Eric Minton

Writer | Editor | Editorial Project Manager

www.ericminton.com

eric@ericminton.com

A journalist skilled in interviewing, storytelling, and copy editing; dedicated to thorough research and accuracy; experienced with word processing, graphic design, photography, and website publishing

A writer whose work has appeared in more than 100 newspapers, magazines, textbooks, and government, trade, and association publications

An editor who approaches stories with respect for both the writer and the audience and who mentors as he strives for the highest standards for the end product

A project manager whose success relies on clear vision, solid strategic planning, the agility to adjust to circumstances, cost-efficient resource management, and a commitment to continuous process improvement

Being married to a U.S. Air Force officer, I pursued my career with freelance assignments and contract work while moving to 10 locations over 30 years of my wife's career. This explains what could be perceived as employment gaps.

EDITORIAL PROJECT MANAGER

Senior Advisor, Veteran and Partner Outreach
Vietnam War Commemoration, Arlington, Virginia, April 2022 to July 2023

• Team leader for “Welcome Home,” May 11-13, 2023, on The National Mall in Washington, D.C., a national effort marking the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary by honoring and thanking Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice 
• Planned and executed “Camp Legacy” featuring 98 participating exhibitors and 26 performances and programs 
• Served as Mayor running the Mayor’s Cell overseeing operations of Camp Legacy and the concert venue
• Promoted “Welcome Home!” through published articles and grassroots correspondence 

National Commission Editor

• National Commission on Military Aviation Safety, Arlington, Virginia, May 2019 to March 2021

• National Commission on the Future of the Army, Arlington, Virginia, June 2015 to April 2016*

• National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force, Arlington, Virginia, June 2013 to April 2014

• Herded each commissions' final report from composition to publication 
• Documented the commissioners' activities and deliberations to create a final report with a consistent voice representing all members of the Commission
• Built consensus among commissioners on structure, themes, and narrative tone
• Provided and coordinated written contributions to the report and edited all content
• Oversaw design, layout, content proofing, procurement of printer, and press proofs
• Designed and managed each commissions' website
• Participated in site visits to military installations and commercial enterprises, conducting and documenting meetings
• As Chief of Outreach for the Structure of the Air Force Commission, wrote press releases and articles, produced the media kit, and edited Commission correspondence to members of Congress and media outlets

*Awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service for "exemplary leadership, commitment, and managerial ability"

Editor-in-Chief

Reserve Officers Association of the United States, Washington, D.C., January 2006 to July 2010* (interim editor April–July and November–December 2012; April 2019 to October 2020)

• Published The Officer, a 10-issues-per-year, four-color, glossy magazine
• Managed a global team of writers, editors, and designers
• Coordinated and edited all content, wrote articles, took photographs, and laid out department pages
• Redesigned the magazine from a grip-and-grin fraternal publication to a professional journal covering national security issues
• Cut the magazine's production costs by 30 percent withou losing page count or quality through efficient use of resources, streamlining production, transitioning to virtual proofing, embracing new shipping technology, and contracting with a new printer
• Led the association's relaunch of its publication in 2019 as the Reserve Voice Magazine, a
  biannual product

*Awarded the Reserve Officers Association Chairman's Special Award 2008, for "taking charge of all aspects of The Officer Magazine and providing ROA and the membership a high quality, professional magazine"

Copy Editor

Institute of Land Warfare, Association of the U.S. Army, Arlington, Virginia, May 2004 to December 2005

• Edited scholastic papers and policy position briefs
• Planned, wrote, and edited Profile of the U.S. Army–A Reference Handbook
• Edited annual Fiscal Year Army Budget–An Analysis
• Edited and designed Your Soldier Your Army: A Parents' Guide by Vicki Cody, distributed through Army Family Support Centers
• Coordinated effort to accomplish a heavier-than-usual publication schedule for the association's annual meeting

Freelance Project Manager

President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, Washington, D.C.

