Dakota Gardner

Dakota
Gardner

Communications and editorial leader with 13+ years of experience at Major League Baseball, HODINKEE, USAID, and New York City government.

  • Content Strategy
  • Editorial Leadership
  • Technical Writing
  • Digital Campaigns
  • Team Management
View selected work

About

I've managed writing teams, built digital campaigns, and produced content ranging from social media and video scripts to executive briefings, public testimony, and speeches.

At the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board, I lead communications and brand strategy. Previously, I led digital strategy at USAID and held editorial leadership roles at HODINKEE and Major League Baseball.

I'm looking for editorial, content strategy, and communications work that combines clear writing, thoughtful planning, and collaboration.

Experience

Senior Communications Advisor

New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board

  • Established data-driven communications strategy for the largest police oversight agency in the country
  • Serve as agency spokesperson, fielding inquiries from The New York Times, THE CITY, and other outlets

Jun 2025 – Present

Digital Communications Specialist

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Led digital campaigns for the world's largest humanitarian donor, including World Humanitarian Day
  • Doubled Instagram and LinkedIn audiences in one year by aligning content with user behavior and trends

Apr 2023 – Jun 2025

Senior Consultant — Technical Writer

Department of Homeland Security (DHS/CISA)

  • Supported workforce policy strategy at CISA, improving documentation across departments
  • Wrote and edited technical and executive-level documents; managed multi-stakeholder review cycles

Jul 2021 – Apr 2023

Managing Editor

HODINKEE

  • Led editorial direction and team operations for leading watch publication
  • Managed editorial calendar, planned campaigns, and optimized audience engagement through analytics

Feb 2020 – Apr 2021

Writer/Editor

Major League Baseball (MLB)

  • Co-led editorial and content strategy for Cut4, MLB's digital fan experience brand
  • Managed a team of 7 writers; developed video, podcast, and livestream features

Feb 2013 – Feb 2020

Independent Project

transient.nyc

A concert discovery site I designed and built from scratch, bringing together upcoming shows at DIY and indie venues across Brooklyn.

Listings include genre tags, band descriptions, comparable artists, and social links, enriched with AI-assisted research.

Built with: React, Vite, Tailwind CSS, Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Claude.

Education

Master of Public Administration

American University · Washington, DC

International Management

4.0 GPA · Pi Alpha Alpha Honors

2023

Bachelor of Arts, Theater

Wesleyan University · Middletown, CT

2011

Let's connect.

Interested in editorial, content strategy, and communications roles.

Connect on LinkedIn