Name

Title

Michael Chotiner

Versatile Writer-Editor

Contact Information

**** **** ***** *****, **************, MD 21104

Michael. Chotiner @gmail.com

Call or Text

202-***-****

Education/Training/Certificates

B.A, Comparative Literature, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

Proficient in SharePoint, Drupal CMS, CQ5 CMS, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, InDesign (editing functions), PhotoShop (cropping/sizing functions); some experience with Microsoft Project, Visio

Knowledgeable in SEO tactics, information architecture, and content curation

Summary of Qualifications

Hands-on editorial professional with more than 20 years leadership experience in Internet, magazines, books, audiovisual media, marketing communications, technical writing and requirements gathering for Government and military projects. Strong project manager and process innovator. Versatile writer and excellent grammarian with a keen graphic sense and the full range of print, Internet and desktop publishing skills.

Qualifications & Experience Specific to Project Position

Writes in any style and format, including narrative prose, outline-format technical text, proposals, magazine articles, optimized Web copy, blogging, marketing copy, audio and video scripts, presentations and speeches; talent for infographics. Familiar with standards of all widely used style guides, including U.S. Government Printing Office, The Chicago Manual of Style, AP Style Guide, and Microsoft Style Guide.

Employment History

Yelp, Writer/Editor/Subject-Matter Expert, 11/2021 – present

Duties & Projects:

Writes cost guides for popular home-improvement projects designed to attract consumer audience to Yelp’s online contractor-matching service

Optimizes copy to compete effectively in search results with similar services

BayFirst Solutions LLC, Senior Technical Writer, 04/2018 – 1/2022

Duties & Projects:

Reviewed, edited, and formatted prescribed acquisitions planning documents, prepares instructional manuals, how-to guides, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information.

Understands complex engineering and acquisitions information and communicates the information in standard planning documents for coordinated reviews and approval. Administrative responsibilities include document tracking, filing, knowledge-management structure, etc.

Provided support to U.S. Coast Guard CG-932 Directorate and CG-9323/9325, Boats Program for the 47’ MLB and other programs as assigned. As the Technical Writer, the focus is to review, edit, and format all required planning documents and other program documents assigned for the 47’ Motor Life Boat (MLB) program; also contributes on CB-OTH-IV and CB-OTH-V programs.

Records and maintains minutes, attendance for IPTs on which he serves.

Provided support to the government Acquisition Program Manager (APM)/Team Lead on the 47’ MLB Service-Life Extension Program (SLEP) developing analysis, drafting acquisitions documents, and refining technical specifications to be included in the request for proposal (RFP), contract deliverable lists; maintains tracking and developmental reports as tools for potential use by other Government-led projects.

Researched, identified, and analyzed alternate solutions from all Government-provided products. Collates inputs, drafts products and provides technical edits based on past/current acquisition experience, etc.

Provided support for lifecycle logistic planning as part of the SLEP program. Manages reporting requirements and procedures for internal & external documentation.

Met daily with CG-9323/9325 Program leadership in support of acquisitions program development including correspondence, white papers, briefing slides, etc.

Represented the MLB Program at technical and logistic meetings and working groups. Interfaces with sponsor staff and stakeholders; occasional local travel.

Developed style guide and documents editorial standards for the department

Manages documents in SharePoint.

Contributed to redesign/restructuring of the CG-9325 portal for improved document management

Serco North America, Technical Editor II, 09/2015 – 04/2018

Duties & Projects:

As a contractor, supported Centers for Medicare and Medicaid in implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Wrote/edited standard operating procedure (SOP) documents to document various business process systems and how they fulfilled provisions of the law.

Worked with subject-matter experts to write/edit white papers to present emerging solutions to the client.