• The Disability Messenger: A Guide to Disability Coverage for journalists, 1999
• Ready, Willing, & Available: A Business Guide to Improving Your Workforce by Hiring People with Disabilities, 1997

Midwest Living, Des Moines, Iowa,

• Michigan Travel Ideas, 1998

Off Duty: The Military Leisuretime Magazine, Costa Mesa, California

• Off Duty National Guard/Reserve special editions, 1992 and 1995
• Off Duty Welcome to Britain Guide, 1989 and 1990

Horizon: The Magazine of the Arts, Tuscaloosa, Alabama,

• "Oklahoma: Crossroads of the arts," guide to the state's theaters, music and dance companies, festivals, museums, and galleries, September 1984

WRITER & EDITOR

Freelance Journalist, June 1984 to present

• Published more than 1,200 assigned articles* in 104 magazines and newspapers
• Primary topics include the U.S. military, theatrical arts, amusement industry, disability rights, assistive technology, photography, disaster preparation, travel, music, and sports
• Provided editing services to Midwest Living magazine, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, and the Employment Committee of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Planning Council

*Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Subject Related Series of Articles, 1999, Swimming Pool/Spa Age Special Report "Is Our Water Safe?"; National Easter Seal Society EDI (Equality, Dignity, Independence) Award for Print Journalism, 1995, Hemispheres article "Implementing A Can-Do Attitude"

Founding Editorial Director

Shakespeareances.com, May 2011 to present

• Designed a website dedicated to Shakespeare in performance and his ongoing pop culture relevance
• Write reviews of Shakespearean theater productions, films, and books and commentaries on Shakespeare's portrayal of 21st century life
• Conduct and post interviews of Shakespeare practitioners
• Manage a global list of Shakespeare productions (Bard on the Boards) and a section devoted to theater news
• Completed the Shakespeare Canon Project: 42 Plays, 42 Theaters, One Year (2018), chronicled in an online journal

THE LOOP at www.gettheloop.com, January 2001 to October 2003

• Designed and produced a biweekly, online, business-to-business newsletter for the amusement industry
• Wrote news articles and commentary on the business side of rides and attractions
• Directed a team that included a production manager, copy editor, and advertising sales
• Built an international readership from about 700 to more than 15,000 visitors per issue
• Attended thrill ride debuts and rode prototypes in manufacturers' parking lots
• Featured on television documentaries and radio talk shows as a theme park expert

Assistant City Editor

Anderson (South Carolina) Independent-Mail, June 1989 to May 1992

• Managed the city desk during evening deadline hours for two-edition daily newspaper
• Directed 10 reporters in the newsroom and two bureaus plus a corps of stringers
• Edited all local copy
• Wrote special reports, news features, and commentaries as special-assignment reporter

Staff Writer

Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, May to November 1984

• Wrote brochures, magazine features, and press releases
• Provided the "Mini-Trip" column for The Oklahoman newspaper
• Edited Oklahoma Tour Planners Resource Manual and wrote its "Escort Notes"

Publicity Director

Oklahoma Theater Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, January to December 1983

• Planned and executed publicity and marketing campaigns for the theater and its
  individual productions
• Wrote press releases and feature articles on the plays, directors, and cast members
• Provided community outreach for the theater, including speaking engagements and
  television appearances

Copy Editor and Entertainment Correspondent

The Oklahoman and Oklahoma City Times, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, February 1982 to January 1983

• Edited copy and laid out pages for neighborhood sections of both daily newspapers
• Interviewed touring recording artists and covered concerts

The Sun and Daily Herald, Biloxi, Mississippi, September 1980 to February 1982

• Edited copy and designed pages on sports and universal copy desks for morning newspaper
• Wrote profiles on musicians and reviewed concerts for weekly entertainment magazine

PUBLIC SERVICE

President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, Communications Subcommittee, 1997–2001

