Developing an effective publication, on time and within budget, requires a systematic approach. We developed PubMasterSM to help project managers show clients exactly where their project was going. It’s our road map to the process, and we encourage clients to familiarize themselves with PubMaster, especially the steps that require their active participation.
Who we are.
Below are profiles of Magnificent Publications’ key staff and some of the many publications professionals with whom we collaborate.
Suzanne Harris founded Magnificent Publications, Inc., in 1995. She previously managed projects for a social marketing firm and an economic and public policy consulting firm. Her earlier work was in journalism and in university fund-raising. Ms. Harris holds degrees from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, George Washington University, and the University of Chicago.
Alec Hanley Bemis has published in LA Weekly, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and the LA Times, and worked at the marketing consultancy Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve. He holds a degree from Yale University, where he received prizes in both fiction and nonfiction.
Ruth Tenzer Feldman is a lawyer whose writing experience includes prizewinning articles and books for children and young adults on history, government, and science. Formerly a legislative attorney with the U.S. Department of Education, Ms. Feldman holds degrees from the American University Washington College of Law and the University of Pennsylvania.
Joshua Malbin writes, edits, and serves as senior rapporteur, covering meetings on neighborhood revitalization, international development, and many other topics. He holds degrees from Yale University (environmental and biological sciences) and the Johns Hopkins University, where he has also taught.
Jenny Warden’s specialties include financial planning, biotechnology, and telecommunications. She has worked for McKinsey & Company, COMSAT Corporation,the American Red Cross, and other major corporate and nonprofit organizations. She holds degrees from Purdue, UCLA, the University of Strasbourg, and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Jason Warshof writes, edits, and serves as rapporteur. A senior copy editor and production manager for client publications, he has also written book reviews for publications including The Jerusalem Report, San Francisco Chronicle, and Financial Times. Mr. Warshof holds degrees from Cornell University and the Johns Hopkins University.
Collaborating Professionals
Brian Adams/Big Fish Design has conceptualized and designed publications and Web sites for clients including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Public Health Service, Price Waterhouse, Celera, Hughes Network Systems, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Virginia Department of Health. He holds a degree from Virginia Polytechnic and State University. www.bigfishpond.com
Mitchell Albala has been a designer and illustrator since 1980. He began his career specializing in hand lettering, logos, and technical illustration, then branched out into graphic design and Web site design. He often writes about art and design and teaches at several leading institutions in Seattle. www.StudioPerspectives.com/design
Debby Berlyne, PhD, is a medical writer and editor with more than twenty years of experience in such diverse areas as cancer, diabetes, epidemiology, health services research, mental illness, organ transplant, and substance abuse. She has also written on government management and education-related topics, including child and adolescent development research and standardized test development.
Kenneth Bredemeier has more than 40 years of experience in journalism. He has written extensively for the Washington Post, and has held editing positions at the Post and the Chicago Tribune. He holds a B.A. in journalism and an M.A. in American History from Indiana University.
Ken Bresler is a graduate of Harvard Law School and principal of the Clear Writing Co. He specializes in explaining law and finance in plain English. His clients have included Harvard Law School’s Legal Services Center, Citizens Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and FreeTaxPrep.com. He is the author of dozens of articles and a book Kissing Legalese Goodbye. www.clearwriting.net
Michael Chotiner has served as a Director of Content, Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Director, and Managing Editor for companies including Times Mirror Magazines, Hearst, and Sumner Rider & Associates, with experience in both print and online work. He worked for ebuild.com for eight years, managing content and data development for online residential building products databases. Mr. Chotiner holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Rutgers University.
Sara Cormeny is the founder and principal of paperlantern.com, a Web design firm that focuses on personalized service and meticulous attention to detail. She has been an online producer for washingtonpost.com, where she participated in Post’s first news website, and has also worked for the Public Citizen Litigation Group, The Freedom Forum, and KPMG. Ms. Cormeny holds a degree from Brandeis University.
David Francis is a writer and editor who has written for the Christian Science Monitor, Foreign Policy magazine, the Washington Monthly, the San Francisco Chronicle, and other publications. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and is completing his graduate degree in international affairs at Georgetown University.
