Jackie Asante
Vice President
Jackie Asante is in her 22nd year as a professional communicator, and enjoying a career which has included 12 years of agency-based work and 10 years in corporate/public affairs. Since joining Optimum PR in 1998, Jackie has specialized in providing strategic communication planning and execution, leading past and present client files in telecommunications, biotechnology, transportation, and municipal government sectors. She is a media and presentation training specialist, and has developed countless customized sessions, preparing spokespeople to communicate effectively with both internal and external audiences.Jackie came to Optimum as Director, Communication for the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board. As a consultant contracted to the provincial Ministry of Health, she was a founding member of the administrative team tasked with creating a new regional health authority. Her tenure in health included collaborative work with B.C. Ministry staff and communicators at health facilities; extensive media relations; direction of public awareness/education campaigns and provision of on-going communication and media training support to Board members.Prior to her work with the Ministry of Health, Jackie completed project work for teachers and arts educators on behalf of the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre. She also spent several years in the areas of artists’ management, engaging in regional and national tour coordination and entertainment promotion.Early in her career, Jackie was a member of the core communications team at the Canadian Institute of the Arts for Young Audiences (CIAYA), an organization responsible for the founding and the 30+ year continuation of the Vancouver International Children’s Festival. She began her communication career in radio broadcasting.Jackie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (Communications) from Simon Fraser University.
