Fred’s Story
Fred Rose is a corporate communications and marketing leader with 15 years of experience across the energy, real estate, hospitality, technology, and nonprofit sectors. Most recently he served as Director of External Relations for XKIG (formerly Xylem Kendall), a 6,000-person energy infrastructure company.
Where it started
Fred's career began in Norfolk, Virginia, at the American Red Cross. As Financial Development Coordinator for Special Events, he built fundraising events and community partnerships across Southeastern Virginia and helped run the grassroots Heroes Campaign. It was an early lesson in something that has shaped every role since: people support what they feel connected to, and a good story is how that connection starts.
Building the digital toolkit
At Dominion Enterprises, Fred grew CycleTrader.com's social audience from 750 to 75,000 consumers nationwide. He ran paid campaigns, measured by analytics. He then advanced to the Manager of Social Media Services with Dominion Dealer Solutions, where he developed the concept and business plan for a B2B social media agency, trained business development teams nationally, and spoke at the Digital Dealer conference in Las Vegas.
He carried that digital foundation into future leadership roles:
Tidewater Fleet Supply: built the eCommerce strategy for a multi-location parts retailer, including a 12,000-SKU marketplace inventory
TechArk: led a team of four creative professionals at a software development agency
Telling Norfolk's story
In 2017 Fred joined Waterside District, the hospitality and entertainment complex anchoring downtown Norfolk's waterfront, and rose from Digital Marketing Manager to Director of Marketing. He oversaw a $250K+ budget and led a two-person team. He also served as the company's spokesperson, pitching media and handling on-camera interviews. He managed promotion for more than 60 events and five brands, and built corporate and community partnerships across Hampton Roads.
Scaling up
At Harbor Group Management Company, a national real estate firm, Fred led brand content strategy and served on the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. As Sponsorship Co-Chair for the 26th Annual Harbor Group Leadership Conference, he raised $800K in vendor sponsorships, $100K over target.
Leading in energy
In 2022 Fred joined Xylem Kendall as Director of Communications. He helped publish the company's first-ever Corporate Sustainability Report and shaped its brand messaging and thought leadership. He also produced 50+ event activations a year and led partnerships with state, regional, and national associations.
As Director of External Relations for XKIG, he took that work national:
Led the company's industry engagement strategy
Supervised its event marketing function
Hosted VIP experiences for energy utility executives and rural electric cooperative board members
Led the company's presence at NRECA TechAdvantage, UAA Trees & Utilities, and TCIA Expo, leading industry conferences.
Beyond the office
Fred has spent years serving on civic boards and supporting nonprofits in Hampton Roads. That includes committee work with the Nauticus Foundation, where he helped shape fundraising event strategy. He also has served on the board of directors for tHRive, the Chamber of Commerce young professional’s division, as well as the Downtown Norfolk Council’s Downtown 100 board. For Fred, civic work isn't separate from his career. It's where he learned that community trust is built the same way brand trust is: by showing up consistently and following through.
Education
University of Virginia: Business Sustainability Certificate
James Madison University: BA, Public Communication; minor, Human Resource Development
What's next
Fred is looking for his next Director or VP role in marketing, communications, or industry engagement.
Connect on LinkedIn | Send a message | 757-509-3823