Ann D. Getman APR, principal of Getman Strategic Communications, is a public relations counselor. She has an MA in sociology and twenty-five years of experience as a strategist and writer for professional service and consumer businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies. Ms. Getman is accredited in public relations, a member of Counselors Academy, and was awarded the Diane Davis Beacon Award for lifetime achievement in Public Relations in 2008. She teaches graduate courses at Northeastern University in PR Research and Marketing Nonprofit Organizations. www.getmanpr.com
Gabe Goldberg is a writer, consultant, and recognized authority on the effective use of the Internet. He has written about technology for The Washington Post; an IBM technology journal for senior managers and executives; several boomers/seniors-oriented publications and Web sites; and the Editorial Eye, a publication for professional writers and editors. He also co-edited three McGraw-Hill technology books.
Linda R. Harteker is a writer and editor specializing in education, science, and health communications. She has more than thirty years’ experience writing and editing for clients that include the National Science Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Council on Library and Information Resources, and federal health agencies. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.
Randi Henderson, an accomplished freelance writer, specializes in medicine and health. Her work ranges from precise clinical stories to abstract discussions of the impact of managed care. Ms. Henderson has written for diverse clients including the John Hopkins Medical Institutions, the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and the Baltimore Orioles. She holds a degree from Syracuse University.
Ellen Hoffman is a writer and editorial consultant specializing in retirement and personal finance issues. A former Washington Post reporter, she has written often for the AARP Bulletin and is the author of AARP “core publications” on Social Security, job-hunting, and age discrimination, as well as articles for Money, BusinessWeek, and Better Choices for Living After 50.
Greg Johannesen has managed Johannesen Illustration & Design since 1991. Mr. Johannesen uses both digital and traditional media to create editorial and advertising illustrations. Clients include The Martin Agency, The Terry Group, OmniStudio, and Dynamic Consulting. His work has been published in Virginia Trial Lawyers, Virginia Business, and Metro Weekly. www.onepixelshort.com
Josh Kamensky is a freelance communications consultant in Los Angeles. He served as director of communications to Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti and has provided communications strategy and worked on publications for many progressive nonprofit organizations. He holds a degree from Yale University.
Daniel Kohan is the owner of Sensical Design & Communication, a publication design firm serving primarily nonprofit and financial sector clients including Kiplinger, AARP, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, ICMA-RC and others. Dan is vice president of the DC chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design. He has a BA from Yale University and studied at the School of Visual Arts. www.sensicaldesign.com
Hillel Kuttler is a communications consultant who provides editorial expertise to corporate, public relations, and nonprofit clients, with a special emphasis on diplomacy and medicine. His features and news articles have appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, People, the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore magazine, the National Law Journal, and many industry magazines and Jewish newspapers.
Lise Lingo is a writer and editor who specializes in presenting complex subjects to lay audiences. She has managed publications for a professional medical association and salvaged unreadable reports for think tanks in both international and urban development. She is the author of a social studies book for middle schoolers on living in maritime environments, and a graduate of Middlebury College.
Taina Litwak is a Board Certified Medical Illustrator. Her many clients include the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, numerous law firms, and Science News. She was formerly staff illustrator with the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit at the Smithsonian Institution. www.litwakillustration.com
Rachel Monroe has worked for Bridge Magazine and the Huffington Post as a writer, editor, and fact-checker. In 2006, she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct research on the changing role of women’s literacy in Morocco. She holds a degree from Pomona College and is currently a graduate student in the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars.
Diane Ney, a writer and editor, has written numerous books related to travel, historical sites, and family entertainment. She is an award-winning playwright who has had five plays produced by the BBC and three plays published, and is Washington correspondent for the London-based magazine Plays International. She is a graduate of Iowa State University.
Gail Peck is an award-winning graphic designer with over twenty years of experience on a range of projects from marketing collateral to educational publications. Clients have included The Washington Post, the Marriott Corporation, and the U.S. Department of Energy. She is president of Peck Studios, Inc. www.peckstudios.net
Brian Platzer is an award-winning essayist and editor who has worked for publications as diverse as Parade magazine in New York and L’Officiel in Paris. He received a BA from Columbia and an MFA from the Johns Hopkins University, where he taught writing, literature, and public speaking.
Paul Rockower is a journalist and researcher and writes for the Jerusalem Post. He previously served as press officer for the consulate general of Israel, directing media and public diplomacy outreach across the five-state Southwest region, and was also a research assistant for Harvard University’s “Children of Abraham” project. Mr. Rockower holds a degree from Brandeis University.
