diving into a good book on political history. Let’s connect and create something extraordinary together!

To read more about my life and family background take a look at a personal story I wrote titled 37 Letters and Counting

Professional Skills and Abilities

    • Develop and implement new guidelines for employees and students to use

    • Found ways to drive efficiency that supports company goals

    • Ability to multitask in a high volume environment while creating a positive and comfortable atmosphere

    • Responsible for cleanliness and sanitation of work environment including safe handling and disposal of waste and hazardous materials

    • Develop daily plans and organize set up for swim lessons and coaching

    • Schedule routines for efficient use of swimming facilities

    • Able to teach swim and water safety skills to young children

    • Able to coordinate the daily setup of swimming equipment and stations for classes

    • Current Certifications in CPR, AED, and First Aid

    • Current Water Safety Instructor Certification

    • Current USA Coaching Certification

    • Microsoft Office Certification

    • Excellent at navigating and utilizing the Internet, email, and social media sites

    • Ability to maintain organizations social media sites and understand the public interpretation of social media posts

    • Experience in HTML

    • Proficient in word and excel sites

    • Experienced with Meet Manager Swim Meet software including computer and equipment setup, data entry, and web management of swim meet results

    • Experience within Adobe Suites; Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator

    • Conduct business with professional manners and with a kind and supportive attitude

    • Personable attitude, friendly disposition, and willingness to work as a team

    • Able to consult with guests to successfully resolve problems and concerns

    • Remain calm in stressful situations involving children, customers, and coworkers

    • Cultivate positive relationships with customers of low income and/or ethnic minority demographics

    • Skilled at de-escalating major disturbances in a professional, calm way

    • Skilled in speaking, writing, translating, and reading Spanish

    • Peer tutor for foreign language classmates

    • Technically proficient with electronic equipment and willing to learn new technologies

    • Proficient in organization skills and maintenance of the organization

    • Personable attitude, friendly and organized in working in a meeting and team setting

    • Ability to look and effectively communicate information on public and media reactions

Work Experience

    • Worked with a collaborative attitude and team spirit in an ever-changing, dynamic environment

    • Experience in fostering and developing strong customer relationships

    • Experienced working in a team-based environment to achieve common goals

    • Ability to learn new technologies and processes, and easily adapt to change

    • Assisted in the coordination of swimming lessons for 25+ children

    • Directed young children in playtime activities

    • Planned and organized swimming activities for 4+ children ages 6 to 11

    • Developed and lead skill in improving swim activities to better the skills of younger swimmers

    • Modeled positive, competitive swim etiquette to teach young swimmers to more helpful and nonjudgmental to others

    • Communicated with children and parents to help improve the skills of swimming and communication

    • Assisted in the coordination of swimming lessons for children

    • Utilized positive conflict resolution techniques with children and teens

    • Strong expertise in responding to patrons needs quickly and completely

    • Handled surprise situations calmly

    • Communicate and consult effectively with customers to resolve problems and concerns

    • Aid customers with locating products and shopping assistance

    • Advise customers about money-saving product combinations

    • Greet and converse with customers in a friendly and positive manner, while checking them in for their appointment.

    • Assist in money and account management for clients

    • Analyze and consolidate internal scheduling to allow for a more seamless flow of information throughout the company.

    • Ensure productivity and accuracy within company scheduling through Outlook and Excel

    • Communicate with various team members about upcoming projects and problem-solve with them about discrepancies encountered.

    • Communicate and consult effectively with managers to produce creative designs and displays around campus

    • Design content for bulletin boards, digital displays and infographics for weekly and monthly university news letters

    • Search for events and share information about the event within the news letters in an attempt to receive high engagement

  • Collaborated with higher-level executives in the organization to create personalized digital content for various social media campaigns

    Used various graphic design programs to manipulate information manuscripts for user-friendly viewing online

    Coordinated with other members of the company in person and online to design a content campaign for well-informed individuals on multiple platforms

    Created articles for Earthday.Org that connected to the companies central campaigns and allowed for information sharing to those who would not normally engage with environmental conscious content

 
 

Volunteer Work

    • Utilize positive conflict resolution techniques with children ages 3 to 15 years old

    • Manage and maintain clothing and food bank to benefit the local community

    • Skilled in speaking, writing, translating, and reading Spanish

    • Positively engage 2+ senior citizens in recreational activities weekly

    • Develop and lead games and activities for school-age children

    • Administered first aid to children as needed

    • Monitored and assisted children with arts and crafts activities and gym playtime

    • Supervised and maintained a clean safe environment for young children ages 0 to 6

Book a Consultation