Summary
Elizabeth A. Leib is the founder of Raintree Writing Service, designed to assist individuals and businesses with personal and professional writing projects. Clients include Stella Stories, Dr. Ana Lipson, Raymond James Financial Services, Total Entitlement Service, Bain Real Estate Service, Inc., Florida Kid Care, Hillel School of Tampa and Drum Magic. Before forming Raintree Writing Services in 2007 Leib was Creative Director for Spectrum Media Communications Group. Prior to her work as a Creative Director she produced a monthly family magazine with the locally owned Community News Publications. Leib spent three years in corporate banking as Communications Assistant with JPMorganChase. She began her career as a Corporate Fundraising Manager for one of Tampa's NPR/PBS affliates WUSF.
Professional Background
As Creative Director for SMCG Leib was responsible for all aspects of content production and design to ensure consistent on-time delivery of high quality, customer appealing print, online and video products. Leib generated advertising revenue by identifying potential advertising partners, creating proposals and making presentations. She was charged with creating and managing relationships with organizations - both businesses and not-for-profits for the purpose of promoting the company within the community.
Leib forged new advertising partnerships for the SMCG/ParentGuide with the Tampa Bay Rays, Sport+Field and the Hillsborough Magnet Schools. Leib's efforts with these and other advertisers resulted in the production of podcasts, feature articles for the ParentGuide magazine, online and print advertising. She developed the concept for the weekly web column, EveryDayMom, where she interviewed authors, playwrights, newsmakers and wrote about the featured ParentGuide guest pediatrician and nationally recognized expert Dr. Harvey Karp.
Previous to her work with Spectrum, she was editor and General Manager of an arts and entertainment magazine - the Go!Guide - published by Community News Publications. Leib directed editorial content and design, wrote feature articles, contracted with freelance writers, managed photo shoots for cover designs and secured advertising for the start-up publication. Prior to her management of the Go!Guide, Leib was in corporate communications with JPMorgan Chase at Highland Oaks in Tampa and prior to that, in corporate fundraising for 10 years with the Tampa based PBS and NPR affiliate WUSF Public Broadcasting.
Volunteer Life
Leib's adult life has been influenced by her college dean Mark Smith who taught his students that the route to satisfaction and a successful life is to be a contributor to the happiness and well-being of others. To that end she regularly volunteers her time to organizations with values, beliefs and goals that match her own. She serves as a volunteer for the Hillel School of Tampa's parent teacher organization. Leib is the media contact for the International Tai Chi Society. Her avatar, MitzvahMom is a volunteer greeter for visitors to the WMNF station at its location in Second Life. Leib is a writing consultant for Deb Campbell's youth entrepreneur summer program Forward Thinking Initiatives and volunteers when the weather is fine to help bring in the weekly harvest at Sweetwater Organic Farm.
Leib serves as an Advisory Board member for Creative Tampa Bay. In October 2001 Leib served on the steering committee to launch the first Earth Charter Summit led by long-time community activist Jan Roberts. She's served as board member for the Big Brothers Big Sisters "Art of Helping Children" annual gala, read to the blind on WUSF's Radio Reading Service, contributed to WMNF's news programs and served as board member for the Raintree Homeowners Association.
Personal History
Leib has a B.A. from Eckerd College in English and Creative Writing specializing in poetry with direction from the nationally recognized poet and Tampa Bay treasure Peter Meinke. She tested the idea of pursuing a graduate degree at USF by taking a few humanities, communications and creative writing graduate classes in the early 90's before enrolling in a playwriting class taught by Mark E. Leib. Elizabeth married Mark in 1995 at Kol Ami Synagogue. They were blessed a with a son.
Leib was born in Atlanta, Georgia and has lived in Tampa Bay since she was nine years old. Her mother, Marguerite Guyton of Virginia, is a missionary traveling regularly to Israel. Her father, Robert C. Brannon, is a retired businessman living in Tennessee. She has two sisters, Lauren Brannon, a graduate student at NYU and Amanda Brannon, a graphic designer living in Alaska. She explores motherhood, family life and other topics of interest in her online blog. She enjoys tai chi, horseback riding, hiking, canoeing, reading, writing, thinking and dreaming.