Cindy O'Hara
L.
Saint Charles,MO
Summary
Executive Managing Editor Editorial Director Brand Content Manager With 30 years of experience in the media, publishing, public relations, and brand content spaces, I have successfully managed sales and editorial staff as well as more than 70 clients. I have more than doubled NewsUSA’s business from publishing 15 stories per month in 2016 to more than 30 features per month. Key Strengths Cross Functional Team Leadership Client Relations Detail-Oriented Develop Editorial Strategies Project Management Deadline Driven Collaborative Problem Solving Editorial Expertise Brand Marketing
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Editorial Director
11.2016 - Current
- NewsUSA is a nationally syndicated, copyright-free consumer feature news service that works with a wide array of vertical markets and industries ranging from Fortune 500 companies to public relations agencies and non-profit organizations
- Clients include Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Edelman, Fleishman-Hillard, Hilton, Nationwide, Nutrisystem, and Zulily, among others
- Writing experience:
- Developed editorial content of 350–400 words for various clients, including but not limited to topics on: health and wellness, Bitcoin, investing, crypto-currency, retail, business trends and client events, all in a journalistic style for mainstream media publishers while promoting products, events, and trends within any given industry
- Developed ideas for client features
- Interviewed clients for broad overview of subject matter
- Spoke directly with clients regarding revisions to ensure all content needs were met and addressed
- Editorial director experience:
- Vast experience managing and onboarding more than 30 clients simultaneously
- Deep knowledge of web copywriting and preparing eye-catching headlines
- Familiarity with web publishing, social media tools and technologies and search engine optimization (SEO)
- Develop ideas and write stories based on client input
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of an editorial department
- Create functional, user-friendly editorial calendars for features in process
- Write press releases and feature-length articles
- Counsel clients on SEO, specific to their brand, event, and/or product
- Oversee editorial operations and production, including hiring, training, and managing all editorial staff
- Oversee entire editorial process, from creation of client concept to creation of idea to published product
- Review and develop content as required
- Assist production team in carrying through a smooth flow of client work product from start to finish
- Prioritize work flow, from editing all content to consulting clients, generating story ideas, supporting sales staff, and improving corporate visibility
- Generate marketing materials and oversee development of radio spots and Spanish translations
- Approve vendor invoices and provide support for customer service department
- Hire and train editorial staff on best writing practices for online content
- Develop and produce copy based on client suggestions and recommendations to outsource to the NewsUSA editorial team
- Promote client service offerings and products in an editorial format for our mainstream media partners
- Provide support for the sales staff by maintaining sales and contracts database and attending new-client conference calls to pitch story ideas
- Coordinate Zoom/conference calls between clients and writers to garner more information regarding articles to be written.
- Recruited and supervised writers producing high-volume content and worked effectively with both in-house and freelance professionals
- Strategized creative content plans to deliver value to target audiences in alignment with company goals
- Reviewed content at stages to check spelling, grammar and clarity as well as conformance with creative objectives and client goals
- Recruited and supervised writers producing high-volume content and worked effectively with both in-house and freelance professionals
- Oversaw, inspired and supported creative team of writing and editing staff
- Integrated art, photography and text by working closely with creative leadership team
- Trained new writers in internal standards and identified any training needs to help each fully support team and business goals
- Collaborated with social and marketing teams to develop and execute consistent editorial voice across multiple platforms
- Hired, trained and provided daily direction for five employees
- Delegated and tracked each staff member's assignments and deadlines
Editorial Coordinator
ST. CHARLES COUNTY LIFESTYLE PUBLICATIONS
Saint Charles, Missouri
01.2019 - 03.2020
- Managed editorial operations, including all editorial staff, advertising clients and general operations
- Managed editorial calendar to prioritize workflow
- Led team of five staff writers in production of monthly news content for the magazine
- Edited all content submitted by freelance writing staff
- Supported the publisher and improved corporate visibility for the magazine
- Developed and produced copy based on publisher’s suggestions and recommendations, as well as corporate office best practices, in order to maintain consistency throughout the publication
- Managed advertising clients by ensuring deadlines were met; uploaded ads as needed and updated ad client status to the publisher.
Technical Editor
CERTIFICATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Heber, Utah
01.2015 - 05.2015
- Edited test questions and answers to ensure authenticity and that the questions reflected subject matter’s expertise, as well as aligned with clients’ best practices for incoming students
- Edited test-development questions and answers for Western Governor’s University (WGU)
- Ensured that questions and answers aligned to overall objective, as stated by WGU, and edited for grammar, punctuation, spelling and general sentence structure of various test questions
- Made recommendations to subject matter experts for corrections and/or to the review team in order to improve test questions and answers for WGU and potential graduate students.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism Radio-TV News
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
San Diego, CA 09.1984 - 05.1989
Skills
Media expertise
undefinedTimeline
Editorial Coordinator
ST. CHARLES COUNTY LIFESTYLE PUBLICATIONS
01.2019 - 03.2020
Editorial Director
11.2016 - Current
Technical Editor
CERTIFICATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES
01.2015 - 05.2015
Bachelor of Arts - Journalism Radio-TV News
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
09.1984 - 05.1989
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