Allison Freeman
Account Manager
Allison is an award-winning journalist who also found success in public relations. Her skills and experience made for a smooth transition to Laura Bishop Communications, as well as an immediate impact.
Her first months with LBC included the quick turnaround of a new client’s request to launch a newsletter, coordinating the design and writing the copy. Her journalistic instincts kicked in when she heard coworkers talking about client stories. She offered ideas to tie those pitches to timely events and even reached out to former colleagues to gauge their interest in covering them.
And, beyond her expert writing and connections, her enthusiasm and willingness to help others further align her with LBC’s core values. She certainly brings her best self to work each day.
Allison brings her best self to work each day at LBC…
Allison began her career as a news reporter for The Star-Ledger where she covered general assignment, health and education news, and suburban Essex County news. She shifted to features where she wrote her own columns: The “Young & Talented” about young people in the arts in New Jersey and “Good, Clean Fun” about family entertainment. She loved covering her different beats, fostering relationships with mayors and police chiefs, educators, and communications professionals.
With the negative impact of the economy on newspapers, Allison started her own communications firm and worked with numerous nonprofits and schools including the Newark Museum, the BlinkNow Foundation and Drew University. She also joined the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners, for which she served as Vice President of Communications for the Morris County chapter and helped many women increase exposure for their small businesses.
In addition, Allison has overseen communications for three public school districts and two private schools for students with special needs, EZ Ride and HealthCare Institute of New Jersey. She worked in corporate communications at Wakefern Food Corp. and a small B2B communications firm.
As an Account Manager at LBC, Allison is thrilled to be back working with education clients. She appreciates the value in helping school districts develop strategic communications plans and improve transparency, fostering a trusting relationship with stakeholders. And she finds it rewarding to write newsletters, blogs and press releases that share the wonderful achievements of district students and staff and instill a sense of pride in students, staff and parents.
Allison covers schools the same way she covered towns as a news reporter, visiting and spending time with elected officials, attending meetings and events, and sharing the news. By diving in and becoming part of a school’s community, she fully understands how to customize communications to meet a range of needs, from improving community relations to launching a new website and even navigating issues or crises.
Allison repeatedly says she thrives when she is busy, and that is a benefit to LBC’s clients. She has so many tools in her communications toolbelt, and she uses each of them with a unique combination of swiftness and precision to craft a personalized strategy to meet each client’s goals.
Affiliations & Education
Allison has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and a minor in French from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She has won several awards for her writing including:
- The Maurice R. Robinson Scholarship for excellence in writing about education from Syracuse University.
- The New Jersey Press Association Robert B. Kelly Award, Honorable Mention, reporting and writing.
- The New Jersey Governor’s Award in Arts Education for excellence in coverage of New Jersey High School Theater.
- The New Jersey Music Educators Association Distinguished Service Award for superior coverage of NJMEA activities.
Outside of Office
A Jersey girl, Allison loves spending time with her husband Jeff Dalmedo, two sons Jordan and Corey Dalmedo and her rescue puppy Oliver. In her free time, she enjoys reading fiction, gardening, cooking, baking and playing tennis.