Time-Progression Pitch Deck

Statewide Success Stories Project

During my internship at the Colorado Governor’s Office of Federal Funds and Strategic Initiatives, I was tasked with transforming more than 200 project narratives into a clear, data-driven pitch deck highlighting the most compelling statewide success stories. The work began with a full review of every narrative; coding themes, identifying measurable outcomes, and looking for patterns across agencies. From there, I developed a pitch deck that organized the best success stories for press releases. I also organized programs by implementation: early pilots, infrastructure builds, systematic builds, scholarship programs, and long-term funding.

Working closely with my supervisors, we narrowed this large dataset down to the top five stories that best demonstrated statewide impact, community benefit, and strong return on investment. These selections ultimately guided the press releases and communications that would be shared with the public, legislators, and agency leadership. The final deck served as a strategic tool for stakeholders; showing not just what projects accomplished, but how they fit into Colorado’s broader vision for recovery, equity, and long-term system improvement.

This project strengthened my ability to synthesize large volumes of information, identify narrative through-lines, and translate complex policy outcomes into communication pieces that leadership can act on with confidence.

Stage 1: Data Review & Success Criteria Development

Selecting the strongest statewide success stories required developing a clear, defensible framework for evaluating 200+ ARPA-funded projects. I prioritized programs with comprehensive, high-quality data, projects where measurable outputs (such as units built, people served, trainings delivered, or systems upgraded) aligned with meaningful outcomes like expanded access, improved equity, or long-term community benefit. I assessed both the quantitative results and the qualitative narrative, ensuring each story demonstrated not only what was accomplished, but why it mattered.

Central to this process was examining how each project reflected the Governor’s strategic goals and the responsible, high-impact use of federal recovery funds.

Stage 2: Pitch Deck Development

After establishing the evaluation framework and identifying which projects demonstrated the strongest data and community impact, I began building a comprehensive pitch deck that captured success stories from every participating state agency. Using the refined criteria, I organized top project narratives from each agency into a structured master document, highlighting standout outcomes, key metrics, implementation strengths, and meaningful community benefits.

This stage focused on synthesizing large amounts of information into a cohesive, agency-by-agency layout that made complex results easy to understand. The full deck became the foundation from which final selections were narrowed and shaped into polished stories for leadership communications and press releases.

Stage 3: Top Story Selection & Narrative Strategy

After building the deck, the next step was narrowing it to the five strongest stories for public release. This required balancing data-driven impact with strategic considerations: which projects best aligned with the Governor’s priorities, reflected responsible use of federal funds, and carried both strong metrics and compelling human outcomes. I also evaluated potential risks, how each story might be received publicly and how it could be interpreted within a sensitive national political environment.

Each selected story needed what we called the “communication triangle”: a project representative, a constituent directly impacted, and a third-party partner who could validate the broader significance. This approach ensured that the final five stories were not only high-performing, but also credible, well-rounded, and strategically appropriate to share.

Stage 4: Pitching & Moving a Story Into Action

Next, I presented a pitch to the Governor’s communications and press team, proposing that we elevate one of the strongest public health stories during the month of November: a visit by the Lieutenant Governor to a mobile flu-vaccine clinic. The goal was to highlight how ARPA dollars were already improving preventive-care access, while selecting a moment that aligned with ongoing public-health needs and the administration’s broader narrative on equity and affordability. This stage required considering message risk, timing, and political sensitivity.

Once approved, the idea moved quickly: we secured a site visit with a local school, shaped the narrative arc, developed talking points, and produced supporting materials, including a full briefing memo and an initial draft press release. The pitch became a live event, demonstrating how strong project analysis can translate into visible, on-the-ground storytelling.

Stage 5: Drafting the
Press Release

The final stage of this project involved converting the approved event concept into a full press‐ready narrative. Using the details from the event, the communications team and the Lieutenant Governor’s office, I drafted a press release that highlighted the mobile clinic visit, centered public-facing language around preventive care and affordability, and connected the event directly to the impact of ARPA-funded programs. This included framing the statewide benefits, shaping quotable language for principals, and ensuring the message aligned with the administration’s broader communication strategy.