Peace on Earth

Garbl's Writing Center

About Me

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Photo of Gary Larson in Seattle, December 2006Gary B. Larson

Seattle, Washington

Objective

  • Creative leadership or teaching position that combines my writing, editing, design, training and supervisory skills with my knowledge of communication planning, publications production, online communication, marketing, and the news media.

Highlights of Qualifications

  • More than 36 years of experience in the communication profession with emphasis on planning, carrying out and coordinating public, news media, employee and customer information programs.
  • Familiarity with and strong interest in online communication, education, government and music.
  • Recognized by peers for professional achievement, community involvement, personal character and contributions to organizational communication.
  • Strong skills in leadership, supervision, writing, editing, Web design, training, planning, project management and photography.
  • Committed to planning creative communication programs that meet organization goals and objectives.

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Relevant Experience and Accomplishments

Communication

  • Nineteen years' experience supervising communication and marketing specialists, editors, public relations assistants, media relations specialists, planners, designers, freelance writers and interns.
  • Earned 17 local, regional, state and international awards for employee newsletters, promotional material, style manuals, newspaper supplements, annual reports, brochures and newspaper writing, editing and design.
  • Developed online and printed editorial style manuals to help employees be clear, consistent and concise in their use of English.

News Media Relations

  • Provided responses to media requests for information on complex, sensitive and controversial policies and issues.
  • Provided training for agency managers and supervisors on media relations procedures, news media practices and news media interviews.

Government and Community Relations

  • Tracked and reviewed legislation, attended committee hearings, met with legislators and their staffs, helped plan strategy and maintained contacts with agency staff about proposed legislation.
  • Served as president, vice president for professional development and Awards Committee chair of the International Association of Business Communicators/Pacific Northwest.

Marketing, Advertising and Special Events

  • Coordinated a multifaceted agencywide communication/marketing effort to announce, explain and market a new regional transit pass.
  • Developed advertising and marketing materials, public service announcements, posters, brochures, automated slide shows and displays for two United Way fund drives.
  • Produced information promoting the opening of the downtown Seattle transit tunnel--invitations, brochures, news articles, speeches, buttons and pennants.

Research

  • Developed research materials for advisory committees, telephone and print surveys, focus groups, one-on-one interviews and other response techniques.
  • Wrote, edited and designed questionnaires for assessing employee and community needs and getting public comment on proposals.

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Employment History

Chief of Service Information

  • Metro Transit Division, King County Department of Transportation, Seattle, Washington, 2006-

Supervise staff that produces and distributes timetables, brochures, signs, transit passes, maps and other service information to help customers ride the bus.

Lead Media Planner

  • Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Seattle, Washington, 2002-2006

Coordinated news media relations, developed communications plans and messages, edited publications, coordinated division research and marketing, provided writing guidance to staff and consultants, and maintained Web pages.

Senior Editor

  • King County Department of Transportation/Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (Metro), Seattle, Washington, 1987-2002

Wrote, designed, formatted and managed department, program and project Web sites; planned, wrote, edited and coordinated production of public information material; developed and designed publications for transit, roads and capital projects; and supervised freelance writers and editors.

Instructor

  • ITT Technical Institute, Seattle, Washington, 2000-2001 (part-time)

Taught business communications classes covering the writing process, elements of effective communication, and writing effective business correspondence, reports and proposals.

Acting Chief of Information Production

  • Metro Transit Division, King County Department of Transportation, Seattle, Washington, 1999

Supervised staff that produces timetables, brochures, signs, transit passes, maps and other service information to help customers ride the bus.

Lobbyist

  • Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (Metro), Seattle, Washington, 1991

Tracked legislation, monitored legislative hearings, helped plan strategy and met with legislators and legislative staff to explain Metro's positions on legislation.

Editor

  • Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (Metro), Seattle, Washington 1985-87

Coordinated employee communication program and planned, wrote and supervised production and distribution of monthly, weekly and daily publications.

News Media Relations Specialist

  • Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (Metro), Seattle, Washington, 1980-84

Coordinated responses to news media questions, acted as agency liaison with the news media, wrote news releases, developed news media strategies, advised management and staff on news media relations, and supervised assistant and interns.

Associate Public Relations Director

  • United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, Portland, Oregon, 1978-80

Planned, wrote, edited and designed newsletters and annual reports; coordinated news media relations; wrote news releases and public service announcements; took photographs and produced audiovisual programs; and supervised assistant.

Staff Writer/Photographer

  • Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Washington, 1976-78

Wrote about county and city government, education, and politics for a daily newspaper; took photographs; and designed newspaper pages.

Journalism Instructor/Student Newspaper Adviser

  • Seattle Central Community College, Seattle, Washington 1975-76 (part-time)

Planned and taught courses on news writing, reporting and newspaper editing, and supervised staff of a weekly college newspaper.

Teaching Assistant

  • University of Washington School of Communications, Seattle, Washington, 1974-75 (part-time)

Evaluated journalism student essays and exams, and advised students about news media practices.

Editor

  • Whidbey Island Record, Langley, Washington, 1972-74

Managed a weekly newspaper, determined newspaper content, wrote about local government, took photographs, designed newspaper pages, supervised associate editor and sold advertising.

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Education and Training

Master of communication

  • University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, course work completed 1976

Integrative program in administration

  • University of Washington, Graduate School of Business Administration, Seattle, Washington, 1975

Bachelor of arts, double major in journalism and political science

  • Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington, 1972
    Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities

Seminars, study and workshops

  • Advertising, audiovisual programs, cable television, campaign organizing, computer literacy, conflict resolution, database applications, desktop publishing, evaluating and planning communication programs, fund raising, HTML, interpersonal communication, leadership skills, managing change, news media relations, organization communication, presentation software, project management, publication design, public speaking, supervision, Web page design and word processing.

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Volunteer Experience (partial list)

Plain Language Association International (PLAIN)

International Association of Business Communicators/Pacific Northwest Chapter

  • President
  • Vice president for professional development
  • Chair, Pacesetter Awards Committee
  • Communicator of the Year, 1988

King County Department of Metropolitan Services/Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle

  • Chair, Employees' Combined Charities Campaign Committee
  • Chair, Employee Suggestion Board

United Way of King County

  • Chair, Third Annual Communications Contest

Boys and Girls Clubs of King County Inc.

  • Editor/designer, 1992 and 1993 Annual Reports

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Garbl's Writing Center

Contact Information

  • Personal e-mail: garbltoo@gmail.com
  • Work e-mail: gary.larson@kingcounty.gov

Created by Gary B. Larson in March 1997. Updated Nov. 24, 2008.

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