Selected Communications Work
Case studies and selected projects across public health communications, civic resource launches, government PR, crisis/risk communications, media relations, launch strategy, social media strategy, and high-visibility public moments.
April Leonard’s selected work reflects full-cycle communications leadership — from concept, message strategy, web direction, plain-language translation, creative briefs, stakeholder coordination, and media materials to social rollout, earned media, public-facing campaigns, reporting, and performance analysis.
Featured Case Studies
These selected projects demonstrate senior-level communications strategy, launch planning, media relations, public trust messaging, digital resource storytelling, stakeholder coordination, and measurable outcomes.
Fountain Card / Working Advantage Campaign
Overview: A phased civic-access campaign supporting Kansas City’s municipal ID program, English- and Spanish-language public education, and the Working Advantage benefit expansion for cardholders.
Role: Led web direction, public-facing copy, executive talking points, news release publication, OLA Spanish-language coordination, marketing materials, video scripts, bus/kiosk messaging, social/email distribution, and resident-access storytelling.
Proof: Documented impact included approximately 11,000 individuals served, about 400 cards issued per month, 1,352 cards initially issued with shelter or agency addresses, 403 birth certificate uses in 2025, and a Working Advantage launch supported by social, email, web, and earned-media distribution.
Relevance: Demonstrates phased launch communications, civic-access messaging, multilingual public information, web strategy, executive messaging, and campaign leadership tied to measurable resident use.
Mental Health Hub Launch
Overview: A behavioral health resource launch connecting residents to free, confidential mental health, recovery, caregiver, and self-guided wellness tools through kcmo.gov/mentalhealth.
Role: Led communications direction for the public-facing launch, including plain-language messaging, web/news copy, social rollout, media materials, health-literacy framing, and resident-resource storytelling.
Proof: Earned-media monitoring documented 15 total mentions, with a visible audience/publicity segment of 14.08M estimated audience and $248K estimated publicity value. The launch helped explain ePrevention, the Connections App, the Companion App, and CredibleMind.
Relevance: Demonstrates sensitive public health messaging, behavioral-health communications, data-to-story translation, plain-language resource access, media relations, and public trust strategy.
Home Resource Network / Innovation Award
Overview: Cross-departmental housing and resident-resource storytelling for Kansas City’s “There’s No Wrong Turn” Home Resource Network initiative, developed with Findhelp and City partners.
Role: Led communications strategy and presentation storytelling, including narrative development, script writing, voiceover, creative brief development, visual communications planning, and translation of complex housing, public health, technology, and resident-resource information.
Proof: Communications and presentation materials supported Kansas City’s first-place National League of Cities Healthy Housing Innovation Cohort outcome and $50,000 award connected to resident-resource navigation and service delivery.
Relevance: Demonstrates executive-level storytelling, cross-department coordination, technical-to-plain-language translation, creative direction, presentation strategy, and award-support communications.
KC Doula Services Expansion
Overview: A multi-phase maternal health communications campaign supporting free doula services for eligible Kansas City families.
Role: Directed communications across Phase 1, Phase 2, in-between program promotion, the “It’s a Date” Doula Match Event, Sister Doula Film Screening rollout, public-facing web/news copy, social media content, partner coordination, and resident-facing messaging.
Proof: Selected documented metrics included 28,193 Instagram views for the Phase 2 announcement, 5 earned-media mentions, 14.78M estimated audience, and $394K estimated publicity value.
Relevance: Demonstrates equity-centered campaign leadership, maternal health storytelling, partner coordination, public-facing resource promotion, and multi-phase communications management.
Health Emergency & Risk Communications
Overview: Emergency and risk communications across measles, hantavirus, respiratory illness, mpox, and other public health topics.
Role: Wrote and distributed urgent health messaging, translated technical public health information into plain language, coordinated web/news/social updates, and supported timely public-facing advisories.
Proof: Selected documented metrics included 141K+ combined Meta views for hantavirus advisory messaging, 100K+ combined Meta views for Kansas City’s first confirmed measles case since 2018, 78K+ Instagram views for potential measles-exposure messaging at MCI, and major earned-media pickup for measles and respiratory illness coverage.
Relevance: Demonstrates rapid-response messaging, crisis/risk communications, public trust strategy, media relations, and the ability to communicate urgent information clearly and quickly.
Match Ready KC / Heart of the City CPR Campaign
Overview: A three-event public safety and emergency preparedness campaign that helps residents learn CPR, Narcan use, Stop the Bleed, EpiPen use, pet CPR, and other life-saving skills ahead of major civic and World Cup-related activity.
Role: Directed communications across campaign messaging, official news release publication, web and calendar copy, creative coordination, media pitching, social media rollout, influencer-supported outreach, and cross-platform distribution.
Proof: Selected metrics included an influencer-supported Facebook/Meta Reel with 81K+ views and 1,223 clicks; KC Lifestyle Girl Instagram posts with 13,792, 9,999, and 8,214 views; KCMO Facebook posts with 7,518, 4,326, and 2,835 views; and 14 earned-media mentions.
Relevance: Demonstrates full campaign leadership, public safety messaging, influencer coordination, media relations, web and social strategy, and measurable audience engagement.