Writer, Editor, Designer, Publications Manager

Jim Watson

202-***-**** (h) 202-***-**** (c) *********@*******.*** www.WatsonEdit.com

WRITER EDITOR DIRECTOR MANAGER DESIGNER

Books / Magazines / National Public Policy Documents / Newspapers / Myriad Publications

Executive Office of the President Time-Life Books Reader's Digest Magazine

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Seasoned and accomplished journalist, writer, editor, and publisher with outstanding track record in managing myriad publications (books, articles, newsletters, fact sheets, op-eds, speeches) and finely tuned editorial, writing, publishing, design/layout, and research skills. Current and previous experience within the Executive Office of the President has sharpened skills and provided exceptional opportunities and challenges, including interagency collaboration, staff management, and database creation/maintenance. Active Secret security clearance, plus bilingual talents in Spanish (writing and speaking). Seeking senior-level management position within publishing or public relations venue that capitalizes on experience as writer, editor, analyst, and publications manager.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Executive Office of the President, Washington, D.C. 4/2002- Present

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)

PUBLICATIONS MANAGER / CHIEF EDITOR / SENIOR PLANNING ANALYST

Overview of Duties

Develop, direct, and coordinate production of booklets, newsletters, brochures, fact sheets, and other documents for Federal drug policy office, overseeing all research, writing, editing, copy-editing, design, layout, printing, and distribution. Create schedules to meet extremely tight deadlines, multi-tasking myriad duties constantly. Coordinate the production, review, and approval process among agency components for all communications, including speeches, talking points, working papers, blog posts, fact sheets, testimony, and questions-for-the record, ensuring factual accuracy, timeliness, alignment with established policy goals and objectives, and compliance with the White House and GPO style guides.

Other duties performed: created and maintained drug databases; researched and wrote detailed reports on regional drug prevalence; wrote op-eds, press releases, speeches, blog posts, talking points, and position papers; since 2008, have served as Contracting Officer’s Representative on four ONDCP contracts.

Offices within ONDCP purview and concomitant responsibilities:

Budget Oversight Division

Work with staff and interagency partners to develop ONDCP’s annual Budget and Performance Summary, then format and edit for accuracy, clarity, consistency, and style; review associated documents highlighting drug control initiatives in the President’s Budget and Congressional Budget documents; monitor and track appropriation bills for all assigned programs, providing updates to ONDCP leadership on their status and potential impact; coordinate distribution and staff review of Legislative Referral Memoranda (LRMs), including testimony, Statements of Administration Policy, Congressional reports, enrolled bills, pending legislation, and questions for the record; helped develop and currently serve as team leader on an expansive new web-based system for managing LRMs; serve as Chief Editor on major agency documents, including the National Drug Control Strategy (the Federal Government’s primary blueprint for U.S. drug policy) and Recommendations for the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.

Office of the Director

Coordinated agency review of speeches, newsletters, blogs, fact sheets, and other documents; served as Chief Editor on the National Drug Control Strategy and other key agency reports, including the National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy, National Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy, and Caribbean Border Counternarcotics Strategy.

Office of Public Affairs

Wrote/edited op-eds, speeches, blogs for ONDCP director and deputy directors, twice-monthly email newsletter, Web content, fact sheets, talking points, and press releases.

Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison

Directed all stages of production for booklets, brochures, fact sheets, CDs, posters, infographics, and other documents, overseeing research, writing, editing, copyediting, design, printing, and distribution. Worked closely and regularly with staff in all agency components; wrote, assigned, and edited copy for style, accuracy, clarity, grammar, message, and relevance; designed documents using Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign. Researched, wrote, edited, designed, and coordinated agency review of ONDCP Update, a 4-page, 4-color monthly newsletter.

Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center

As analyst in the Research Branch, created, and maintained extensive drug databases; researched and wrote detailed reports on regional drug prevalence, incorporating data from major national surveys. Wrote, edited, and designed in-depth drug profiles of U.S. cities and states for agency director and Members of Congress. Served as Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) on year-long project with the U.S. Department of Education to design a Student Drug Testing Institute.

