Nina Barone
Nina is a highly driven marketing and communications professional with an unparalleled work ethic, the talent to win others over, and negotiate. With over 15 years of experience, she is known for her contagious energy and enthusiasm for the organizations she represents. Her genuine care for her clients is as memorable as the high quality of her work. Her background includes work with consumer brands, non-profits, educational institutions, and in agency settings. She began representing clients through consultant work in 2010, including helping to launch lloyd, working closely with the company founders to establish its name, brand promise and positioning, and value proposition. She developed the company’s marketing plan, public relations program, and social media strategy, acting as a consultant and the primary media contact through its launch and expansion phases. Establishing the voice for what grew to become an industry leader with a clearly articulated brand inspired a love of branding and working with company leadership to accomplish goals. It also deepened Nina’s passion for food and supporting brands and individuals in the multifaceted food industry.
Most recently, Nina served in two different leadership roles for Nichols School, an independent school in Buffalo, NY. In 2007, she joined the school as Director of Marketing and Communications and built the school’s program from the ground up, with a focus on increasing both student enrollment and philanthropic giving. During her tenure in that role, the school saw positive media coverage increase over 100% and all enrollment and fundraising objectives were met or exceeded. In 2013, she was appointed Director of Admissions and pivoted to a front-facing role to represent the school in another part of the sales cycle. Nina developed a program to decrease student attrition and ultimately increased the school’s retention above the national average. She has taken part in extensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training and helped increase enrolled students of color by 10% in 10 years. Prior to Nichols, Nina worked in public relations in a marketing agency setting, representing local, national, and international clients in a range of industries. She led PR account work for an array of consumer and business to business accounts, from a pet entertainment company to an international leader in drivetrains.
In addition to her work in these sectors, Nina has held Board leadership roles for several non-profit organizations, including the International Institute of Buffalo, Canisius College, and the Elmwood Village Association. She has led brand audits, rebranding efforts, and strategic planning for several non-profit organizations. Nina has served as Chair of several major fundraising events, breaking previous records for revenue. She has been writing professionally for over 15 years, with a focus on food and feature stories. Nina is the owner and food blogger at buffalofoodie.com and serves as a staff writer for Buffalo Spree magazine, among other publications. An avid supporter of local food, Nina advocates for area farms, purveyors, farmers’ market, grocery stores, and restaurants. She resides in Buffalo with her husband, two children, and Boston Terrier.