Congratulations to Chelsea Whittington from Gary, Indiana. Ms. Whittington is the Director of Communications to Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson. Mayor Freeman-Wilson has local connections, as she is the cousin of Najee Ali.[adsenseyu2]
Ms. Whittington is responsible for disseminating information out of the mayor’s office. The community is kept abreast of the mayor testifying before President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Task Force, the new businesses relocating into Gary, securing jobs for local residents.
We asked what advice she would give young women, also from urban communities, about following their dreams and aspirations.
I would tell any ‘urban girl’ to embrace her beginnings and never forget where she comes from. A dream will remain just that without putting effort behind it. Allow positive people and influences into her life and each time she reaches any level of success, be sure to reach back and help someone else along the way.”
About Chelsea Whittington
Chelsea (Stalling) Whittington is a native of Gary, IN. She is a graduate of West Side High School (salutatorian), Howard University (B.A. Broadcast Journalism. Magna Cum Laude) and Purdue University (M.A. Organizational Communications. Summa Cum Laude).
Her career in Public Relations and Communications spans more than 20 years having worked for the Peace Corps Recruiting Office in Arlington, VA, the Office of Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY), JWA Boys and Girls Club, Lake Area United Way, Horseshoe and Trump Casinos, the Gary Community School Corporation, and Johnson Publishing Company, publisher of Ebony and Jet Magazines.
In 2009, Chelsea joined the executive team at U.S. Cellular Corporation as Communications Manager. There, she managed 4 of the company’s public relations firms while promoting the brand of the nation’s sixth largest wireless phone company.
In January 2012, Chelsea joined the administration of Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, the City of Gary’s first female mayor and the State of Indiana’s only female African-American mayor. As Director of Communications, Chelsea oversees media relations, special events, branding and marketing for her hometown.
Chelsea is also an adjunct professor at Indiana University Northwest where she teaches Public Relations, Social Networking and Event Planning in the Department of Continuing Studies.
A member of the Trinity Missionary Baptist Church for the past 33 years, Chelsea sings in the choir, is a member of the G.E.E.K Squad and serves as a church hostess. She volunteers for the Gary Literacy Coalition, the Y.W.C.A. of Gary, the J.W.A. Boys and Girls Club, serves on the boards of the Sojourner Truth House and the ECIER Foundation and is a member of the Urban League of Northwest Indiana. In May of 2013, Chelsea was voted “Most Influential Woman of Northwest Indiana in Media & Marketing.”
Chelsea resides in Gary with her husband Terrell and their lovable dog, Charlie Marley.
