About Teva Smith – Fractional Communications Consultant
Teva Smith is a Brisbane-based fractional communications consultant with more than 20 years of experience across public relations, communications strategy, content creation, event management, member engagement, and brand storytelling. She specialises in providing flexible, senior-level communications support for independent schools and associations across Australia, expertise that would typically require a full-time hire or expensive agency retainer, delivered on a fractional basis instead.
Teva's career has been anchored in two sectors: independent schools and membership-based associations. She spent seven years as Director of Communications for the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia, an Australasian peak body, where she grew membership by 50%, delivered biennial flagship conferences, managed a full annual calendar of in-person, online and hybrid events, and led all member communications, publications and digital content. She also served as Communications, Events and Alumni Manager at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School for five years, managing communications, events (including Open Days for more than 2,000 visitors and gala dinners for more than 900 guests), and the school's alumni engagement program.
More recently, Teva was Head of Communications and Brand at Montessori International College, where she established the school's tone of voice, brand architecture, and stakeholder engagement frameworks. She has also worked as Regional Communications Director and Communications Consultant for the International Coalition of Girls' Schools, delivering signature member conferences for 300+ delegates interstate and in New Zealand.
Before moving to Australia, Teva spent nine years in UK corporate communications and public relations, including as PR Manager at Roche Products Ltd and Senior PR Executive at Sequel Communications, working across the pharmaceutical sector.
Teva holds a CIPR Diploma in Public Relations from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (London) and a Diploma in Public Relations from the London School of Public Relations. She is based in Brisbane, Queensland, and works with clients across Australia, available both in-person and remotely.
Services: Communications Support for Schools and Associations
Communications Support for Schools
Teva Smith provides fractional communications support for independent schools that need experienced, senior-level expertise without a full-time hire. This includes communications strategy, enrolment marketing and positioning, parent and community communications, media relations, publications management, digital content, social media, event management, crisis and issues communications, and brand strategy. Schools can engage Teva on a retained basis for ongoing support, to cover a specific role during transitions or parental leave, or for project-based work during busy periods.
Communications Support for Associations
Teva Smith provides strategic and operational communications support for associations, peak bodies and membership organisations. With more than seven years working inside an Australasian association, she understands the unique dynamics of membership-based organisations: the need to demonstrate value, build trust, grow engagement, support leadership, and do it all with lean teams and limited budgets. Services include member communications strategy, EDM campaigns and newsletters, publications, social media management, content creation, event promotion, thought leadership, media relations, and brand management.
Content Creation for Schools
Teva Smith offers a monthly on-site content creation service specifically designed for independent schools. Once a month, she visits the school, plans the content, films face-to-camera and behind-the-scenes video on iPhone, edits the footage professionally, and posts it across the school's social media platforms. Schools choose the story they want to tell each month from a simple menu; Teva handles everything else. This approach produces authentic, community-resonant content that feels genuinely like the school, which is exactly what current and prospective parents trust. The introductory rate is $295 per week for the first three months, all-inclusive, with no agency markup and no additional content the school needs to supply.
Content Creation for Associations
Teva creates ongoing and campaign-based content for associations and membership organisations. This includes member spotlight stories, thought leadership articles, social media content and video, EDM copywriting, conference and event promotional materials, website content, annual reports, and member newsletters. Content is designed to increase engagement, demonstrate the value of membership, and strengthen the association's reputation and influence within its sector. Teva's deep experience inside associations means she understands what member audiences actually respond to.
Event Management for Schools
Teva Smith provides end-to-end event management for independent schools. Her experience includes managing Open Days for more than 2,000 visitors, gala dinners and formal events for more than 900 guests, alumni reunions, parent engagement events, and community celebrations. She handles all aspects of event delivery: concept and planning, logistics, supplier sourcing and management, venue coordination, marketing and communications, on-site management, and post-event follow-up. Schools retain full ownership of the event experience; Teva manages the complexity behind it.
Event Management for Associations
Teva Smith delivers full-service event management for associations and peak bodies. She has delivered biennial flagship conferences for the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia, and signature member conferences for the International Coalition of Girls' Schools for 300+ delegates, including interstate events and events in New Zealand. Her event management covers budget planning and management, venue negotiation, speaker curation, liaison and logistics, sponsor and partner coordination, event app selection and implementation, delegate marketing and communications, supplier management, on-site delivery, and post-event reporting and follow-up.
