Editor, writer

WILLIAM B. SWARTS

Editor Policy Research, Reports & Public Interest Publishing

New York, NY ****.******@*****.*** 917-***-**** willswarts.com linkedin.com/in/will-swarts SUMMARY

Editor with 15+ years of making rigorous research readable for policymakers, the press and the public. At MDRC, a nonpartisan social policy research institute, edited research reports and publications with social scientists, moved manuscripts through review and production, and ran a blog that set readership records. Former senior editor at Inc.com, where I led 20 writers and edited at high volume, and lead markets reporter at SmartMoney.com (two SABEW General Excellence Awards). Experienced translating legal, economic and technical material into plain language, assessing and writing project proposals, developing data visualizations, and planning newsletters, social and video content that carry findings to new audiences. Conversational Spanish and advanced French. CORE SKILLS

Line & Developmental Editing · Research & Policy Reports · Plain-Language Translation of Legal & Technical Material · Production Schedules & Editorial Pipelines · Proofreading & House Style · Author Collaboration & Review Processes · Assessing & Developing Project Proposals · Report Rollouts, Newsletters, Social & Video · Data Visualization · Copyediting on Tight Deadlines · Coaching Writers · SEO · WordPress, Constant Contact · Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint

POLICY RESEARCH EDITING

MDRC Editor Aug. 2019 - Aug. 2021

• Edited social and education policy research reports and publications at a nonpartisan research institute, working closely with social scientists to make findings rigorous, clear and accessible.

• Served on a highly collaborative publications team that moved reports through author review, editing and production, driving a boom in publication output.

• Ensured every report met house style and federally mandated language requirements.

• Wrote proposals for new projects that helped reverse emergency wage cuts and grow the annual project roster from 35 to 100+.

• Edited the In Practice blog, carrying research to practitioners and the public; generated record readership and frequent spots on MDRC's annual top 10 most-read lists. JOURNALISM & EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE

Inc.com Senior Editor, Workplace Nov. 2023 - April 2026 (promoted Dec. 2024)

• Led a team of 20 staff reporters, columnists, thought leaders and freelancers covering AI adoption, leadership, the future of work, employment law, HR and benefits, and retirement policy.

• Assigned, line edited and wrote stories on tight deadlines, explaining employment law and policy for a national audience.

• Hired to launch the AM News team; published 4,000+ staff and wire stories toward Inc.'s goal of 4M monthly unique visitors.

• Advised on the expansion of daily and weekly newsletters and wrote scripts for on-camera social videos. ICSC Small Business Center Executive Editor Feb. 2022 - Oct. 2022

• Led the relaunch of the online publication of a 70,000-member commercial real estate and retail trade association, overseeing all content, site design and SEO, and setting editorial focus with stakeholders and subject-matter experts.

Travelish.io Editor in Chief July 2023 - Jan. 2025

• Directed content strategy for a luxury culinary travel startup, using AI tools to plan and scale content. SmartMoney.com Lead Markets Reporter 5 years, through 2010

• Explained markets and the economy to readers through the financial crisis in real-time updates, daily stories, weekly columns and on-camera reports.

• Won two Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) General Excellence Awards. Publishers Weekly Contributing Reviewer Ongoing

• Write 30-40 crime fiction reviews a year for the book publishing trade magazine. THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & COMMUNICATIONS EXPERIENCE

AlixPartners Vice President, Thought Leadership June 2015 - June 2016

• Worked with senior partners and consultants at a global consulting firm to develop case studies and data visualizations; raised annual publication output 25%.

• Ghostwrote about 20 articles for The Wall Street Journal, Metropolitan Corporate Counsel and the World Economic Forum blog.

MacMillan Communications (now Craft & Capital) Senior Account Executive Jan. 2011 - June 2015

• Led media relations and media training for Fortune 500 clients and financial services firms; secured placements in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the BBC, and grew U.S. Bank coverage 150%. Freelance Editorial & Communications Consultant 2010 - Present

• ProxyPR: Developed legal marketing and thought leadership for law firm clients, with placements in AmLaw publications.

• The Aspectus Group, Acting Content Director: Led custom publishing for PrivCap and earned 40 top-tier media placements for fintech and investing clients.

• MS-IR LLC: Led social media and newsletters for Nasdaq and Tel Aviv-listed companies, growing following 250% (2017-2021).

• AI Training: Train and evaluate AI models as a subcontracted editor. EDUCATION

Reed College, Portland, Ore. B.A., American Studies LANGUAGES

English (native) · French (advanced) · Spanish (conversational) · Mandarin Chinese and German (basic)

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