Meena Dayak brings over 20 years of experience in the health and human services field to the OPEN MINDS team. Ms. Dayak currently serves as an Advisory Board Member. Her areas of expertise include organizational strategy analysis and execution, marketing plan strategy and management, media relations strategy development and implementation, and digital media planning and development.

Before joining OPEN MINDS, Ms. Dayak served as Vice President of Integrated Media and Communications with the American Public Power Association in Washington D.C. In this role, she led strategic planning, branding, and corporate communications, enterprise-wide content management, and internal and external partnership development. Ms. Dayak participated in needs analysis and organizational decision making as part of the senior leadership team. She directed a high-energy team and external contractors in growing industry profiles, services, and impact through award-winning owned, earned, paid, and shared media. Ms. Dayak also directed content creation and dissemination to enable local community outreach by 1,200-member electric utilities.

Previously, Ms. Dayak served as Vice President of Marketing and Communications with National Council for Behavioral Health in Washington D.C. In this role, she directed member marketing, media relations, public education, conference programming, and publishing projects. Ms. Dayak built the department from one staff person to 10 communications and event specialists. She significantly raised the profile of subject matter experts among association staff, board, and members. She also managed relationships with corporate partners, including pharmaceutical and insurance companies. Ms. Dayak also served as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the National Council for Behavioral Health before becoming the Vice President of Marketing and Communications.

Before her time with the National Council for Behavioral Health, Ms. Dayak was the Senior Account Manager and a Copywriter for the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention in Rockville, MD. Ms. Dayak also served as an Account Manager and Copy writer for O’Connell Meier in Alexandria, VA.

Ms. Dayak attended Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Executive Education for Strategic Frameworks for Nonprofit Organizations. She also has an M.A. in Public Communications from the American University, Washington D.C.