My short biography (for introductions)
Workshop Facilitation
- Created two-day workshops on web writing for one of the world's premier technology firms. We delivered the program to more than 200 communicators at five different locations worldwide and received excellent reviews in all locations.
- Developed two-day publication editing workshops for one of the world's largest defense firms. We delivered that program to more than 125 communicators in four locations in North America and received excellent reviews in all locations.
- Presented two-day writing programs via webinar, to the research and marketing teams of both a NASDAQ 100 technology consulting firm and a world-recognized management consulting firm.
Writing
- Traveled to more than 45 countries on five continents as a writer for the internal and external publications of IBM, AT&T, Whirlpool, Baxter Healthcare, United Technologies, John Deere, and Lincoln Electric,among many other companies.
- Helped write (and oversee the editing of) multiple responses to RFPs generated by a major technology consulting firm. The responses resulted in the securing of contracts worth more than $20 million for the firm.
- Crafted a 30-page document articulating the business community's support of a world-class urban-planning vision for a section of West Dallas adjacent to the Trinity River. The measure won unanimous approval by the Dallas City Council and the city is now implementing the plan.
Web Communications
- Developed an SAP implementation website for one of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers.
- Overhauled the content of the .com website of one of America's largest utility companies.
- Crafted strategic web and e-newsletter content that has helped propelled four Dallas city councilpersons, and one Dallas mayor, to victory.
Consulting
- Directed a social-media-based communication program designed to motivate 20-something professionals in Dallas to vote for a downtown convention center hotel. Although down in the polls early on by a 2-1 margin, the hotel referendum passed by 2.5 percent. More important, the mayor of Dallas cited our social media campaign as the primary contributor to the victory.
- Crafted a strategic employee communications campaign for the French subsidiary of a Fortune 100 beverage maker.
- Conducted benchmarking, and produced a report, for a Fortune 200 appliance manufacturer seeking a model for a worldwide employee magazine (many of my recommendations were adopted over the following three years).
- Guided a worldwide engineering association with the creation of content for touch-screens it used at trade exhibits worldwide.
Interesting Trivia
- Several crossword puzzles I have constructed have been purchased and published by The New York Times.
- I have written three mystery-thriller novels, Murder Becomes Manhattan, Murder Becomes Miami and Murder Becomes Mayfair. The books are found, under my nom de plume Jeffrey Eaton, at murderbecomes.com
- I was my school's spelling bee champion three years running. The final year I competed, I lost at the city level to the speller who went on to win the National Spelling Bee that year.
- As a corporate writer, I have interviewed France's leading heart surgeon, the CEO of the state oil company of Argentina and a former prime minister of New Zealand.
- I have received the highest honor bestowed by the Dallas chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators — the Communicator of the Year Award.