Travis Silvas
Communications Manager
Charlotte,MI
Summary
Dedicated Communications Manager with 20-year progressive career across both internal and external communications. Offering excellent management and organizational skills to coordinate multiple, concurrent projects. Effective writer with talent for creating engaging content.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Communications Manager
Michigan State University Information Technology
East Lansing , MI
10.2019 - Current
- Provided communications support for multiple departments within the organization.
- Established and managed the employee engagement strategy for the organization.
- Launched and managed an annual employee awards program.
- Managed internal communications channels, including Microsoft Teams and SharePoint sites.
- Evaluated program effectiveness to determine return on investment.
- Supported multiple project teams through development and implementation of internal and external communication strategies.
Vice President and Editor
The County Journal
Charlotte, MI
01.2012 - 10.2019
- Increased company growth through collaboration with sales and editorial departments.
- Identified opportunities to improve business process flows and productivity.
- Hired and managed employees to maximize productivity while training staff on best practices and protocols.
- Identified and resolved issues between employees, promoting better collaboration and mutual respect.
Editor
The County Journal
Charlotte, MI
04.2006 - 10.2019
- Prepared, rewrote, and edited pieces to improve readability and impact.
- Determined readiness of written pieces, made changes, and approved final versions for publication.
- Reviewed articles for grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, accuracy, and compliance with AP standards.
- Checked reference sources to verify dates, facts and statistics.
- Paginated weekly publication to meet printing press deadlines.
- Processed images for publication.
- Updated website weekly with editorial content.
Associate Editor, Staff Writer
Lansing Community Newspapers
Charlotte, MI
01.2001 - 03.2006
- Worked with graphic artists, post-production team members and other specialists to produce captivating and successful content.
- Wrote and submitted accurate, engaging, and fact-checked stories.
- Monitored breaking news for information on incidents, events, and topics of interest to quickly assign coverage to staff.
- Reviewed articles for grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, accuracy, and compliance with quality standards.
Education
Physical Education
Olivet College
Olivet, MI 09.1999 - 05.2001
General Studies
Lansing Community College
Lansing, MI 09.1998 - 05.1999
Business Management
Aquinas College
Grand Rapids, MI 09.1996 - 05.1998
Skills
Communication planning
MS Office
Marketing strategy
Content Development
Teamwork and Collaboration
Written Communication
Timeline
Communications Manager
Michigan State University Information Technology
10.2019 - Current
Vice President and Editor
The County Journal
01.2012 - 10.2019
Editor
The County Journal
04.2006 - 10.2019
Associate Editor, Staff Writer
Lansing Community Newspapers
01.2001 - 03.2006
Physical Education
Olivet College
09.1999 - 05.2001
General Studies
Lansing Community College
09.1998 - 05.1999
Business Management
Aquinas College
09.1996 - 05.1998