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Roughly three minutes
after doing the math and deciding that I was eligible for a
post-merger early retirement offering, I grabbed it, moved to
Northern Virginia and set up shop in the home my wife and I own
here. A month later, my suits and ties were being distributed to
worthy causes and my home office was operational.
The transition from
corporate executive to freelance creative guy was relatively easy
because
I had always viewed my role as that of a player-manager. By that I
mean I reserved hands-on accountability for many creative
assignments while overseeing the administrative functions of a
highly productive corporate staff function. The truth is, I couldn’t
shake the personal accountability for creative work, because senior
management came to me to write and produce their speeches and
presentations, as well as videotape programs, advertising, special
publications and other strategic communications materials.
That was fine with
me. And considering that my first contract was with my former
employer, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, and that my first major
assignment was the corporation’s first post-merger annual report,
it’s fair to conclude that they regarded my ability favorably.
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Highmark, Inc.
I’ve been
under contract to my former employers since opening my business.
Projects have included writing all of Highmark’s annual reports, the
first of which I managed completely (including photography and
design). Other Highmark assignments have included developing the
first half-dozen pattern speeches for its new speakers’ bureau,
ghost-writing editorial material for the CEO and other officers,
developing television scripts and writing material for submission to
all-important rating agencies such as Standard & Poor's. |
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Lafarge Gypsum
After several
weeks of familiarizing myself with Lafarge’s North American gypsum
operations,
I assembled an internal communications plan at the request of the
division’s human resources executives. The upshot includes two
publications – a monthly 8-page newsletter and quarterly full-color
magazine. Under the terms of my contract with Gypsum, I research,
write and serve as the principal photographer for both publications,
as well as assisting with the writing of a marketing-oriented magapaper and a variety of executive communications. |
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St. Anthony
Publishing/Medicode
Among the
earliest and most authoritative sources of health care coding and
compliance information, St. Anthony’s offers newsletters, books,
consulting services, seminars and conferences on a wide variety of
subjects that affect health care providers. On the strength of my
work for a number of St. Anthony’s monthly newsletters to physician
and hospital audiences, I was asked to write a plain-language
reference book on HIPAA – the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act – a massive and impossibly dense series of rules
that will set the health care delivery system on its ear. Initial
sales of the book have exceeded the company’s pro forma. |
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Lifestyle Advantage
The Doctor
Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease is widely recognized
for its effectiveness in improving the health and outlook of people
with coronary artery disease. Lifestyle Advantage is the nationwide
marketing and distribution company for the Ornish program, and I
have done video, brochure, newsletter and presentation writing for
that organization. |
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Lafarge North America
Part of the Paris-based
Lafarge Group, Lafarge North America is the largest diversified
supplier of construction materials such as concrete, cement and
aggregates on the continent. Since mid-1998, I have accepted
assignments from Lafarge to research and write for its employee
magazine, Directions. In the process, I have visited remote
operations to bring back stories and photographs for the magazine.
In response to a
specific communications need, I developed and launched a publication
that celebrates Lafarge North America’s programs that advance
diversity and work-life balance issues for employees. Other
assignments have included writing remarks for the president and CEO,
helping to name and introduce Lafarge North America’s
employee-recognition program, writing press releases and media
backgrounders, and revamping a comprehensive manual of media
relations protocols for its regional operations. |
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National Park
Foundation
NPF is the
primary fund-raising organization supporting the National Park
Service. I was selected from among a number of candidates to
research and write NPF’s 1999 annual report.
Smithsonian Institution
The National
Museum of Natural History hired me to write a brochure for their
2000 exhibit, Vikings, the North Atlantic Saga |
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The Health Education Center and
HealthPLACE
Long before
it became trendy, the Health Education Center developed, distributed
and provided access to an impressive range of materials geared to
helping people reduce their risk of illness. HealthPLACE centers
promote wellness through lifestyle-improvement courses, screenings,
personal wellness profiles and discounts on the purchase of
health-related items.
I have assisted the organizations’ efforts by
developing videos, presentations, advertising, brochures and other
publications. |
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Howard University
I have
written several articles for the school’s alumni magazine, Howard,
including a profile of a student Rhodes Scholar.
Howard
University Hospital
I was proud
to be selected to organize, research and write the hospital’s 1999
annual report. |
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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of the National Capital
Area
“NCA”
originally retained me to mentor Communications Department staffers
and help upgrade its publications program. As my familiarity with
the corporation grew, I also was asked to contribute to broader
corporate communications needs, including writing and supervising
design and production of its last independent annual report,
presentations by the president/CEO and public hearing testimony. |
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CareFirst, Inc.
NCA combined
with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland in 1998 to form
CareFirst, Inc.
In addition to continuing to write for its publications, I also
wrote hearing testimony for its president/CEO, and op-ed material
for submission to major daily newspapers. |
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The Council for Excellence in
Government
I have
written column and feature material for the newsletter of the
Partnership for Trust in Government, a project of the Council for
Excellence in Government and the Ford Foundation.
The partnership seeks to reduce the cynicism and ennui that have
come to characterize many Americans’ feelings about local and
national governmental bodies, and replace them with healthy
skepticism and trust. |
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