JEFF LYONS
Cherry Hill, NJ ***** • 856-***-**** • **********@***.***
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Creative, deadline-driven professional with a proven record of creating targeted campaigns, publications, communications, and other materials. Background in daily news instilled the ability to quickly adjust to different topics, styles, environments, and requirements. Adeptly manage entire lifecycle of multiple projects from working with stakeholders to define scope through coordinating internal and external contributors to production and distribution to meet all time and budget requirements. Writer and editor with an eye for grammar and the ability to quickly produce superior copy that meets standard grammar rules and internal guidelines. Advanced communicator who easily forms rapport with all types of individuals from Supreme Court justices to everyday citizens to obtain the best possible story. Team-oriented leader who focuses on building, training, and guiding top-performing, cross- functional teams that consistently exceed corporate, team, and personal objectives. HIGHLIGHTED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Boiron USA / Newtown Square, PA
Writer-Copy Editor / 2017-2018
• Primary company staff writer, editor, and proofreader ensuring consistent messages and quality text for medical and consumer marketing material for B2B and consumer audiences (product labels, merchandising material, print and digital advertising, product catalogs, regular e-newsletters and sporadic e-blasts), and website copy. Wrote copy for rebranding of major product websites. Ballard Spahr LLP / Philadelphia, PA
Writer / 2015-2017
• Provided expertise in communications, writing/storytelling, and information dissemination for national law firm with 15 offices and more than 550 attorneys.
• Collaborated with law firm partners and other experts to produce high-quality copy that is complete, thorough, and engaging to send to clients.
• Responsibilities included overseeing legal alerts, including editing lawyer-authored content, obtaining approvals, and proofreading.
• Produced custom communications, including lawyer profiles, press releases, articles, media advisories, brochures, newsletters, and website content.
• Ensured all publications and communications comply with firm style and branding guidelines. Updated firm’s stylebook with new entries.
• Enhanced client interactions by improving quality of publications and frequency of electronic legal alerts. Philadelphia Bar Association / Philadelphia, PA
Senior Managing Editor / 2001-2015
• Senior-level position with full authority for all publications at the oldest association of lawyers in the United States, with more than 11,000 members
• Core responsibilities included writing, editing, and production of monthly newspaper, quarterly magazine, three weekly email news updates, photography, and regular social media postings.
• Key contributor in editorial decision-making process for both newspaper and magazine.
• Regularly interviewed and interacted with high-profile individuals such as politicians and Supreme Court justices as well as members and other stakeholders at all levels.
• Crucial member of team that launched association’s social media presence then regularly updated/monitored Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts.
• Led effort in transitioning from film to digital photography, saving significant money while also simplifying the location of specific photos.
• Introduced modular layout into association’s newspaper, considerably improving appearance to be more professional.
• Significantly increased exposure and reached additional audiences by launching podcast program, recording and editing hundreds of podcasts.
• Honored with National Association of Bar Executives Luminary Award for Excellence in Regular Publications. CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Courier-Post / Cherry Hill, NJ / Sports Copy Editor Key member of team that performed all editing and production of daily newspaper’s local sports section. Solely responsible for placing stories according to news value, designing pages, editing copy, and writing headlines and captions. Improved overall section quality by working with reporters to enhance copy. Key contributor in design team that transformed newspaper from black and white to color. Honored by parent company Gannett Co. with “Well Done” and “Best of Gannett” contests for headline writing. Bucks County Courier Times / Levittown, PA / Copy Editor Performed broad range of responsibilities for daily newspaper across multiple editorial departments. Responsibilities for daily newspaper included editing copy as well as writing headlines and captions. For the weekend editions, handled layout and design of wire-service news pages and wrote headlines and captions. Gloucester County Times / Woodbury, NJ / Reporter
Wrote range of articles for daily newspaper, consistently achieving strict deadlines. Focused on areas such as municipal government, police news, and feature articles. Maintained schedule of research, community meetings, and interviews. EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, Journalism / Temple University
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Windows and Macintosh environments
Microsoft Office, Google Docs, Adobe Creative Suite Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
Reading Coach for Elementary School Students / Philadelphia Reads Assistant Coach, Parent Volunteer / Cherry Hill (NJ) American Little League