National Weather Service Employees Organization (NWSEO) is pleased to welcome Samm Smith as the organization’s new Communication Director. An award-winning digital strategist, writer, graphic designer, and photographer, Samm brings wide-ranging communications expertise and a passion for the labor movement.
Prior to joining the NWSEO team, Samm worked in the higher education sphere for ten years, most recently as the Director of Content Strategy for the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At UMass, Samm managed institutional social media accounts with more than 500,000 followers from top to bottom, writing, photographing, and filming content, as well as serving on the Emergency Operations Team to handle crisis communications. Her most recent work included the creation of the university’s campus-wide content calendar, as well as the strategic overhaul of all content that appeared on the university’s homepage, umass.edu.
It was at UMass that Samm first became a rank-and-file member of a union, the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA); she held a variety of roles in her local, the Professional Staff Union, serving as a member of the bargaining committee and Sick Leave Bank board, a departmental delegate to represent the local at annual meetings, and as grievance officer. This first-hand experience in the labor movement propelled Samm to continue her education in the Union Leadership and Activism (ULA) graduate program at UMass, where she continues to work toward a masters degree in labor studies. Her research has focused on public sector and educator labor unions and is available for public access here.
Samm lives in Northampton, Massachusetts with her husband, Tim, and her seven-year-old daughter, Mabel. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time exploring the Pioneer Valley with her family, singing in a 200-person rock choir, and volunteering her photography services to community-centered organizations.
More information about Samm and her portfolio can be found here.