Resumes

Editorial Leader

Michael Chotiner
911 Davis Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912
michael.chotiner@gmail.com
202-306-5707

Summary
Hands-on editorial professional with more than 20 years leadership experience in Internet, magazines, books, audiovisual media, marketing communications and technical writing.  Strong project manager and process innovator. Versatile writer and excellent grammarian with a keen graphic sense and the full range of print, Internet and desktop publishing skills.

Professional Experience
Remodelingadvice.com, Remodeling Associates, LLC – July 2009 to present
Equity Partner, Director of Content

  • Designing and creating content for a consumer-facing Web site that leads users through the design and construction-management process for remodeling projects; scheduled to launch in December 2009
  • On-going production and management of content

Government Services Integrated Process Team, Lanham, MD – 2008 to 2009
Design Studio Product Manager

  • Led teams of architects and engineers in preparing RFPs on expedited schedules that resulted in successful bids for US Army and Navy construction projects
  • Led teams of architects and engineers in preparing parametric design reports for complex US Army development projects on expedited schedules to validate revised DoD 1391 budget allocations
  • Editor of NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 8800, Real Estate Management Program Implementation Manual
  • Lead writer of report to Congress, “Regarding NASA 2011 Deferred Maintenance Reduction Plan”
  • Created comprehensive manual of style for internal use by the firm’s technical writers and editors
  • Created training materials for firm’s project managers
  • Wrote and edited solicitation responses and proposals for new business

ebuild, Hanley-Wood, LLC; Washington, DC – 2000 to 2007
Director of Content

  • Designed a product classification system and managed content aggregation to launch an online catalog of homebuilding products with more than 300 categories and 300,000 product records
  • Designed a product selection system to enable users of the site to search using plain-language, generic specifications and find  products by brand, name and model number accompanied with images, descriptions, price information
  • Led redesign effort in 2007 by coordinating user focus-group feedback with input from information architects and GUI designers. Added new content categories, created wire frames reflecting new site architecture and wrote business requirements

Sumner Rider & Associates, New York, N.Y. – 1998 to 2000
Vice-president

  • Senior manager in public relations and marketing firm specializing in building products and building-related trade associations
  • Managed media relations and wrote press releases for the Allied Signal Corp., Copper Development Association, Fiberlux Windows, MAC Tools, Proto Industrial Tools, and Vidmar Storage Systems
  • Produced text and video content for client Web sites

Bob Vila’s American Home, Hearst Magazine Enterprises, New York – 1996 to 1998
Editor

  • Developed concept and managed editorial operations of celebrity-based magazine with special interests in traditional architecture, furnishings, and building crafts. Cited as one of the top 10 magazine launches of the year by MIN
  • Produced Bob Vila’s appearances on CBS news programs

Home Mechanix, Times Mirror Magazines, New York
Vice-president, Editor-in-Chief – 1991 to 1995

  • Repositioned and redesigned flagging 1 million-circ consumer magazine focused on home improvement and family cars. Supervised staff of 14
  • Strategic improvements lifted the title from eighth to third place among its corporate peers
  • Member of a corporate management team that planned and supported strategic marketing initiatives for advertising sales, circulation, manufacturing and franchise extensions

Executive Editor, 1989-1990

  • Day-to-day supervision of the editorial staff, including assignments, article development, content and production editing
  • Turned around habitually late, inefficient production system with improved planning and process improvements to achieve 100 percent on-time performance and improved quality

Homeowner, Family Media, New York
Managing Editor – 1987 to 1989

  • Overall editorial production responsibility for  a 750,000-circulation consumer magazine

Publications
Editor of:

  • Lighting & Electricity, Time-Life Books “Fix-it-Yourself” series, 1998
  • Major Appliances, Time-Life Books Fix-it-Yourself” series, 1997
  • Popular Mechanics Book of Home How-To, Wiley, 1989

Author of:

  • Building Crafts Series, TPC Publications, Chicago, 1981
  • Math for the Healthcare Worker, Activity Records, Baldwin, N.Y., 1980
  • Math for the Carpenter, Activity Records, 1980

Education

B.A., Comparative Literature, Rutgers University

Proficiencies

  • Project management
  • Writing in virtually any style and format, including narrative prose, outline-format technical text, proposals, magazine articles, optimized Web copy, blogs, marketing copy, audio and video scripts, presentations and speeches Designing, styling tables and charts
  • Line-editing, copyediting and proofreading
  • Keen eye for layout and graphics
  • SEO, Web analytics
  • Information architecture
  • Microsoft Word, including auto-formatting
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Reads architectural drawings
  • InDesign (some editing functions)
  • SpecsIntact
0 Comments on “Editorial Leader”