• Served as Associate Editor of The Disability Messenger and as chair of the task force that revised and redesigned Ready, Willing, & Available
• Served as scholarship essay judge

Military Spouse, U.S. Air Force, March 1982 to October 2008

• As the commander's spouse for three military units—93rd Maintenance Squadron, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; 355th Maintenance Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; and Defense Distribution Depot Hill, Utah—conducted and participated in outreach and morale programs for the military community
• Served as spouse liaison during 93rd Maintenance Squadron deployment: Provided family members with information and updates on deployed servicemembers and coordinated support for families in need

EDUCATION

• Master of Humanities in Disability Studies at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, with thesis on "Cinematic Images of People with Disabilities and Native Americans: A Comparative Study"
• Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, major in magazine journalism with a broad liberal arts curriculum

ARTICLES APPEARED IN THESE PUBLICATIONS

American Nurseryman
Amusement Today
Anderson (S.C.) Independent-Mail
Armed Forces Network TV Guide
Arthritis Today
Automated Builder
Automotive Executive (National Automobile Dealers Association)
Biloxi (Miss.) Sun-Herald Marquee
Bird Talk
Bordentown (N.J.) Register-News
British Heritage
Business and Health
Business Radio
Career Pilot
Careers and the DisABLED
Cats Magazine
Charlotte
Cheklist: The International Magazine for Check Cashers
China, Glass, and Tableware
Christian Retailing
Columbia Missourian Vibrations
Corrections Forum
The Crafts Report: The Business Journal
for the Crafts Industry
Credit Union News
Delta Sky Magazine (Delta Airlines)
Dental Economics
Disability.gov (U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy)
Diversion: For Physicians at Leisure
Dog Fancy
Dramatics
Eastern Aftermarket Journal
EEO Bimonthly: Equal Employment Opportunity Career Journal
The Engravers Journal
Fabricator (National Ornamental and Miscellaneous Metals Association)
Fairs and Expositions (International Association of Fairs and Expositions)
Family Entertainment Center Magazine (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions)
Fire-Rescue Magazine
Freizeit Professional  
Funworld (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions)
Games Magazine      
Geico Direct
Good Housekeeping
Graduating Engineer
The Growing Edge: Indoor and Outdoor Gardening for Today's Grower
Hemispheres (United Airlines)
High Technology Careers
Home Lighting and Accessories
Horizon: The Magazine of the Arts
Idea Today, Fitness Professionals
Independent Living Provider
Industrial Fabric Products Review
Industrial Management (Institute of Industrial Engineers)
Insurance Review
Interior Landscape
Jam: The Music Magazine
JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services
Los Angeles Times
The Meeting Professional
Midwest Living
Military History
Military Times Media Group
Modern Maturity
MPC World: The Magazine for Mail and Parcel Centers
National Cattlemen
New Mobility
Newsday
North Georgia Journal
Occupational Health and Safety
Off Duty: The Military Leisuretime Magazine
The Officer (Reserve Officers Association)
Oklahoma Gazette
The Oklahoman and Oklahoma City Times
Pet Age
Pizza Today
Planning (American Planning Association)
Popular Science
Professional Photographer (Professional Photographers of America)
Psychology Today
R&R Entertainment Digest
R&R in Britain
Records Management Quarterly
Remodeling News
Reservist, U.S. Coast Guard
The Retired Officer/Military Officer (Military Officers Organization of America)
Sandlapper: The Magazine of South Carolina
Screenplay: For Garment Graphics
Signs of the Times
Splash Magazine
Sporting Goods Dealer
Sports Parade Magazine
Sunward
Swimming Pool/Spa Age
Textile World
Today's Home Healthcare Provider
Today's Officer
Today's Pawnbroker
Tour and Travel News
Travel-Holiday
Turf
Utility Construction and Maintenance
Vocational Biographies
WestMuse (Western Museums Association)
Woman Engineer
Workforce Diversity