Portfolio

Editing & Large Publications

Annual Reports

Technical Writing

Writing

Internal Communications

Editing & Large Publications
A major component of my communications career was writing for, and editing, large projects like magazines, which demonstrate strong project management from start to finish including editorial concept and line-up, contracting 3rd-party suppliers such as writers/photographers/designers, costing and budgeting, scheduling and, of course, writing and editing.
Alumni Link - Spring 2009 - During a one-year leave replacement role, I was managing editor of Alumni Link magazine that was printed and distributed to more than 70,000 alumni and stakeholders for the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
CACEE Career Options - Sept 2015 - In my role as managing editor for GordonGroup, I wrote, edited, proofread and contracted 3rd-party suppliers for the production of many client-driven publications. Career Options is one of those publications.
Panorama - Fall 2012 - As communications advisor for the Faculty of Public Affairs at Carleton University, we published this stakeholder and alumni magazine once per year. My role here was similar to the above publications and subject to the Dean’s approval.

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Annual Reports
Annual reports, like other periodicals, require all the project management and editorial skills but further require closer attention to details as accounting and projection numbers and statements are critical for financial reporting.
Calgary Zoo Annual Report 2006 - This was my first annual report with the Calgary Zoo and I changed the direction away from the previous, 24-page saddle stitch paradigm to something new that fit in the back pocket of another, reusable publication.
Calgary Zoo Annual Report 2007 - Following the success of the 2006 edition, I went a step further and created an annual report that was also a reusable, branded poster. The link above was the page-by-page web view, but this is the full page view.
Canadian Sport Centre Annual Review 2002 - The Canadian Sports Centre Calgary needed a new, sleeker look for its annual report, and the final result was a small, easy-to-read, eye-catching annual report.

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Technical Writing (academic samples)
These samples came from my time as a full-time student in the Technical Writer Graduate Certificate program at Algonquin College. These are some examples from the first half of that program, which I completed in April 2018.
NovaDAM - White Paper - This is an example of a brief white paper based on an amalgam of technologies. Here's the PowerPoint presentation that goes with it.
Magnaglide Proposal - Based on a fictional RFP, this is an example of a short initial proposal to a client looking for a specific security upgrade at their business location.
GIMP Quick Reference Guide - As a technophile, open source software has always been my first and favourite path. In this quick reference guide, I guide the reader through the cropping and saving of a screen capture image using the GIMP Image Manipulation Program.

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Writing
More than any other single task, writing is my most requested and used talent. I have written for every publication for which I have acted as editor, and written for many others. Here is just a short sample of my writing. There is a bit more in this Sample Portfolio as well.
Our Homes Magazine - Feature - Winter 2011 - As a freelancer, I was contracted to write a feature article on a very special home remodel. Here's the People profile I also did for Our Homes in a previous edition.
Ingenious Magazine - Cover - Spring 2015 - Although this could also be included in Editing & Large Publications like the Panorama publication, I also researched, wrote and edited the cover story (and others) in this magazine. Extensive interviews with SMEs – mostly engineering professors – were the primary source for this story.
24Hrs - Forzani Advertorial - This advertorial was a one-time opportunity to discuss the new SportChek retro initiative that was taking place around this time. This is a mix of writing and advertising that need to satisfy both corporate sensibilities and the light, narrative style of the advertising department.

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Internal Communications
Most internal communications are never seen by those outside the intended audience, but internal communications, especially change management, is vital to enterprise operations. Here is a small sampling of some internal communications that I created and worked on.
Calgary Zoo Re-branding - Business Card Specifications - While at the Calgary Zoo, we completed a branding refresh exercise (more below under “Rollout”) where we radically changed how we use our logo and what our outward-facing look and feel would be – including business cards and stationery.
Forzani Score Magazine - Spring 2005 - Forzani Group was highly focused on store-level communications, and Score Magazine was published five time per year to talk to employees about what was happening across Canada at the store level and at head office. I wrote for, and edited, this publication.
Calgary Zoo Re-branding - Rollout pt. 1 - As mentioned above, the branding refresh exercise changed the look and feel of all of the zoo’s communications. In this two-part communications exercise, break it all down so employees will understand the direction taken. Here is Calgary Zoo Re-branding - Rollout pt. 2.

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