Wrote/edited training materials for managers and production staff

Managed documents in SharePoint

Freelance Writing and Editing, 10/2012 – present

Duties & Projects:

Stone Temple Consulting—blogging on behalf of Home Depot on third-party websites

Journal of Light Construction—contributing editor of magazine and web articles

Equestrian Partners in Conservation—newsletter editor

Journal of Light Construction – Hanley Wood, LLC, Senior Web Editor, 05/2011 – 10/2012

Duties & Projects:

Content and production strategy development

Forums and Newsletter editor

aarp.org, AARP, Executive Producer, Home & Garden channel, 01/2010 – 05/2011

Duties & Projects:

Assisted in migrating content from old platform to new site

Assisted in planning and launching new channel

Published multimedia content from sources inside and outside of the organization

Created new content for the channel

Government Services Integrated Process Team, Design Studio Product Manager, 2008 – 2009

Duties & Projects:

Led teams of architects and engineers in preparing RFPs on expedited schedules that resulted in successful bids for US Army and Navy construction projects

Led teams of architects and engineers in preparing parametric design reports for complex US Army development projects on expedited schedules to validate revised DoD 1391 budget allocations

Editor of NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 8800, Real Estate Management Program Implementation Manual

Lead writer of report to Congress, “Regarding NASA 2011 Deferred Maintenance Reduction Plan”

Created manual of style for internal use by firm’s technical writers and editors

Created training materials for firm’s project managers

Wrote and edited solicitation responses and proposals for new business

ebuild, Hanley-Wood, LLC, Director of Content, 2000 – 2007

Duties & Projects:

Designed a product classification system and managed content aggregation to launch an online catalog of homebuilding products with more than 300 categories and 300,000 product records

Designed a product selection system to enable users of the site to search using plain-language, generic specifications and find products by brand, name and model number accompanied with images, descriptions, price information

Led redesign effort in 2007 by coordinating user focus-group feedback with input from information architects and GUI designers. Added new content categories, created wire frames reflecting new site architecture and wrote business requirements

Sumner Rider & Associates, Vice President, 1998 – 2000

Duties & Projects:

Senior manager in public relations and marketing firm specializing in building products and building-related trade associations

Managed media relations and wrote press releases for the Allied Signal Corp., Copper Development Association, Fiberlux Windows, MAC Tools, Proto Industrial Tools, and Vidmar Storage Systems

Produced text and video content for client Web sites

Bob Vila’s American Home – Hearst Magazine Enterprises, Editor, 1996 – 1998

Duties & Projects:

Developed concept and managed editorial operations of celebrity-based magazine with special interests in traditional architecture, furnishings, and building crafts. Cited as one of the top 10 magazine launches of the year by MIN

Produced Bob Vila’s appearances on CBS news programs

Home Mechanix–Times Mirror Magazines, Vice President/Editor-in-Chief, 1991 – 1995

Duties & Projects:

Repositioned and redesigned flagging 1 million-circ consumer magazine focused on home improvement and family cars. Supervised staff of 14

Strategic improvements lifted title from eighth to third place among its corporate peers

Member of corporate management team that planned strategic marketing initiatives for advertising sales, circulation, manufacturing and franchise extensions

Home Mechanix – Times Mirror Magazines, Executive Editor, 1989-1990

Duties & Projects:

Day-to-day supervision of the editorial staff, including assignments, article development, content and production editing

Turned around inefficient production system with improved planning and process improvements to achieve 100 percent on-time performance and improved quality

Professional Work History Summary

Dates

Company

Position / Title

11/2021-present

Yelp

Writer/Editor/SME

04/2018 – 01/2022

BayFirst Solutions LLC

Technical Writer

09/2015 – 04/2018

Serco North America

Technical Editor II

10/2012 – Present

Freelance

Writing and Editing

05/2011 – 10/2012

Hanley Wood, LLC

Senior Web Editor

01/2010 – 03/2011

AARP

Executive Producer

2008 – 2009

Government Services Integrated Process Team

Design Studio Product Manager

2000 – 2007

Hanley-Wood, LLC

Director of Content

1998 – 2000

Sumner Rider & Associates

Vice President

1996 – 1998

Hearst Magazine Enterprises

Editor

1989 – 1995

Times Mirror Magazines

Vice President, Editor in Chief, Executive Editor

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