Jamila Walker, Director of Digital Strategy

Job description: As the Director of Digital Strategy and Operations, Jamila provides operational and strategic leadership for all non-news content and focuses on enhancing reach and performance of VPM platforms through digital best practices and measuring performance with digital analytics. Jamila utilizes all available information to develop and execute on high-level strategic content and plans. She cultivates and manages relationships with outside vendors and the community and works closely with our social media specialists and content producers to develop audience specific digital assets and coordinate campaigns that align with platform priorities.

Previous experience: Jamila has over 15 years of experience in social media, public relations, marketing and digital. Prior to VPM, she was the social media manager, interim director of web and digital strategy, Assistant Director of Community Engagement and Communications and adjunct-professor at Old Dominion University. During her time at ODU, Jamila won various awards for her campaigns including two Gold Collegiate Advertising Awards, Merit Award for Social Media Content and Honorable mention from PR News and the Social Shakeup.

“Growing up, news and education were important part of dinner conversation at my house. My family were avid readers and we did not have cable. PBS was everything to me. It was another way that I learned about the world around me. As I grew up, I began to see people who looked like me on the PBS screen and discovered how important that was to showcase diversity, tell stories about our history. I have always been mission-driven and wanting to give a voice to those who are often silenced. Public media is a space for free and open exchange of ideas through storytelling, educating, where children learn and grow and help those understand history, science and art. I am the second in my family on my mom side to graduate from college. My mother was the first. I am the first in my family (on my mom side) to graduate with a masters. Public media matters because it is important for people to see and hear great content that goes beyond entertainment media but really engage our audience with storytelling, letting the community see themselves and I love that.”