Experience Statement
My strategic communication and media law expertise is a result of integrating critical thinking, public relations, media, and legal frameworks. Thus, I navigate complex corporate and media landscapes adeptly. With a Master of Legal Studies specializing in employment law, I extend my commitment to cultivating diverse, dynamic, and inclusive environments where critical discourse and multimedia interactions are understood and strategically applied.
Ann-Marie splits her time annually between the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and the Finger Lakes region of New York to educate, learn, listen, engage, speak, and porch sit.
2025 CISR Blog: Ann-Marie Adams invited to contribute to blog series of the Center for Industry Self-Regulation https://industryselfregulation.org/media-resource/all-content/blog/wide-open-unregulated
Professional Experience / Executive Communications Management 2010 - Present
The management of the communication process during any legal dispute or adjudicatory processing to affect the outcome or its impact on the client's overall reputation. Contract Advisory/Practice: Litigation Public Relations and Communications
MLS, Washington University in St Louis School of Law
MS, Communications, Ithaca College
BS, Sociology, East Tennessee State University
Roy H Park School of Communications, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY January 2015-present
Adjunct Professor, Multiple Departments
- Media: Critical Thinking in Media
- Public Relations: Theory & Practice; Writing for PR, Senior Capstone (PRLab/Agency Simulation)
- Strategic Communications: Organizational Communication, Strategic Communication
- Legal: Media Law; Government & Media; Journalism Law
Park School Professional Development Coordinator 2020 - 2021 Develop a careers ecosystem through an array of impactful programs, products, and events in a hybrid office environment.
Instructor, Ithaca College, Summer High School Program 2022 / 2023 Public Speaking & The Career Pathway
Instructor, Ithaca College Summer Seminar: College 2021 College: Why Are We Here?
Related Activities:
~ AI Mini-grant from the Center for Instructional Design & Educational Technology (CIE), in partnership with the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE), for the Spring 2025 semester
~ Advisory Board/Abstract Reviewer, Whalen Symposium 2024-present
~ Pendleton Pivot Teaching Award Winner in recognition of teaching efforts during the pandemic Fall 2021
~ Esports Joint Task Force, Ithaca College, game development, competitions, broadcasting 2021
~ Moderator for Student Panel: James J Whalen Academic Symposium, Ithaca College, 2021 “Indigenous & Racial Politics” 2021
~ Mentor/Advisor: Humans by Design 2020-2021
~ Student Conduct Faculty Advisory Board Member Fall 2020 -2021
~ Faculty Representative, Park School of Communications, Discrimination Complaint Review Board, Fall 2020-2021
~ Mentor/Advisor: IC Women in Communications 2018-2020 (collegiate chapter)
~ Facilitator: Park Scholars Book Discussions 2018-2021 Themes: Diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging.
~ Mentor: MIND Mentoring Initiative for Networking & Development 2019
~ Panel Facilitator: Women in Media: Power, Leadership, Diversity, Ithaca College 2019
~ Mentor: James J. Whalen Academic Symposium, Ithaca College, 2017, Courtney Yule “What is Native Advertising?”
~ Mentor: Random Acts of Kindness, 2017 (advisor to collegiate chapter, Ithaca College)
~ Mentor: She’s the First, 2016-2017 (advisor to collegiate chapter, Ithaca College)
Other Instruction at IC
- Minicourse Instructor, Department of Organizational Communication, Learning and Design, Ithaca College, 2005; Ithaca, New York Designed, developed, and delivered a weekend mini-course titled Organizational Communication and the Elected Official, April 2-3, 2005.
- Instructor, Department of Speech Communication, Ithaca College [adjunct] 2001; Ithaca, New York Designed, developed, and delivered curriculum in a freshman-level speech communication course using a multimedia format to teach the fundamental components of business and professional communication in the workplace.
Focus Area: The evolution of discourse and the multi-mobile nature of human interaction, and the laws that govern these venues.
Teaching Philosophy: As higher education moves away from content-laden curricula to experiential learning, young people must have the requisite knowledge and skills to use simulation, apprenticeships, and cooperative learning as pathways to employment. I have designed a series of simulations with activities that overlay a business setting focusing on business coaching, executive briefings, and longitudinal assessment. I mentor students through a series of briefings according to a rubric designed after Bloom's Revised Hierarchy of Learning which provides a rich opportunity to make real-time decisions in an environment that embraces failure as much as it applauds success.