Julia Ross is a writer and editor specializing in health care, environmental issues, and international development, and has served as a communications officer for USAID-funded health projects. Her articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Time, and many other publications. She holds degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. www.juliaross.info
Matthew Smith is a writer and published poet. He has taught writing at the Johns Hopkins University, and has worked as a freelance writer and private tutor. Mr. Smith holds degrees from the University of Georgia and the Johns Hopkins University.
Elizabeth Stillman received National Institutes of Health Plain Language Awards two years in a row for her ability to translate complex science and medical concepts into lay language. She writes about health topics including arthritis, mental health, women’s health, and complementary and alternative medicine.
Henry Stimpson founded Stimpson Communications, a public relations and marketing communications firm, in 1984. A widely published writer, he holds the Public Relations Society of America’s Accredited in Public Relations (APR) designation, and degrees from Boston University and Simmons College.
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter is an award-winning freelance writer, editor, and desktop publisher. She has been published in the newsletters, magazines, and Web sites of associations, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Ms. Thaler-Carter also is co-owner of Communication Central, a business that provides colleagues with seminars, workshops, and an annual conference. www.writerruth.com
Dana Trevas provides meeting coverage and “real-time reporting.” Her clients include the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and the National Biodefense Science Board. Ms. Trevas is also a freelance writer and editor, certified by the American Medical Writers Association.
Daniel Volin has taught writing as an adjunct professor and teaching fellow at Johns Hopkins University, and as a volunteer teaching underprivileged children and mentoring students. Mr. Volin holds degrees from Johns Hopkins, Creighton University, and Rockhurst University.
Joe Watson is the founder and principal of Saremo, a design firm in Cleveland, Ohio. He started his career working at American Greetings and other Cleveland-based design firms before founding his own company in 2001. He is passionate about combining the power of intelligent strategy with the impact of creative execution. Mr. Watson currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Cleveland chapter of AIGA: The Professional Association for Design. www.saremo.com
Paula Tarnapol Whitacre writes about education, the environment, and health. She started her company, Full Circle Communications, in 1996 after directing communications for a forestry association and an international development project. Her clients include the National Institutes of Health, the Division on Earth & Life Sciences at the National Academy of Sciences, and Resources for the Future. www.fullcircle.org
About Us
How we manage projects.
To learn what to expect during a publications or Web content development project, please read Magnificent Publications’ client information. A short summary of the process appears as 10 questions to ask your communications consultant.
Developing an effective publication, on time and within budget, requires a systematic approach. We developed PubMasterSM to help project managers show clients exactly where their project was going. It’s our road map to the process, and we encourage clients to familiarize themselves with PubMaster, especially the steps that require their active participation.
Who we are.
Below are profiles of Magnificent Publications’ key staff and some of the many publications professionals with whom we collaborate.
Suzanne Harris founded Magnificent Publications, Inc., in 1995. She previously managed projects for a social marketing firm and an economic and public policy consulting firm. Her earlier work was in journalism and in university fund-raising. Ms. Harris holds degrees from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, George Washington University, and the University of Chicago.
Alec Hanley Bemis has published in LA Weekly, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and the LA Times, and worked at the marketing consultancy Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve. He holds a degree from Yale University, where he received prizes in both fiction and nonfiction.
Ruth Tenzer Feldman is a lawyer whose writing experience includes prizewinning articles and books for children and young adults on history, government, and science. Formerly a legislative attorney with the U.S. Department of Education, Ms. Feldman holds degrees from the American University Washington College of Law and the University of Pennsylvania.
Joshua Malbin writes, edits, and serves as senior rapporteur, covering meetings on neighborhood revitalization, international development, and many other topics. He holds degrees from Yale University (environmental and biological sciences) and the Johns Hopkins University, where he has also taught.
Jenny Warden’s specialties include financial planning, biotechnology, and telecommunications. She has worked for McKinsey & Company, COMSAT Corporation,the American Red Cross, and other major corporate and nonprofit organizations. She holds degrees from Purdue, UCLA, the University of Strasbourg, and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Jason Warshof writes, edits, and serves as rapporteur. A senior copy editor and production manager for client publications, he has also written book reviews for publications including The Jerusalem Report, San Francisco Chronicle, and Financial Times. Mr. Warshof holds degrees from Cornell University and the Johns Hopkins University.
