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Gary Larson

First Name
Gary
Last Name
Larson
Organization
retired
Which skills or areas of expertise are you willing to share?
Education and Training
Law and Public Service
Media and Publishing
Social Services and Non Profit
I am interested in working with schools in my area
Yes
What grade level would you or your organization work best with?
High School
Higher Education
What kind of availability do you or your organization have to offer?
Advisership (longer term commitment)
Mentorship (coffee or lunch, shorter time commitment)
Tutoring
Document Review (business or research plans)
Briefly describe the program, volunteer work, or partnerships you or your organization may offer.
I'm especially interested in providing volunteer guidance, support, instruction, and advice in writing and editing for a variety of purposes, publications, and organizations.

I have a special interest and knowledge in the use of plain language to produce clear, concise documents--and training writers and editors in plain-language principles.

I also have a special interest and knowledge in the development and use of editorial style and usage manuals to ensure consistency, clarity, and correctness in publications.
You have indicated an expertise in Education and Training
Public information officer/lead media planner (advised staff and taught clear-writing and news-media interviewing skills), King County, wastewater treatment utility

Senior editor (assigned and reviewed work for college interns in communications), King County Metro

Business communications instructor (document writing, editing), ITT Tukwila

Journalism instructor (news writing, reporting, editing, student newspaper adviser), Seattle Central Community College

Graduate teaching assistant (communications), University of Washington

Weekly newspaper editor (advised high school journalism students who wrote school news articles for the paper), Langley
You have indicated an expertise in Law and Public Service
Bachelor's degree in political science

30+ years' experience in communications, community relations, and marketing for local government (King County/Seattle transit and wastewater treatment agencies)

Work included writing and editing, project planning and management, publications production, news media relations, employee communications, staff supervision, marketing communications, lobbying, and event planning

Volunteer for Sierra Club (website management), Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility (communications), Washington State Nuclear Freeze Campaign (communications, leadership), and Democratic Party (communications, campaigns, board member, precinct committee officer)
You have indicated an expertise in Media and Publishing
Bachelor's degree in journalism; completed coursework for a master's degree in communications.

Besides relevant work experience described elsewhere in this form:
Staff writer/photographer, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Washington.
Editor, Whidbey Island Record, Langley, Washington.

Writing and editing--articles about schools, local government, police and fire departments, community activities and personalities for weekly and daily newspapers; ad copy, brochures, newsletters, news releases, speeches, and web pages about government proposals, decisions, projects, events and services; feature articles about human service agency clients, programs and fundraising; environmental and technical documents about construction, transportation and water-pollution-control projects.

Created and maintain a free online editorial style and usage manual: http://home.wavecable.com/~garblswritingcenter/stylemanual/index.htm

Publications production--planned, implemented and coordinated production of a weekly community newspaper and annual reports, brochures, displays, editorial style manuals, fact sheets, fliers, newsletters, postcards, posters and other materials for nonprofit and public agencies.

Plain language/plain English--developed information and advised staff on methods to make written materials clearer, more concise, more interesting, and easier to read, understand and use.
Created and maintain a free plain-language website: http://home.wavecable.com/~garblswritingcenter/plainlanguage/index.htm

News media relations--developed news media strategies and messages; wrote news releases and speeches; served as agency liaison with the news media; coordinated responses to news media questions; trained management and staff on news media relations.

Online communications--use social media to inform and influence individuals and groups; planned, designed and updated websites for public agencies and a professional organization.

Photography and graphic design--took pictures for newspapers and organizations; produced audiovisual programs for a nonprofit agency; designed newspaper pages and annual reports, brochures, newsletters, and other materials for nonprofit and public agencies. Active photographer for travel, community events, people, urban settings, landscapes, and scenics.

Marketing communications--created and placed advertising; managed development and implementation of graphic branding; managed advertising, graphic design, hardware-fabrication, and research consultants and consultants.
You have indicated an expertise in Social Services and Non Profit
Associate public relations director, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, Portland, Oregon--publications production, news media relations, photography, audiovisual programming. Later, for public agencies, workplace leader in employee-giving campaigns for Combined Charities and the United Way

Current volunteer for Skillmation (ninth-grade mentor), Friends of Fort Worden (board member, communications/marketing), and Centrum (summertime workshops and events)

Past volunteer for Port Townsend Community Orchestra (violin), Museum of Pop Culture, Seattle (customer information), Washington chapter of Sierra Club (website management), Seattle International Film Festival (customer service), Boys & Girls Clubs of King County (annual report editing and design), and International Association of Business Communicators, Pacific Northwest chapter (leadership)