“Throughout my 25-year career—spent mostly in the Washington, DC strategic communications industry—I’ve operated on the leading-edge of development initiatives, supporting the execution of major campaigns in the healthcare, technology, defense, and cultural development markets. My efforts focus on meeting client needs and have earned a reputation for award-winning service delivery that effectively supports globally impactful programs and initiatives.”
Derran Eaddy, M.A.
Leading Federal AI Integration with Stakeholder Engagement Chatbots
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming federal service delivery by helping agencies respond faster, scale public engagement, and provide more accessible information around the clock.
Derran Eaddy, M.A., directed communications for the development and deployment of the AI-powered stakeholder engagement chatbot hosted on FAA.gov, demonstrating how the enterprise technology has modernized federal service delivery by improving responsiveness, scalability, and 24/7 access to public information.
The AWS-based application earned a 2024 U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary’s Award for its use of machine learning and natural language processing. It reduced reliance on staff support for routine inquiries by providing immediate, accurate responses to common questions, improving service efficiency and enabling personnel to focus on higher-complexity stakeholder needs.
Modernizing Healthcare Delivered to Veterans and Their Families
As one of the world’s largest integrated healthcare providers, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) delivers medical services to approximately 9 million beneficiaries.
The Department is continuously challenged with modernizing its healthcare services, secure IT infrastructure, and 1,400 medical facilities. Derran Eaddy, M.A., supported communications outreach efforts leading to multi-billion-dollar legislative appropriations and strengthened relationships with key organizational partners. He conceptualized and rendered budget briefing decks and other communications products for the VA Secretary and the Deputy Under Secretary for Health (DUSH), as well as managed the development of digital media content from video productions to social media engagements.
The project received a 2017 Platinum MarCom Award for efforts coordinated at the White House-level.
Coordinating Global Communications for 18 Million Military Healthcare Beneficiaries
Communicating the U.S. Military Health System’s (MHS) global vision requires an acute understanding of the broad and complex technical resources needed to deliver medical services to warfighters.
Derran Eaddy, M.A., managed international communications initiatives for the agency, such as the development of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) website and social media program. He managed strategic outreach plans, which directly supported the integration of Dept. of Defense (DOD) and Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic health records. With more than 18 million beneficiaries, the DOD MHS and VA represent two of the world's largest healthcare providers.
The project won multiple professional awards for its innovative approach to strategic communications outreach.
Pioneering Department of Defense Social Media
Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, opened global public discussions online and changed the way Federal agencies needed to communicate with constituents.
While serving as a consultant to the Dept. of Defense in 2008, Derran Eaddy, M.A., successfully navigated protocols to launch and operate the Military Health System’s first social media program. Through those Web2.0 efforts, the Department modernized its online communications platforms and processes to become more open, transparent, and responsive to the 10 million service members, spouses, and dependents under the system’s care.
Derran’s experience managing enterprise IT solutions predates the mainstream internet, including work in the mid-1990s connecting New Mexico’s 25 public universities and colleges through closed-circuit distance learning systems—an early foundation for his later work advancing digital transformation, AI-enabled service delivery, and large-scale public-sector technology adoption.
Cultivating Workforce Development for 400,000 VA Staff Members
As the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) worked to reduce its backlog of benefits claims and improve health care service delivery for Veterans, Derran Eaddy, M.A., supported the mission-critical MyCareer@VA initiative, a web-based career development platform serving VA’s 400,000 employees.
Working with VA officials and contracting partners, he helped launch the program to map career paths, connect employees with training resources, improve workforce performance, and support advancement across the organization.
MyCareer@VA was cited in Congressional testimony as one of the Department’s top transformation initiatives and earned Harvard Kennedy School’s Innovations in American Government Award.
Advancing K-12 Public Schools Media/Press Relations
North Carolina’s Guilford County Schools (GCS) served 65,000 diverse students on more than 100 campuses. The district was challenged with delivering world-class education to students from affluent and disadvantaged backgrounds, and those who lived in rural and urban areas of the county. Derran Eaddy, M.A., was responsible for leading daily press/media relations activities coordinated with TV channels, radio stations, and newspapers/web outlets.
He helped GCS gain national recognition for producing No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools, lowering district dropout rates, and increasing the number of students enrolled in Advanced Placement programs. He managed crisis communications during major events, such as the September 11 terror attacks. His communications products regularly won awards from the National School Public Relations Association.
Urban Educator Magazine Press/Media Relations
VA Learning University
VAnguard Magazine Press/Media Relations
DoD Military Health System Website
Veterans Affairs Facebook Content Management
Veterans Affairs Social Media Strategy
Veterans Affairs Strategic Communications
National Education Association Press/Media Relations
Education Week Magazine Press/Media Relations
Urban Educator Magazine Press/Media Relations
VA Learning University
Serving as a Statewide New Mexico Commissioner on Higher Education
New Mexico faces the complex challenge of serving higher education students across vast rural regions and geographically separated urban centers.
Derran Eaddy, M.A., was appointed by the Governor of New Mexico to serve on the statewide Commission on Higher Education (CHE), where he represented student needs and provided oversight across the state’s higher education governance system. The Commission oversaw all aspects of the higher education system, such as legislative funding proposals, academic programs, staffing, and facility construction needs for more than 25 universities and colleges.
Notably, the 16-member board pioneered distance learning and statewide articulation agreements, expanding access to college courses for traditionally underserved student populations.
These workforce development and higher education initiatives were advanced in collaboration with the New Mexico Legislature, the New Mexico State Department of Education, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, the New Mexico Department of Labor, and other state and regional partners.
Managing Executive Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Aviation is a critical driver of national mobility, economic activity, emergency response, global commerce, and public confidence in the safety and efficiency of the U.S. transportation system.
Derran Eaddy, M.A., led the planning, implementation, and assessment of executive strategic communications programs supporting the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) $18 billion domestic and international operations, which handled more than 3 million passengers and 44,000 flights each day.
He managed the full spectrum of enterprise communications and stakeholder relations, including executive messaging, talking points, meeting facilitation, websites, podcasts, social media, newsletters, reports, and other media.
The FAA communications program received a 2021 MarCom Award from the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals for exceeding industry expectations. In addition, programs he supported received U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary’s Awards, FAA Administrator Awards, and other recognitions.
Leading Cultural and Community Development Programming
Fine arts centers continuously modernize their offerings to remain relevant and compelling to core audiences, while also attracting new patrons on the leading edge of cultural shifts.
As a featured ambassador, Derran Eaddy, M.A., contracted with the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during its “Finding a Line: Skateboard, Music, and Media” festival to provide programming for the first-of-its-kind event. Known for its classical events, the Kennedy Center transformed its courtyard into a cutting-edge skatepark and music venue for the 9-day festival.
Finding a Line served to dispel the Kennedy Center's traditional, conservative reputation and helped the organization connect with new audiences and community members. As a sport and creative outlet, skateboarding is clinically linked to a range of physical and behavioral health benefits, from increased physical fitness and mental health to reduced use of illicit drugs and less participation in criminal behavior later in life.
The Finding a Line program earned media placements in Time Magazine, the Washington Post, and other publications.
Founding Principles
Service
Excellence
Integrity
DerranEaddy.com | Eaddy [@] outlook.com | Washington, DC
Federal Strategic Consulting Corporation