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ELIZABETH JOYCE MERRITT
201 CROWN CIRCLE | BRUNSWICK, GA 31525
(229) 269-2089 | e_j_merritt@outlook.com
EDUCATION
Valdosta State University:
 Bachelor of Fine Arts - Communications; Health Communications Certification
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
The Retreat at Grande Lake Brunswick, GA
Leasing & Marketing Specialist June 2015 - Present
 Assists management with high priority projects, receptionist duties, file organization, research and business
development.
 Advertises all available apartment homes, and leases apartments.
 Plans all monthly residential events & outreach marketing events.
 Conducted detailed move-in and move-out inspections for properties.
 Monitors advertising effectiveness. Gathers information about market competition in the area.
 Resolves all resident complaints, and managing maintenance requests.
 Completes daily reports for corporate office on availability, occupancy percentages,and renewalstatuses.
The Haven: Battered Women’s Shelter, Inc. Valdosta, GA
Prevention Education Specialist November 2014-June2015
 Organized & instructed educational workshops & awareness events for students in middle school through college on
healthy relationships, safe dating, social media safety,risk awareness,sexualassault, etc.
o Examples: Take Back the Night, It’s On Us Campaign, No More Campaign, One Billion Rising, Prevent
Child Abuse’s Annual Breakfast,Lanier Family Connections Teen Maze, Moody AFB Teen Talk-A-Thon
 Created all educational materials, advertisement for events, promotional items, t-shirts, brochures, & flyers for The
Haven.
 Represented The Haven at career & health fairs, & helped recruit volunteers for the organization
 Certified instructor for R.A.D. self-defense classes.
 Collaborated with community agencies in nine different counties to plan events, or to train on protocols.
 Knowledge in writing grants & memorandums of understanding.
 Assisted in planning appreciation luncheons & fundraisers hosted by The Haven
o Examples: Annual Silent Auction, Valdosta State University Appreciation Luncheon, Bunco Bash,Jeans for
Justice Campaign, Adopt-A-Family, Open House for new buildings, Justice in Motion 5k, Percentage Nights
Shelter Management & Victim Advocate December 2011-November 2014
 Supervised 25-30 clients in a residential environment by enforcing rules, maintaining safety & confidentiality at all
times, and making appropriate referrals to other community agencies.
 Trained and supervised interns in answering the crisis hotline, client –advocate relationships, job tasks,policies and
procedures.
 Completed all intakes and discharge paperwork for clients, logged case notes nightly, entered surveys, and ran
monthly reports.
 Experience resolving client disagreements utilizing conflict management & resolution strategies.
 Conducted counseling, support groups, and workshops with victims of domestic violence & sexual assault in hopes of
motivating them to succeed during time of crisis and healing period.
 Proficient in communicating among diverse cultures, & able to think critically under pressure.

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Sexual Assault Advocate December 2011-June 2015
 On-call for the sexual assault center 50-120 hours per week.
 Responsible for responding to sexual assault crisis calls, & ensuring SANE nurse and law enforcement arrive at
facility during time of call-out.
 Providing advocacy services to survivor: individual supportive counseling, medical and court accompaniment,
community referrals,& follow up services.
Administrative Assistant’s Secretary August 2011-December 2011
 Prepared and organized paperwork for meetings, conferences, trainings.
 Expert in developing presentations, spreadsheets,graphics via Microsoft Office.
 Filed paperwork and bills for upcoming audits.
South Georgia Medical Center Valdosta, GA
Marketing & Community Relations Internship August 2014-Decemeber 2014
 Wrote concise articles, bulletins, advertisements, and other related informative marketing and promotional material.
 Assisted in the distribution or delivery of marketing materials.
 Maintained SGMC’s Facebook, Twitter, website; and executed social media campaigns.
 Helped establish new brand and logo for SGMC.
PREVIOUS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
 Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention
Taskforce at Valdosta State University 2014-2015
 Lowndes County Multiple Disciplinary Team for the
Children’s Advocacy Center 2014-2015
 Lowndes County Family Violence Task Force 2014-
2015
 Prevent Child Abuse Lowndes County 2014-2015
 Lanier County Domestic Violence Task Force 2014-
2015
 Lowndes County Family Connections 2014-2015
 Lanier County Family Connections 2014-2015
 Brooks County Family Connections 2015
 Lanier County Community Partnership for
Protecting Children 2014-2015
 Improve Conditions for Children & Families in
Lanier County 2014-2015
 Lowndes County Community Partnership for
Protecting Children 2014-2015
 Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority at Valdosta State
University 2011-2015
o Community Service Coordinator 2011
o Planned Relay for Life booth for chapter.
o Helped raise $15,000 each year from 2011-2015
for Breast Cancer Education & Awareness
TRAINING & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 Published research in Valdosta State University’s
academic research journal Omnino Volume 5, “An
Introduction of Knapp’s Relational Stage Model &
Walker’s Cycle of Violence.”
 Certified RAD Self-Defense Instructor: December
2014 – Present
 Georgia Commission Against Family Violence:
o Domestic Violence: What Every Front-Line
Worker Should Know
o Safety, Autonomy, & Accountability:
Envisioning a Society without Violence
 Office for Victims of Crime
o Victim’s Assistance Training 2011, 2012, 2013,
2014, & 2015
 Governor’s Office for Children & Families
o Stewards of Children Sexual Abuse Prevention
o Mandated Reporters: Critical Links in Protecting
Children in Georgia
 Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault
o Sexual Assault Advocacy Training
o Prison Rape Elimination Act Training
REFERENCES
Available upon request.