ABOUT DENA
Dena Gudaitis is a seasoned Communications Strategist with over 20 years of experience at multiple news outlets, several non-profit/for-profit organizations and the U.S Government. Her areas of expertise include external affairs, media/press relations, event planning, crisis communications, writing, project management, internal communications and content development. She is accomplished at building and leading high-performing, award-winning teams.
Dena is a graduate of American University’s programs in Journalism & Public Affairs (M.A.) and Multimedia Design & Development (B.Sc). Early in her career, she gained foundational experience in the new media, e-commerce and PR departments at National Public Radio (NPR), C-SPAN, and WAMU 88.5 FM Radio in Washington, DC.
She began her career as a Multimedia Producer at ABC News’s headquarters in New York City where she worked on political, culinary, and lifestyle productions for the company’s multi-platform digital news channel.
Following the nearly five years spent as a journalist, Dena entered the international development arena by joining the small Public Information team at the UN World Food Programme’s (WFP) New York Liaison Office. She helped develop relationships with chefs, VIPs and mainstream news reporters working on disaster relief coverage of the Pakistan floods, Horn of Africa famine, and the Haiti earthquake.
To expand her professional horizons, Dena moved abroad to Nairobi, Kenya where she primarily taught journalism, new media, and PR ethics courses at a private, international university. She lived in East Africa for 2 years before returning to the United States. This international experience has enhanced her ability to serve international clients.
Upon returning to the East Coast, Dena worked as a Senior Communications Specialist for Family Health International (FHI 360), a global organization that mobilizes research, relationships and resources. Her work supported the digital finance and technology portfolio for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Dena later oversaw various media, partner outreach and advocacy activities for Malaria No More's Washington, DC Policy office as their Global Communications Manager and later led Women for Women International's global positioning efforts as their Director of Communications.
In the last 6 years, Dena as led teams to advance the strategic engagement efforts at within USAID's Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization at the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), the civilian rapid response arm of the U.S. government which responds to complex, political crises.
In early 2019, she was competitively selected to join the spring cohort at Washington DC's globally-recognized think-tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as an AILA Leadership Fellow.
Dena has also been invited to discuss her expertise as a guest speaker for events hosted by several international relations programs including Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and University of Maryland (UMD). She has also been a featured interviewee on Women in Foreign Policy's podcast.
In her personal time, Dena is proud single mother who is active in the solo motherhood (SMBC) community in the DMV region.
Dena is a graduate of American University’s programs in Journalism & Public Affairs (M.A.) and Multimedia Design & Development (B.Sc). Early in her career, she gained foundational experience in the new media, e-commerce and PR departments at National Public Radio (NPR), C-SPAN, and WAMU 88.5 FM Radio in Washington, DC.
She began her career as a Multimedia Producer at ABC News’s headquarters in New York City where she worked on political, culinary, and lifestyle productions for the company’s multi-platform digital news channel.
Following the nearly five years spent as a journalist, Dena entered the international development arena by joining the small Public Information team at the UN World Food Programme’s (WFP) New York Liaison Office. She helped develop relationships with chefs, VIPs and mainstream news reporters working on disaster relief coverage of the Pakistan floods, Horn of Africa famine, and the Haiti earthquake.
To expand her professional horizons, Dena moved abroad to Nairobi, Kenya where she primarily taught journalism, new media, and PR ethics courses at a private, international university. She lived in East Africa for 2 years before returning to the United States. This international experience has enhanced her ability to serve international clients.
Upon returning to the East Coast, Dena worked as a Senior Communications Specialist for Family Health International (FHI 360), a global organization that mobilizes research, relationships and resources. Her work supported the digital finance and technology portfolio for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Dena later oversaw various media, partner outreach and advocacy activities for Malaria No More's Washington, DC Policy office as their Global Communications Manager and later led Women for Women International's global positioning efforts as their Director of Communications.
In the last 6 years, Dena as led teams to advance the strategic engagement efforts at within USAID's Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization at the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), the civilian rapid response arm of the U.S. government which responds to complex, political crises.
In early 2019, she was competitively selected to join the spring cohort at Washington DC's globally-recognized think-tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as an AILA Leadership Fellow.
Dena has also been invited to discuss her expertise as a guest speaker for events hosted by several international relations programs including Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and University of Maryland (UMD). She has also been a featured interviewee on Women in Foreign Policy's podcast.
In her personal time, Dena is proud single mother who is active in the solo motherhood (SMBC) community in the DMV region.