Marketer, political addict, and do-gooder. Former Clinton White House, Network for Good, Campus Pipeline, Ellucian, & Event 360. Current brand marketing & digital director at Make-A-Wish America.
For the past 15+ years, I have helped some of your favorite brands, causes, and social enterprises fulfill their missions through smart digital and face-to-face marketing.
I had the opportunity to work with Jono during my tenure at Event 360. In less than a year, through the marketing efforts that he led, Jono was able to shine a bright spotlight on the amazing work and capabilities of this nimble team of event fundraising experts, helping to position Event 360 effectively as the leader in the field. This is an amazing accomplishment on its own, but what I personally appreciated was his rare ability to challenge his team while fostering a collaborative environment that encouraged idea sharing and out of the box thinking to approach opportunities and challenges. His keen ability to see the strengths and potential in his people, pair complementary skills and at the same time offer trust and support, led to the development of one of the most effective teams I had the privilege to work in and contribute to.
I've had the pleasure of working with Jono Smith for the last few years thanks to the close collaboration between Event 360 and the Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council. Whether we are hammering out the details of a sponsorship agreement, planning a workshop or discussing the state of thon fundraising, I'm consistently impressed with Jono's fresh ideas, attention to detail and consummate follow-up. In addition to being a strong leader, he's a marvelous collaborator. I recommend him highly!
Jono is relentless in his search for the edge that will drive results. He researches and analyzes, and proactively seeks advice from his colleagues, his team, and consultants in order to improve on outcomes. And all the while, he taught us all best practices on how to market our work.
While working with Jono at Event 360, he brought us out of the closet, into the spotlight of companies who specialized in raising awareness and funding for non-profits through events. The transformation he brought to Event 360 was amazing to see, which proved great for our financial stability, but also for the new non-profits that we were able to serve. Our client list grew in multitudes.
Jono is also keenly interested in the financial side of his work, and engaged often in the analysis of the overall cost/benefit of his team’s work to the organization. I thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Jono, and I came away from our meetings feeling that I had an engaging thought partner in the work of the organization. I will say it is rare to find, and hope one day to cross professional paths again!
Jono is hands down one of the most effective marketing and strategy managers I've known professionally. During his tenure at Network for Good, he was instrumental in building our nonprofit services business line and raising our brand profile. He was universally appreciated for his leadership, insights and emotional intelligence at the organization, as well as for the fact he's always one to roll up his sleeves and get the job done. He's talented at solving problems and turning around challenges in particular. As a manager, he gets the best out of his team. Jono is a rare star, so even after he left Network for Good, we've continued to engage him as a partner at Event360. He's the kind of person you want to retain in your professional orbit in any way you can.
Jono is smart and passionate, composed and thoughtful. He possesses a level of consideration for both the outcome and the people delivering it that is vital in leading others to meaningful results. Jono holds strong convictions which he articulates from a well educated perspective. With Jono there is always room for another point of view, openly invited and respectfully received. Most importantly, he is authentic to his values and, aside from the glaring flaw of a misplaced devotion to San Francisco sports teams, you can't hope for much more than that.
Jono is a diligent and inspiring executive who understands how to present the strategic aspirations and needs of his organization. He definitely knows how to tell the story of Event 360 in a clear and compelling way, has a high level of expertise in his field, and was a joy to work with throught projects.
There are two words to describe Jono: Smart and Savvy...well three words - Passionate. He simply cares a whole lot about what he does and coupled with his marketing super powers he gets it done. And on top of all that he is a really nice guy. While I am not working so much in the NPO space right now, I know the second I do I will be calling on Jono Smith to come help!
Prior to his joining Network for Good, Jono and I worked together closely at two firms for over four years. The thoughtfulness, passion, and integrity he brought to his work marked him as a standout. Now, I see him bringing that same energy and drive to Network for Good, and the organization is better for it. Jono is someone who improves everyone around him; I look forward to working with him again and am proud to call him a colleague and friend.
Jono is an excellent leader, manager and thought-parnter. He's an insightful decision-maker who combines industry knowledge with an innate desire to understand all angles of an issue or situation. This seems to be his secret recipe for delivering well-designed solutions for clients and teammates alike. He brings sharp intellect and communication skills to the table, along with the right amount of levity to help everyone engage. I learned a lot working with Jono and hope to take the best of him forward with me.
Jono Smith brought significant marketing and management know how to Network for Good. Jono managed the Sales Department and was the VP of Marketing....all tasks that he handled with great skill. I learned a lot from Jono and consider him to be one of the best.
Jono has consistently performed, delivered results and created forums to allow our operations and those of the other regions he has supported to grow. His insight, patience and commitment have been nothing short of brilliant and his continued professionalism has always created a positive response from those he interacts with. Highly recommended for his creativity, polish approach to marketing and deep, deep skills in managing expectations and delivering beyond.
