My responsibilities as Communications Manager at Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) included the production of the organization’s newsletter, Forest Life, which was produced on a 6- to 12-month cycle while I was there.

In June and July 2019, I put together my second issue of Forest Life, improving the layout from prior versions. I did so in part by reducing the word count from the prior issue, leaving room for more images. (As with most non-profits, PFT’s base of supporters is not especially young; to make it more legible, I had hoped to reduce the word count even more in the next issue to allow for larger type.)

I also made the largest design modification to the newsletter that it’s had in recent years; I moved the image-based table of contents from the inside front cover to the back cover, in order to give recipients more reasons to open the booklet. As with the prior issue, I was able to quickly lay out a well-designed newsletter thanks to the original templates from Conscious Creative. I also chose a new printer/mailhouse, GreenerPrinter, and was very happy with the results: a noticeably crisper publication for a lower price (and mailed directly from their facility as well, which was much more efficient than using a separate printer and mailhouse).

View the newsletter page online. In addition to laying out the publication for print, I coordinated content and other editorial decisions with senior staff; created an overall outline with story assignments and a thumbnail mockup; source vendors; selected photos; conducted interviews; and wrote and edited content, including the final copy edit. The President/Co-CEO maintained a large amount of editorial oversight; she also contributed content, as did other staff and guest writers from time to time.