Ralene Sanford
Project management | creative director
Hey, I’m Rae Sanford—currently a Phoenix-based project manager with 20+ years mastering high-volume print and election projects. At Sun Rae Ignite, I helmed our team as we created and split tested direct mail campaigns totaling 5–10 million pieces a year, driving conversions with precision. For a top election firm, I deliver flawless vote-by-mail ballot production under brutal deadlines—overseeing county government accounts and ensuring client trust. Vendors, budgets, chaos? I handle them all. Coffee and desert trails fuel me. Open to production or ops roles—let’s connect!
About Me
Work is a huge part of who I am—I genuinely love what I do and throw myself into it with everything I’ve got. But even a person like me, who thrives on the hustle, needs to hit pause sometimes to recharge my soul and find fresh inspiration.
I’m all about chasing adventures in new places I’ve never explored, hanging out with furry friends (animals steal my heart!), and soaking in the pure joy of music—every genre that makes me feel alive. These passions light me up and fuel my inspiration, helping me bring fresh ideas and clarity to my clients’ creative projects. Whether I’m dreaming up designs or tackling a new challenge, I’m always ready to make magic happen—like the time I joined Geoff Tate for a Backstage Pass Travel Tour at a vineyard in Germany!
Experience
over the years
Project Manager | Marketing |
Graphic Designer | Creative Director
2000 to Present
For the past 25 years, I’ve been diving into all sorts of cool projects that blend my love for project management, election work, and marketing through design—and let me tell you, when I’m in my zone, I’m all in. With Sun Rae Ignite, my own company, I didn’t just create designs; I poured my heart into marketing pieces that lit a fire under clients’ brands, from medical products to real estate, hotels, e-commerce, you name it. Picture millions of mailers a year, each one a chance to drive their success, and me burning the midnight oil to nail every detail and make it happen.
Now, I’m at Runbeck Election Services in Phoenix, throwing myself into the high-stakes world of vote-by-mail ballots. It’s a whirlwind—managing client accounts, rallying vendors, and crushing tight deadlines to get everything perfect. Over the years, whether I’m steering election logistics or crafting marketing-driven designs that hit hard, I’m a workaholic fueled by sparking ideas that push clients and communities forward with serious impact.
Case Studies
Direct Mail Design & Programming
I worked with direct mail companies running multi-million-piece campaigns targeting home, auto, and insurance buyers. We used highly personalized mailers—each piece customized with client-provided data like names, addresses, pre-qualified interest rates, and real-time loan numbers.
I built and programmed dynamic design templates to pull in this data, ensuring every postcard or letter felt tailored to the recipient. My partner could predict the conversion rates with impressive accuracy for nearly a decade—a testament to how consistently these campaigns outperformed standard direct mail.
Native American E-commerce Website, Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing
I was initially brought in to redesign a Shopify e-commerce site for a Native American-owned business—creating a clean, conversion-focused storefront that reflected their brand and could scale with their goals. After launch, it became clear that the missing piece was traffic. I secured a yearly contract to lead their digital marketing strategy and show how email and online ads could drive results.
The company had a large, unused email list and minimal social presence. I segmented and reactivated the list with targeted, consistent campaigns, built out their social channels with valuable, audience-driven content, and launched paid ads around key retail moments. Our Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns exceeded expectations—clearing out inventory and pushing the team into urgent restock mode ahead of the holidays. The shift was dramatic: a business that had been operating at a loss became profitable through smart, sustained digital strategy.
Education
University of Wyoming
Computer Programming
AZTech College
Technical Degree in Design and Marketing. Graduated 1st in my class.
Continuous Training
I continuously stay on top of what’s going on in the online industry with the help of mentors such as: Mari Smith (social media marketing), Rich Schefren (online marketing) and Todd Brown (email marketing)
