Josh Feit
Seattle,WA
Summary
To work at the City of Seattle under the leadership of our newly-elected Mayor Katie Wilson
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Speechwriter, Writer
Sound Transit
02.2018 - Current
- Writing speeches, letters, and public-facing communications for Sound Transit leadership.
- Skilled at crafting narratives on the benefits of transit, density, and equity
Co-founder, Editor, Reporter, Columnist
PubliCola
01.2009 - Current
- Established PubliCola’s editorial voice, building its reputation as an indispensable source of local news and editorial commentary; PubliCola was an innovative, media pioneer as the first online-only publication in Washington state history credentialed to cover the state legislature
- Reported on state and local civic affairs, homelessness, housing, land use, transit, and police accountability.
Speechwriter
Seattle Mayor’s Office
01.2017 - 12.2017
- Speechwriter in high-speed, policy-driven Mayor’s office
- Translated policy shop’s complex subject matter expertise into compelling narratives
News Editor
Seattle Met
01.2012 - 12.2017
- Reported and wrote in-depth magazine features, including the definitive piece on Seattle's $15 minimum wage campaign
- Directed the magazines local politics coverage, including a push to feature more women and people of color
News Editor, Reporter, Columnist
the Stranger
01.1999 - 12.2008
- Helped transform a largely pop-culture newspaper into a critical local news outlet, building and leading a dedicated news team
- Established the paper’s reputation, particularly as an influential voice during local election season
- Blended credible news coverage with an engaging, alt-weekly voice
Reporter
Willamette Week
01.1996 - 12.1998
- Award-winning coverage of labor issues, including an investigative feature on Nike's exploitive practices overseas
- Dogged coverage of Enron's mismanagement of Portland's public utility.
Education
BA -
Oberlin College
MA - Communications
American University
Skills
- Speechwriting and public-policy communications, particularly on urban policy, land use, housing, and transit
- Reporting and investigative journalism
- Editorial leadership, media entrepreneurship
- Creative writing
- Translating technical policy into compelling narratives for a general audience
Awards
- Several first-place Society of Professional Journalists’ awards for magazine reporting, general news reporting, and feature writing.
- Author of two city planning poetry books: Shops Close Too Early (Cathexis NW Press, 2022) and The Night of Electric Bikes (Finishing Line Press, 2023).
- Several poetry awards, including a Vallum Poetry award for the poem 'Linger Factor' based on SDOT’s 2018 Public Life Study.
Timeline
Speechwriter, Writer
Sound Transit
02.2018 - Current
Speechwriter
Seattle Mayor’s Office
01.2017 - 12.2017
News Editor
Seattle Met
01.2012 - 12.2017
Co-founder, Editor, Reporter, Columnist
PubliCola
01.2009 - Current
News Editor, Reporter, Columnist
the Stranger
01.1999 - 12.2008
Reporter
Willamette Week
01.1996 - 12.1998
BA -
Oberlin College
MA - Communications
American University