Business Communications

The professional group I belong to is International Association of Business Communicators. IABC supports professionals in communicating roles by seminars, workshops, awards, and local dialogue.

On my business card it says I am "the write hand of leadership." That is because most of the writing I do professionally is to help people who make things happen explain what they are doing and why.

Strategizing and teamwork are very important in this process.

The late, brilliant, and generous good citizen Arthur Keating saw a way to save the historic SP train depot as a multi-modal transportation hub and cultural center. He auctioned off family art to hire landscape architects, architects, artists and me to develop his plan. He presented it in book form to the City Council in 1995. They endorsed the concept, bought the property, and you can see it restored today.

It also helps when a client has good connections.

Developer and philanthropist Bill Estes, Jr., was troubled by the gradual disappearance of red brick construction at his alma mater. We worked for two years on a letter to the University President, circulating versions to potential allies, and eventually secured a meeting with eight high level executive academics and two high-level donors who influence architecture on campus.

Often the job is to persuade the readers to take action. Debate and discourse have always been exciting to me, and when they can be tied to a glorious vision or a noble intention, the job is truly satisfying. See Hohokam School Grant Proposal

I've learned a few things over the years. One is, that press releases are as much about the reporter who sees them as about the subject they promote. Another is that final reports are really beginnings.

It's been fascinating to consult in so many different arenas, but I haven't always been an outsider. I have worked full time as a communicator for:

Tucson General Hospital
Tucson Public Library
Arizona Historical Society
The University of Arizona Extended University

This is where I learned the importance of what I call "foundational documents," the ones that tell the story of the enterprise, going back to the beginning. The essential question these address is not "What?" but "Why?"

In an environment that is rapidly changing and moving people around, institutional history and PURPOSE are too easily forgotten. Then it's the communicator's task to recall them. This kind of writing project defines core values, so puts everyone on the same page, and can be mined time and time again for brochures, websites, employee handbooks, and fundraising.