Collaborating Professionals
Brian Adams/Big Fish Design has conceptualized and designed publications and Web sites for clients including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Public Health Service, Price Waterhouse, Celera, Hughes Network Systems, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Virginia Department of Health. He holds a degree from Virginia Polytechnic and State University. www.bigfishpond.com
Mitchell Albala has been a designer and illustrator since 1980. He began his career specializing in hand lettering, logos, and technical illustration, then branched out into graphic design and Web site design. He often writes about art and design and teaches at several leading institutions in Seattle. www.StudioPerspectives.com/design
Debby Berlyne, PhD, is a medical writer and editor with more than twenty years of experience in such diverse areas as cancer, diabetes, epidemiology, health services research, mental illness, organ transplant, and substance abuse. She has also written on government management and education-related topics, including child and adolescent development research and standardized test development.
Kenneth Bredemeier has more than 40 years of experience in journalism. He has written extensively for the Washington Post, and has held editing positions at the Post and the Chicago Tribune. He holds a B.A. in journalism and an M.A. in American History from Indiana University.
Ken Bresler is a graduate of Harvard Law School and principal of the Clear Writing Co. He specializes in explaining law and finance in plain English. His clients have included Harvard Law School’s Legal Services Center, Citizens Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and FreeTaxPrep.com. He is the author of dozens of articles and a book Kissing Legalese Goodbye. www.clearwriting.net
Michael Chotiner has served as a Director of Content, Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Director, and Managing Editor for companies including Times Mirror Magazines, Hearst, and Sumner Rider & Associates, with experience in both print and online work. He worked for ebuild.com for eight years, managing content and data development for online residential building products databases. Mr. Chotiner holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Rutgers University.
Sara Cormeny is the founder and principal of paperlantern.com, a Web design firm that focuses on personalized service and meticulous attention to detail. She has been an online producer for washingtonpost.com, where she participated in Post’s first news website, and has also worked for the Public Citizen Litigation Group, The Freedom Forum, and KPMG. Ms. Cormeny holds a degree from Brandeis University.
David Francis is a writer and editor who has written for the Christian Science Monitor, Foreign Policy magazine, the Washington Monthly, the San Francisco Chronicle, and other publications. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and is completing his graduate degree in international affairs at Georgetown University.
Ann D. Getman APR, principal of Getman Strategic Communications, is a public relations counselor. She has an MA in sociology and twenty-five years of experience as a strategist and writer for professional service and consumer businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies. Ms. Getman is accredited in public relations, a member of Counselors Academy, and was awarded the Diane Davis Beacon Award for lifetime achievement in Public Relations in 2008. She teaches graduate courses at Northeastern University in PR Research and Marketing Nonprofit Organizations. www.getmanpr.com
Gabe Goldberg is a writer, consultant, and recognized authority on the effective use of the Internet. He has written about technology for The Washington Post; an IBM technology journal for senior managers and executives; several boomers/seniors-oriented publications and Web sites; and the Editorial Eye, a publication for professional writers and editors. He also co-edited three McGraw-Hill technology books.
Linda R. Harteker is a writer and editor specializing in education, science, and health communications. She has more than thirty years’ experience writing and editing for clients that include the National Science Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Council on Library and Information Resources, and federal health agencies. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.
Randi Henderson, an accomplished freelance writer, specializes in medicine and health. Her work ranges from precise clinical stories to abstract discussions of the impact of managed care. Ms. Henderson has written for diverse clients including the John Hopkins Medical Institutions, the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and the Baltimore Orioles. She holds a degree from Syracuse University.
Ellen Hoffman is a writer and editorial consultant specializing in retirement and personal finance issues. A former Washington Post reporter, she has written often for the AARP Bulletin and is the author of AARP “core publications” on Social Security, job-hunting, and age discrimination, as well as articles for Money, BusinessWeek, and Better Choices for Living After 50.
Greg Johannesen has managed Johannesen Illustration & Design since 1991. Mr. Johannesen uses both digital and traditional media to create editorial and advertising illustrations. Clients include The Martin Agency, The Terry Group, OmniStudio, and Dynamic Consulting. His work has been published in Virginia Trial Lawyers, Virginia Business, and Metro Weekly. www.onepixelshort.com
Josh Kamensky is a freelance communications consultant in Los Angeles. He served as director of communications to Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti and has provided communications strategy and worked on publications for many progressive nonprofit organizations. He holds a degree from Yale University.
