About Casey Rife
Casey currently serves as Communications Director for the Ohio Senate Democrats. She began her work in the Senate as a Legislative Fellow with the Legislative Service Commission where she worked in various capacities at the Ohio Statehouse including as Acting Director and Deputy Communications Director for the Senate Democratic Caucus, Acting Senior Legislate Aide and Legislative Aide for Ohio's 21st Senate District. She graduated in May of 2022 with her Master of Public Administration from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. Previously, she completed a B.S. in Environmental Science and a B.A. in Global Studies (concentration in Business and Economics) with a minor in Sustainability Studies from Otterbein University.
During her time at Otterbein and Ohio State, she received multiple awards for her leadership and contributions to co-curricular life. In undergrad, Casey served as President of Otterbein University Student Government, and in graduate school, she continued to remain involved in student leadership as the official representative of graduate students in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at OSU as President of the Public Affairs Student Association. At OSU, she received the Mary E. Katchmar Outstanding Service Award, which recognizes a graduating graduate student who has been nominated by their peers as someone who demonstrates selfless giving to others without expectations of compensation or acknowledgment.
Casey has continued to develop her leadership skills through participation in the Ohio Environmental Council's Emerging Leaders Program and the YWCA’s Leadership for Social Change program. In her free time, Casey is an avid concert-goer and enjoys exploring Columbus Metroparks with her dog, Ziggy.
EXPERIENCE
Communications Director
Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus
Feb. 2023 - Present
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Direct and manage social media accounts for the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus
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Supports communications needs for each senator and office staff
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Create presentations, infographics, and content about important legislation, events, and policies
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Write press releases, media advisories, talking points, and speeches for Democratic Senators
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Serve as primary press spokesperson for the Senate Minority Leader
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Monitor and analyze editorial and news coverage of the Democratic Caucus
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Plan and coordinate press conferences that appeal to print and broadcast news outlets
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Develop communication strategies to help achieve the legislative goals of the caucus
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Maintain media relations
Graphic and Web Designer
Free Beer Tomorrow, Lesbians Benefitting the Arts Ohio
Apr. 2023 - Present
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Design, build, and maintain a website for Free Beer Tomorrow, a documentary film project telling the stories of Ohio's longest-running lesbian-owned and -operated bar at watchfreebeertomorrow.com
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Graphic design for social media, video, and print
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Event photography and videography
Deputy Communications Director
Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus
Sep. 2022 - Feb. 2023
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Acting Director and Deputy Director of Communications for the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus
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Managed social media accounts for the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus and 6 Democratic Senators
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Created infographics and visualizations about important legislation, events, and policies
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Took photos during session, committees, and events
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Wrote speeches, talking points, and press statements for Democratic Senators
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Legislative Fellow
Legislative Service Commission, Senate Democratic Caucus
Dec. 2021 - Sep. 2022
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Served as Acting Director and Deputy Director of Communications for the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus
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Served as Acting Senior Legislative Aide and Legislative Aide for Ohio's 21st Senate District
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Managed the senator's schedule at the Statehouse and in the district
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Oversaw the transition from Senator Williams' resignation to Senator Martin's appointment
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Completed legislative research, constituent services, and other administrative duties
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Graduate Research Assistant
Rea Environment and Society Lab, Ohio State University
May 2021 - May 2022
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Developed a codebook for environmental litigation related to major environmental policies in the US
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Served as a founding co-lead of the Rea Environment and Society Lab
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Led a small team of undergraduate researchers
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Cleaned collected qualitative and quantitative data in R Studio
Graduate Teaching Assistant
College of Arts and Sciences, Ohio State University
Aug. 2020 - Dec. 2021
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Communicated and coordinated with internship host organizations for arts students at OSU
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Developed social media content to promote the internship program
Voting Location Manager
Seneca County Board of Elections
Oct. 2020 - Nov. 2020
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Managed and ran a precinct polling location in the 2020 General Election with 8 poll workers and 580 voters
Independent Contractor
SEALKIDS, Inc.
Feb. 2020 - Sep. 2020
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Managed a national non-profit's donor database in Salesforce
Senate Page
Ohio Senate
Oct. 2019 - Jan. 2020
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Performed duties to help serve Senators and their staff
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Prepared for legislative sessions
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Answered constituent calls
Geotechnical Engineering Intern
Ohio Department of Transportation
May 2019 - Oct. 2019
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Generated state and county maps of geohazards in GIS
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Worked in soil and chemical labs testing soil samples (Atterberg limits, sulfates, etc.)