Reader's Digest magazine, Pleasantville, NY 7/1998 - 9/2001

SENIOR EDITOR

As sponsoring editor on the Original Articles staff, worked with freelance writers to develop stories on a variety of topics, including medical breakthroughs, “dramas in real life,” crime, terrorism, sports, parenting, personal finance, science & technology, puzzles & games, entertainment, history, politics, humor, literature, and home repair. As member of the Proposal Committee, critiqued/judged freelance writers' story queries. Regularly wrote monthly “From the Editor” letter for the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief; wrote “Among Our Contributors” and “Whatever Happened To …?” Conducted seminars on the elements of storytelling for editors from Reader’s Digest bureaus around the world.

Time-Life Books, Alexandria, VA 1/1993 - 5/1998

TEXT EDITOR

Edited material submitted by freelance and staff writers for substance, accuracy, style, and fit. Also wrote captions, introductions, promotional material, and miscellaneous copy for Time-Life’s family of medical encyclopedias, including The Medical Advisor, The Alternative Advisor (described by The Daily News as “the best written and most user-friendly guide to alternative medicine available”), The Drug and Natural Medicine Advisor, and Do-It Yourself Health: 1,001 Tips You Can Use to Feel Better and Stay Well.

As lead Text Editor on the health-science series Journey Through the Mind and Body, assigned and edited chapters, essays, and captions examining the complex workings of the physical body and abstract mind. Also served as lead Editor on the volume “Basic Wiring” in the Home Repair and Improvement series.

Nature's Best, McLean, VA 1/1995 - 7/1998

EDITOR (Freelance)

As founding editor of this award-winning magazine, assigned, wrote, and edited articles on wide range of topics dealing with wildlife and nature photography. Working with the publisher and designer, played key role in developing content, approach, story selection, layout, style, and editorial voice.

National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Vienna, VA 7/1988 - 12/1992

SENIOR EDITOR

Working closely with writers, researchers, and experts in the field, assigned and edited articles on wildlife natural history, conservation, nature, and the environment for NWF’s flagship magazines, National Wildlife and International Wildlife. Wrote articles, tracked trends, generated story ideas, recruited writers, helped plan issues, and worked with the art and photo directors on visual presentation.

The Washington Times, Washington, D.C. 3/1984 - 6/1988

DEPUTY EDITOR, FEATURES - 8/1986 - 6/1988

Managed staff of 8-10 junior editors/writers/assistants. Planned issues, assigned photos, commissioned illustrations, edited articles, approved layouts, and supervised paste-up to fill seven pages of broadsheet in the newspaper’s daily features section. Served as founding Editor of WashingtonWeekend, a 60-page weekly entertainment magazine.

STAFF WRITER - 3/1984 - 8/1986

Wrote articles for the Metro, features, and foreign desks. Highlights include a nine-part, front-page series of articles based on an undercover assignment in the mountains of Nicaragua.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Reporter, State Politics, The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, VA

Assistant Editor, The Gazette, Great Falls, VA

Technical Editor, Electronic Data Systems, Alexandria, VA

Editor, “Weekender,” The Danville Register, Danville, VA

Writer-Editor (freelance), “Living in Balance: Population, Consumption, and the Planet,” World Wildlife Fund

Writer (freelance) for children’s books “What's Your Universal Address?” and “The Time Stone”

Editor (freelance), the “Missing Manual” computer reference books

Writer-Editor (freelance), Woman's World magazine

Associate Editor (freelance), Women's Health Digest, National Menopause Foundation

OTHER EXPERIENCE

Editor, designer, and publisher of books in paperback and digital format

Professional musician

Professional voiceover actor

Teacher, high school Spanish (language and literature)

Translator (Spanish), U.S. Social Security Administration, NY, NY

EDUCATION / CERTIFICATES / SPECIAL SKILLS

Washington & Lee University – B.A., Spanish

Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Virginia – graduate studies in journalism

Certificates: Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Microsoft Excel, Adobe InDesign, Fundamentals of Desktop Publishing, HTML Programming, Introduction to Federal Budgeting

Technical Skills: MS Office 2013 (Windows), 2011 (Macintosh); QuarkXPress; Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Audition; Pro Tools LE; equally comfortable in Windows or Macintosh environment

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