Daniel Kohan is the owner of Sensical Design & Communication, a publication design firm serving primarily nonprofit and financial sector clients including Kiplinger, AARP, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, ICMA-RC and others. Dan is vice president of the DC chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design. He has a BA from Yale University and studied at the School of Visual Arts. www.sensicaldesign.com
Hillel Kuttler is a communications consultant who provides editorial expertise to corporate, public relations, and nonprofit clients, with a special emphasis on diplomacy and medicine. His features and news articles have appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, People, the Baltimore Sun, Baltimore magazine, the National Law Journal, and many industry magazines and Jewish newspapers.
Lise Lingo is a writer and editor who specializes in presenting complex subjects to lay audiences. She has managed publications for a professional medical association and salvaged unreadable reports for think tanks in both international and urban development. She is the author of a social studies book for middle schoolers on living in maritime environments, and a graduate of Middlebury College.
Taina Litwak is a Board Certified Medical Illustrator. Her many clients include the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, numerous law firms, and Science News. She was formerly staff illustrator with the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit at the Smithsonian Institution. www.litwakillustration.com
Rachel Monroe has worked for Bridge Magazine and the Huffington Post as a writer, editor, and fact-checker. In 2006, she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct research on the changing role of women’s literacy in Morocco. She holds a degree from Pomona College and is currently a graduate student in the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars.
Diane Ney, a writer and editor, has written numerous books related to travel, historical sites, and family entertainment. She is an award-winning playwright who has had five plays produced by the BBC and three plays published, and is Washington correspondent for the London-based magazine Plays International. She is a graduate of Iowa State University.
Gail Peck is an award-winning graphic designer with over twenty years of experience on a range of projects from marketing collateral to educational publications. Clients have included The Washington Post, the Marriott Corporation, and the U.S. Department of Energy. She is president of Peck Studios, Inc. www.peckstudios.net
Brian Platzer is an award-winning essayist and editor who has worked for publications as diverse as Parade magazine in New York and L’Officiel in Paris. He received a BA from Columbia and an MFA from the Johns Hopkins University, where he taught writing, literature, and public speaking.
Paul Rockower is a journalist and researcher and writes for the Jerusalem Post. He previously served as press officer for the consulate general of Israel, directing media and public diplomacy outreach across the five-state Southwest region, and was also a research assistant for Harvard University’s “Children of Abraham” project. Mr. Rockower holds a degree from Brandeis University.
Julia Ross is a writer and editor specializing in health care, environmental issues, and international development, and has served as a communications officer for USAID-funded health projects. Her articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Time, and many other publications. She holds degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. www.juliaross.info
Matthew Smith is a writer and published poet. He has taught writing at the Johns Hopkins University, and has worked as a freelance writer and private tutor. Mr. Smith holds degrees from the University of Georgia and the Johns Hopkins University.
Elizabeth Stillman received National Institutes of Health Plain Language Awards two years in a row for her ability to translate complex science and medical concepts into lay language. She writes about health topics including arthritis, mental health, women’s health, and complementary and alternative medicine.
Henry Stimpson founded Stimpson Communications, a public relations and marketing communications firm, in 1984. A widely published writer, he holds the Public Relations Society of America’s Accredited in Public Relations (APR) designation, and degrees from Boston University and Simmons College.
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter is an award-winning freelance writer, editor, and desktop publisher. She has been published in the newsletters, magazines, and Web sites of associations, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. Ms. Thaler-Carter also is co-owner of Communication Central, a business that provides colleagues with seminars, workshops, and an annual conference. www.writerruth.com
Dana Trevas provides meeting coverage and “real-time reporting.” Her clients include the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and the National Biodefense Science Board. Ms. Trevas is also a freelance writer and editor, certified by the American Medical Writers Association.
Daniel Volin has taught writing as an adjunct professor and teaching fellow at Johns Hopkins University, and as a volunteer teaching underprivileged children and mentoring students. Mr. Volin holds degrees from Johns Hopkins, Creighton University, and Rockhurst University.
Joe Watson is the founder and principal of Saremo, a design firm in Cleveland, Ohio. He started his career working at American Greetings and other Cleveland-based design firms before founding his own company in 2001. He is passionate about combining the power of intelligent strategy with the impact of creative execution. Mr. Watson currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Cleveland chapter of AIGA: The Professional Association for Design. www.saremo.com
Paula Tarnapol Whitacre writes about education, the environment, and health. She started her company, Full Circle Communications, in 1996 after directing communications for a forestry association and an international development project. Her clients include the National Institutes of Health, the Division on Earth & Life Sciences at the National Academy of Sciences, and Resources for the Future. www.fullcircle.org