Sharon Delaney McCloud

Sharon Delaney McCloud is an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, keynote speaker, emcee, host, and moderator ready to make your event a smashing success, whether in person or virtual. You can feel confident you're hiring a professional who prioritizes your audience. With over 30 years of experience on local and national stages, television stations, and online, McCloud will deliver an exceptional experience for your attendees.

As a Certified Diversity Executive CDE®, adjunct professor, agency owner, cancer survivor, Olympic Torch Bearer, author, and communications expert, McCloud knows how to get the job done. She helps leaders & companies improve communication & executive presence to drive business results. As a member of the Global Speakers Federation and the National Speakers Association, McCloud connects with people while at the same time offering actionable insights. She does this through in-person and virtual presentations, webinars, and live streams.

McCloud earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Florida State University before embarking on a career as a television journalist. From the Persian Gulf War to John Glenn's historic return to space to the Super Bowl to hurricanes, floods, politics, and entertainment, she has covered thousands of stories that have affected daily lives. McCloud also moderated gubernatorial and mayoral debates throughout North Carolina and served as a mentor for young journalists beginning their careers.

After leaving television news, McCloud founded Greenroom Communications, a video production and marketing firm, with Kim and Penn Holderness (the XMAS Jammies Family). They worked with big brands like Target, Samsung, H&R Block, and Chase Bank. At one point, they even had a reality show on UPtv. In 2016, Greenroom merged with Walk West to become a full-service digital marketing agency that's landed on the INC 5000 list three times in a row.

McCloud has been featured in numerous publications, including Sheryl Sandburg's Option B digital platform, Thrive Global, Enterprising Women, and co-author of the book "Keep Going, Memoirs of Strength, Courage & Perseverance." In 2019, McCloud had the opportunity to share her big idea with the world on a TEDx stage. Through Giving Vilomahs a Voice, Sharon shows us how to approach conversations with bereaved parents. This passion led to her writing a letter to the White House advocating for a bereavement leave policy. That letter turned into an invitation to meet one-on-one with President Joe Biden in the summer of 2021 when they discussed the need for paid bereavement leave.

McCloud was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and spent her early years in East Africa, attending schools in Kenya and Tanzania before moving to the United States. In addition to her television career, McCloud worked for the Department of Defense's U.S.O. program and traveled all over the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Europe, entertaining American troops as part of an all-girl group, The Florida Girls. McCloud is very active in the community and serves on many boards of directors and advisory committees for non-profit organizations in North Carolina.