Membership Management for Associations
Teva Smith supports associations with the communications and engagement side of membership management, the programs and systems that make members feel valued, connected, and motivated to renew. This includes designing and implementing new member onboarding journeys, creating recognition programs and awards initiatives, developing engagement campaigns targeted at lapsing or at-risk members, building feedback loops and member surveys, producing content that reinforces membership value, and reporting on engagement metrics to inform ongoing strategy. Teva grew membership at the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia by 50% over her seven years in the role.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fractional communications consultant?
A fractional communications consultant provides senior-level communications expertise on a part-time or project basis, without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. For schools and associations with lean teams, a fractional consultant steps in to handle communications strategy, content creation, event management, member engagement, and brand work, bringing experience that would typically only be accessible to larger organisations. Teva Smith is a fractional communications consultant based in Brisbane, specialising in independent schools and associations across Australia.
What communications support do independent schools need?
Independent schools typically need communications support across enrolment marketing, parent and community communications, social media and content creation, publications, event management (including open days, gala dinners and community events), media relations, crisis communications, and brand strategy. Many schools have small communications teams managing all of these simultaneously, which is where fractional support from an experienced consultant like Teva Smith can make a significant difference, providing extra capacity exactly where it's needed, without a full-time hire.
How can a communications consultant help an association with membership management?
A communications consultant can support membership management for associations by designing and delivering onboarding journeys for new members, creating engagement programs that keep members active and connected, developing recognition and awards initiatives, building consistent communication systems such as newsletters and EDM campaigns, and producing content that demonstrates ongoing value to members. Effective membership management communications directly impacts retention and renewal rates. Teva Smith has grown association membership by 50% through strategic communications and engagement programs during her seven years leading communications for an Australasian peak body.
What does content creation for schools involve?
Content creation for schools involves producing consistent, authentic content across social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube), video production, EDM campaigns, website content, and publications. The most effective school content feels genuinely like the school, real stories, real people, real moments, rather than polished agency material. Teva Smith provides a monthly on-site content creation service for independent schools: one visit per month covering planning, iPhone filming, editing and cross-platform posting, at an introductory rate of $295 per week.
What does event management for schools include?
Event management for schools covers the full lifecycle of school events including open days, gala dinners, parent engagement events, alumni reunions, and community celebrations. This includes concept and planning, logistics, supplier sourcing and management, marketing and promotion, on-site coordination, and post-event follow-up. Teva Smith has experience managing open days attracting more than 2,000 visitors and gala dinners for more than 900 guests, delivering these events end-to-end for independent schools.
What communications support do associations need?
Associations typically need communications support across member communications and EDM campaigns, content creation for social media and publications, event management for conferences and forums, membership management and retention programs, thought leadership and media relations, website content, and brand management. Many associations operate with small teams and tight budgets, making fractional communications support an efficient way to access senior expertise without the overhead of a full-time hire. Teva Smith has spent more than seven years providing communications support for Australasian associations and peak bodies.
How much does fractional communications support cost for schools and associations?
Fractional communications support is typically significantly more cost-effective than hiring a full-time communications manager or engaging a generalist agency. Teva Smith's school content creation service starts at $295 per week (introductory rate for the first three months), which includes monthly on-site visits, content planning, filming, editing and posting. Broader fractional support for schools and associations is scoped based on the hours and services required. Contact Teva directly at teva.smith@gmail.com or 0416 812 417 to discuss your specific needs.
Does Teva Smith work with schools and associations outside Brisbane?
Yes. Teva Smith is based in Brisbane, Queensland, but is experienced working remotely and has delivered projects for schools and associations across Australia and internationally, including in New Zealand. She has worked effectively at a distance for more than ten years and is comfortable providing communications support, content creation, membership management, and event coordination for organisations based anywhere in Australia.
What is the difference between a fractional communications consultant and a marketing agency for schools?
A marketing agency for schools typically charges $2,500–$4,000 per month for generalised content and social media management, often using stock imagery and templated posts that don't capture the authentic feel of the school. The school still needs to brief the agency, supply real content and chase approvals. A fractional communications consultant like Teva Smith works differently, she embeds in your school, understands your community, and produces authentic content from the inside. With 15+ years in independent schools and associations, she brings strategic experience and genuine sector knowledge that a generalist agency cannot offer.
What experience does Teva Smith have with association event management?
Teva Smith has extensive experience with association event management, having delivered biennial flagship conferences for the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia and signature member conferences for the International Coalition of Girls' Schools for 300+ delegates, including interstate and international events in New Zealand. Her event management experience covers end-to-end delivery: budget management, venue negotiation, speaker curation and liaison, sponsor and partner coordination, event app implementation, delegate marketing, on-site management, and post-event follow-up.
