Reid Davis's Page

Title:

Owner

Company:

Tastemaker Communications

Media Type:

Publishing, eMedia, Service Provider

Media Realm:

Consumer Media, Business Media, Creative Agency

Home Region:

South

Past Companies & Brands

Paste Magazine, Delta Air Lines

I'm Looking For:

Networking, Jobs

Professional Background: (Resume)

OBJECTIVE: To provide value in a communications role by providing innovative ideas, an eye for top shelf writing and a mind for deadlines, processes and best practices.

EMPLOYMENT
June 2007-present
Owner, Tastemaker Communications
* Write artist bios and marketing materials for clients including Capitol Records, Manhattan Records and Epic Records
* Serve as managing editor of Georgia Music magazine, responsible for making assignments, arranging photography, overseeing magazine production, writing house copy and headlines and bringing in all content clean and on deadline
* Served as managing editor (2007-2008) of Risen magazine, responsible for gaining access to celebrities (in the worlds of music, film, fashion and sports) for inclusion in future issues, arranging photo shoots (hiring stylists and hair/makeup artists as necessary), and overseeing magazine production, with a significant role in copy editing and proofing
* Write speeches and communication materials for corporate and nonprofit clients (Delta Air Lines, Fringe Atlanta, etc.)
* Maintain active freelance status with Paste as that magazine’s only senior contributing writer
* Write freelance features and reviews for other clients, including WWD, ByFaith and Georgia Music

October 2005-June 2007
Managing Editor, Paste Magazine
* In addition to associate editor duties, managed all production deadlines and process flow; communicated deadlines to staff and kept work on track.
* Supervised magazine’s move from bimonthly to monthly publication on unchanged staff resources
* Created tracking system for page proofs and fact checking
* Instituted series of intermediate deadlines for staff while working cross-functionally to ensure workflows were coordinated
* Assigned, supervised and arranged art for some large features
* Worked closely with editor-in-chief to devise overall book roadmap for each issue, including ad placement
* Maintained responsibility for collecting and transmitting all third-party payment amounts to accounting; shared budgetary responsibility for content with editor-in-chief
* Exercised creative input in all aspects of the magazine, from cover choices and sell lines to special features and back-of-book columnists

March-October, 2005
Associate Editor, Paste Magazine
* Redesigned and re-imagined front-of-book “Scrapbook” section to be more reader-friendly, approachable and art-heavy
* Acted as section editor over Scrapbook, which included all assignments, first-look line editing, concepts and art
∑ Conceived and executed new section, “And Culture,” focusing on cultural endeavors beyond music and film
* Recruited new writers and columnists; listened to piles of new CDs per week and screened films regularly

October 2004-March 2005
Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications, Delta Air Lines
* Provided counsel to executives responsible for network management and pricing (where the airline flies and how much it charges)
* Wrote news releases, media messaging and employee messaging for new service announcements and major service changes

February 2003-October 2004
Manager, Corporate Communications, Delta Air Lines
* Provided communications counsel to executives responsible for cargo and airport customer service (divisions encompassing 18,000 employees)
* Wrote content for weekly executive conference calls
* Developed and executed communications strategy for technology initiatives which resulted in international media coverage
* Served on cross-functional team planning Dallas hub closure; crafted messages for employees and media

January 2000-February 2003
Representative/Sr. Representative, Corporate Communications, Delta Air Lines
* Wrote feature stories weekly for internal company magazine; worked directly with executives to have content approved
* Wrote, edited, Web-published and recorded daily company news updates (4-8 items per day)
* Planned and executed redesign of daily online news outlet based on employee survey input

October 1997-January 2000
Editor, ATL: The Airport Newspaper / Staff Writer, Clayton News Daily
* Covered aviation and business beats for suburban Atlanta county containing world’s busiest airport
* Wrote regular weekly column for both newspapers
* As editor of airport weekly, edited film reviewer and columnists, developed all story leads and ideas, wrote nearly all copy, took 4-6 publication-quality pictures and performed all page layout

AWARDS
For Paste: 2006 and 2007 GAMMAs for General Excellence, Best Single Issue, Grand GAMMA for year’s best (Magazine Association of the Southeast), 2008 National Magazine Award Nominee for General Excellence; Delta: Bronze Flame Award, Best Feature Writing (IABC); Clayton News Daily: Business Coverage Award (Georgia Press Association)

EDUCATION
1996-1997 Coursework in Journalism and PR, Georgia State University
1989-1993 B.A., Business Administration, Covenant College

Other Web Profile or Personal Web Site

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/1/316/277

Relationship Status:

Married