Inkwell Duck Founder's Bio
Tracey Wood is the founder/owner of Inkwell Duck, Inc. (Inkwell), a business/government relations and communications firm, serving the greater Washington Metropolitan area since 1989. Inkwell provides strategic support to win government contracts and grants. At Inkwell, Tracey is responsible for marketing, organizational communications, administrative duties, managing employees/independent contractors and quality control. For 20 years she has perfected proposal procedures, designed systems and developed training programs. Mrs. Wood is the winner of two 2003 IABC Silver Inkwell Awards for Planning and Auditing-Communications Plans and one for Campaigns-Organizational Communication. Mrs. Wood is recognized as an Accredited Business Communicator (ABC), a professional designation earned by passing a comprehensive portfolio review and written and oral exams designed to demonstrate the ability to think and plan strategically and to manage the skills essential to effective organizational communication.
She has her Master of Science in Communications Management from Syracuse University, SI Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse, NY, and her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Howard University in Washington, DC. Her previous experience includes three years as spokeswoman and counselor for the Department of Defense Army Community Services in Wurzburg, Germany. She piloted several programs based on Congressional mandates and hosted a weekly radio show, served as community columnist, and conducted community training. Prior to that, Mrs. Wood worked her way through undergraduate school employed by the Publications Department of the World Bank for three years.
Mrs. Wood's professional activities include the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC/Washington). For seven years she has served on the board of directors providing exemplary service with two years as Vice President of Membership, and one year as Vice President of the Senior Communicators Council. She was awarded two Par Excellence Awards in 2000 and 2003. Mrs. Wood is active in the South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and has spent two years on the Board of the Mount Vernon-Lee District Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the National Contract Management Association, the American Marketing Association and Mrs. Wood holds a Certificate in Marketing from Georgetown University.
She lives in Fairfax County, Virginia with her husband of 23 years, and she has a daughter attending Columbia University in NYC. Tracey enjoys chocolate, family, friends, books, plays, movies, volleyball, tennis, racquetball and writing screenplays.
Career Objective:
- To fully engage in communication efforts to deliver client messages to stakeholders.
- To craft communication to best establish the relationships necessary to implement client's plans and mission.
- To employ all communication skills: public relations, marketing, internal communications, relationship building, leadership, inter-personal and group dynamics to support a cause with significant community and world impact.
Qualifications:
On the Job Training: Began proposal writing as an intern in 1984 at Howard University Law School. Continued proposal writing throughout work experience. Since 1989, self-employed as a researcher and writer—specializing in proposals.
Aptitude: An extensive vocabulary and strong command of the English language. Outstanding research and computer software applications capability. Self-starter, quick study, positive persuasive nature, with a keen sense of procedures, details, and evaluation.