LEADERSHIP
President, Public Affairs Student Association
John Glenn College of Public Affairs, Ohio State University
May 2021 - May 2022
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Responsible for communications with the graduate student body at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs
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Managed social media accounts and content creation for the organization
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Led a team of 12 graduate student representatives and committee chairs
Secretary, Public Affairs Student Association
John Glenn College of Public Affairs, Ohio State University
Aug. 2020 - May 2021
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Responsible for mass communications with the graduate student body at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs and compiled monthly newsletters
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Managed social media accounts for the organization
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Created and distributed meeting agendas and minutes
President, Otterbein University Student Government
Otterbein University
Apr. 2019 - Apr. 2020
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Chaired the Executive Committee
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Led and advised 60 student senators
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Aided in University strategic planning and policy, working closely with campus administration
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Represented the student body at ceremonial functions
Vice President, Otterbein University Student Government
Otterbein University
Apr. 2018 - Apr. 2019
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Created and distributed meeting agendas
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Generated marketing strategies & graphic designed for promotional materials
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Met with committee chairs and administration
VOLUNTEERING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Board Member - John Glenn College of Public Affairs Alumni Society
Ohio Environmental Council's 2022 Emerging Leaders Program
YWCA Columbus' Leadership for Social Change 2021 Cohort
Grant Reader for The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio
Fight4HER Activist Training
National Association of Campus Activities – Student Government Institute (July 2018 & July 2019)
We Are SGA – Student Government Conference (2017)
Research Presentation at Columbus Zoo and Aquariums (April 2017)
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Activity Level and Enclosure Usage in Different Turtle Exhibits
HONORS & AWARDS
The Mary E. Katchmar Outstanding Service Award - The Ohio State University
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Recognizes a graduating graduate student who has been nominated by their peers as someone who demonstrates selfless giving to others without expectations of compensation or acknowledgment.
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi - The Ohio State University
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Lifetime member of The Ohio State University chapter since 2021
Torch and Key Honor Society - Otterbein University
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Lifetime member of the Otterbein University chapter since 2019
Alpha Lambda Delta/Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society - Otterbein University
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Lifetime member of the Otterbein University chapter since 2016
The Rymer Environmental Science Scholarship - Otterbein University
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Awarded to a student majoring in Environmental Science who has participated in an internship or SYE course related to Environmental Science.
James V. Miller Award - Otterbein University
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Awarded to an Otterbein student on the Dean’s List who has demonstrated leadership in the co-curricular life of the University.
Cardinal Leadership Award - Otterbein University
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Awarded to a senior deemed to have made extraordinary contributions to student life through leadership and involvement in the Otterbein community. They have demonstrated a commitment to making Otterbein a better place. Their academic achievement and extracurricular involvement, as well as their character, exemplifies the best in all Otterbein students.
Valedictorian - St. Wendelin High School
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Valedictorian for St. Wendelin High School's Class of 2016
PUBLICATIONS
"Outcomes and policy focus of environmental litigation in the United States"
Nature Sustainability, Volume 7 | November 2024
“Parasitic Poverty”
Otterbein University’s Aegis Humanities Journal, 2020
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Looking at the differing representations of poverty in South Korean film
COURSEWORK
Master of Public Administration
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Public Budgeting and Finance
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Public Affairs Program Evaluation
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Lobbying and Government Relations
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Change Management
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Legal Environment of Public Affairs
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Environmental Policy in the Anthropocene
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Managing Public Sector Organizations
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Leadership in Public Sector Organizations
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Nonprofit Board Skills and Management
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Race in Public Policy in the US
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Public Affairs Data (Tableau)
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Data Management (Microsoft Access)
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Policy Formulation & Implementation
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Public Sector Economics
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Public Affairs Statistics
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Written and Oral Communications
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Principles of Macroeconomics
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Research Paper Capstone
Environmental Science, B.S. & Global Studies, B.A.
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Principles of Management
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International Business
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Into to Philosophy
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Intro Molecular Cell Bio
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General Chemistry I & II
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Leadership Pathways
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Calculus I & II
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Intro to Organisms and Ecology
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Intro to Zoo and Conservation Science
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Intro to Environmental Science
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French - Intermediate Grammar and Composition
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Statistics I
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Politics in the Digital Age
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Environmental Issues and Regulations
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Intro to Global Studies
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Intro to Global Politics
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Environmental Political Theory
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Environmental Geology
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Damn Dams
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Physics I & II
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Intro to GIS
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Physical Geology
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Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
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Environmental Philosophy
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Environmental Compliance Audits
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The Industrial Revolution from a Global Perspective
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Global Dimensions of Business
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East Asian History and Film
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Ecology
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Earth System History
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Hydrology (Hydropower and Geology)
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Comparative Government
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Environmental Sustainability