Furthering her desire to elevate her skills as a communications strategist, Ayana was served as a vice president at the Raleigh, N.C., office of FleishmanHillard International Communications. She managed client accounts and served as day-to-day, client relationship manager. While at the agency, she secured several local and national media placements in print, broadcast, radio and online outlets, including “LIVE! With Regis and Kelly,” “Today” Show, KTLA- Los Angeles, Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Additionally, she conducted message and media training workshops with C-suite leadership teams. She and her team won a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and several InSpire Awards presented by the North Carolina chapter of PRSA during her tenure at the firm. More than a decade ago, Ayana transitioned into higher education, a move that reflects her commitment to lifelong learning. This decision was deeply rooted in her upbringing, as both her parents were secondary public school educators. She worked at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) for more than 10 years in roles including director of public relations, associate vice chancellor for communications and marketing and special assistant to the Chancellor. After serving at NCCU, Ayana was named associate vice chancellor of Strategic Communications at Elizabeth City State University. In this role, she served as the university’s chief communication and marketing officer. She led and managed marketing, media, social media, brand management strategy and internal and external communications, execution and evaluation. Ayana was responsible for the implementation of a proactive, innovative, and comprehensive marketing, communications, and branding strategy that highlighted the university’s strengths, expanded its regional and national profile, and increased active and informed internal constituents and external audiences.