NOTABLE ACTIVITIES
- Ithaca College Employee Assistance Committee Member, 2024-present
- Board Member, WSKG Public Media Group, 2024 -present
- Volunteer, The GRIT Conference, Savannah, GA 2023 (Creative Coast)
- Participant, Renaissance Weekend 2018-present. An invite-only American retreat for leaders in business and finance, government, the media, religion, medicine, science, technology, and the arts.
- Board Member: The Ithaca Voice, an independent online news outlet 2019-2023
- Community Advisory Board, WCNY-TV 2020 - 2021
- Virtual Visiting Professor Program (VPP) 2020 Association of National Advertisers Educational Foundation (AEF) New York, NY Summer 2020
- Participant: Microsoft Mixed Reality Ideation Workshop, October 28, 2019
- Board Member, WSKG Public Media Group, 2017-2019
- Mayoral Appointment, Redevelopment Commission Member, Town of Port Royal, Beaufort County, SC; 2006-2014
- Reading Tutor/Volunteer with additional service at a national Supplementary Education Service (SES) provider.
RECENT PUBLIC ADDRESSES
- SLI Workshop, Ithaca College, When are you in a public forum, October 15, 2024
- Panel Member, Soft Law Summit Center for Industry Self Regulation, Washington, DC, September 24, 2024
- Presenter, TEDxCharleston, April 2024
- Presenter, Engage Series, Center for the Arts "Speak Up!"/ Beaufort, SC March 30, 2023
- Presenter, Student Leadership Institute, "Public Forum: Are you in One?" Ithaca College / March 10, 2023
- Presenter, SCTEA Annual Conference, Presenter “Public Forum, Are you in one?” Part 2, Myrtle Beach SC / February 18, 2023
- Presenter, SCTEA Annual Conference, “Evolution of Public Forum Doctrine,” Part 1, Myrtle Beach SC /February 19, 2022
- Presenter, Lyceum Lecture Series, Spartanburg, SC, January 25, 2022 “Public Forum Doctrine”
- Commencement Speaker, Ithaca College, December 13, 2020 “The Power of Words”
- Presenter, Books Sandwiched, Dan Pink’s book “When” benefiting the Friends of the Beaufort Libraries 2019
- Presenter: TEDxGreenville, “Digital Discourse: Promise or Breach” 2019
- Presenter, Student Leadership Institute "Timing is Everything" 2019
- Presenter: TEDxIthacaCollege, “Communicating Across the Divide” 2017
OTHER INSTRUCTION SITES
- Instructor, University South Carolina Beaufort (Business & Communication Studies)
- Adjunct Professor, Spartanburg Community College (Speech)
- Adjunct Professor, Technical College of The Lowcountry (Speech)
RELATED ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Co-author, Hamula, S. and Adams, A. (2024, September) “Kid Podcasting: Advertising, Privacy and Regulation ”Funded by the Center for Industry [Study results resented at Soft Law Summit, September 24, 2024; Publication 2025]
Co-author, Gayeski, D., and Adams, A. (1999, May/June). Barriers and Enablers to the Adoption of Human Performance Technology: Or, If We're So Smart, Why Aren't We Rich? Performance Improvement. 37-48.
- Gayeski, D. (1998). Establishing the Practices and Philosophy of Performance Technology: What We Know and What We Still Need to Learn. A study funded by a competitive grant from the International Society for Performance Improvement and the Academy of Human Resources Development. [Principle management and data compilation of this study conducted by Ann-Marie Adams]
TRAINING / CERTIFICATES
- Applied Generative AI Specialization, 2025 (in process)
- Employment Law Certificate Washington University in St Louis School of Law, January 2020
- Advertising Ethics Certificate, Institute for Advertising Ethics, Fall 2019
- Legal Research, WestLaw Certificate, Summer 2019
OTHER ROLES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOWCOUNTRY Beaufort, South Carolina 2003-2006
- Director of Public Relations
CORNELL UNIVERSITY Ithaca, New York 1999 - 2003
- USDA(CSREES)/ 4-H Youth: Cooperative Service Agreement with Cornell University.
- Assistant Director/Lobbyist, Office of Government Affairs, University Relations
- Director of Public Relations, Cornell Cooperative Extension
ITHACA COLLEGE Ithaca, New York, 1996-1998
- Interim Assistant Director, Institutional Advancement/Alumni Relations
- Graduate Intern/Coordinator, Office of the Provost/Office of Continuing Education
- Teaching Assistant, Roy H. Park School of Communications, Department of Corporate Communication
EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY Johnson City, Tennessee 1985-1991
- Admissions Counselor/Recruiter, Enrollment Management
- Director, Commuting Adult Programs and Services, Office of Student Affairs
- Advisor/Graduate Assistant, Fraternities/Sororities, Office of Student Affairs