word wrangler
Austin, Texas Area
- Current
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- Writer, editor, etc. at IBM
- Past
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- Writer, editor and project manager at marketing, technical, promotional and non-profit companies
- Content Director and Managing Editor at MaterialNetwork.com
- Projects Editor (Editorial Project Manager) at pennNET, Inc.
- Editorial and marketing consultant for print and new media (Self-employed)
- Empress of Publications (Communications geek) at Active Paper Inc.
- Writer and consultant at Write Now (Sole Proprietorship)
- Senior Editorial Associate at Young Presidents' Organization (YPO)
- food writer, copy editor at Dallas Times Herald
- entertainment and food writer at Dallas Observer
- CSR at Blockbuster Videos
- disk jockey at KZEW-FM
- disk jockey at KLIF-AM
- Education
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- Southern Methodist University
- Southern Methodist University - Cox School of Business
- Stephens College
- Recommended
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1 person has recommended Betsy - Connections
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124
connections
- Industry
- Writing and Editing
- Websites
Betsy Thaggard’s Experience
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Writer, editor, etc.
IBM
(Public Company; IBM; Information Technology and Services industry)
March 2003 — Present (6 years 9 months)
Write headlines for the award-winning ibm.com homepage and copy for its innards; write, edit, and lay out marketing documents and Web page articles for internal marketing clients. Won a Bravo Award for work with the marketing initiative. Have also edited and published technical books written by subject matter experts from around the world.
Examples of homepage headlines: http://www.bthaggard.com/images/leaves.pdf -
Writer, editor and project manager
marketing, technical, promotional and non-profit companies
(Writing and Editing industry)
2000 — 2004 (4 years )
Clients included:
# LANWrights: project management of books for Gateway Computers, writing and editing for IT-certification Web sites and America Online
# Legacy Publishing: series of profiles about Austin and Houston businesses
# Motion Computing: user guides and packaging docs for new Windows XP-based Tablet PC
# Knowbility: direct-mail fundraising package (writing and layout) for Internet-accessibility organization -
Content Director and Managing Editor
MaterialNetwork.com
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Internet industry)
2000 — 2000 (less than a year)
Responsible for all online content (industry news, B2B transactions, site re-design, acquisition) for this former industry/e-commerce Web site. Worked closely with CTO, Chief Architect, sales and content coordinators to upgrade site and improve usability.
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Projects Editor (Editorial Project Manager)
pennNET, Inc.
(Publishing industry)
1999 — 2000 (1 year )
Austin, San Mateo and Houston
Turned ideas into reality for the online division of PennWell Publications, Inc., from concept through production to finished products (examples: managed editorial end of Oil & Gas Journal's content management system conversion to Vignette; created prototypes for series of e-newsletters). Wrote user documentation for projects. Managed or collaborated with editorial, business and technical development, sales and fulfillment. -
Editorial and marketing consultant for print and new media
Self-employed
(Self-Employed; Writing and Editing industry)
1997 — 1999 (2 years )
Austin, Dallas and Becket, Mass.
Ad and brochure copy; articles and reviews; copy editing; editorial project management; layout; newsletters; scripts; technical writing, editing and management; Web sites -
Empress of Publications (Communications geek)
Active Paper Inc.
(Privately Held; Computer Software industry)
1995 — 1997 (2 years )
Managed publications and Web site for growing software company. Translated tech-talk into user-friendly English, brought documentation and marketing collateral to print, and oversaw smooth transition of MarCom materials during product acquisition by General Magic.
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Writer and consultant
Write Now (Sole Proprietorship)
(Sole Proprietorship; Writing and Editing industry)
1991 — 1995 (4 years )
Produced quick, quality, creative copy, articles, newsletters and scripts, and worked as a newspaper and corporate copy editor, Internet content editor, software trainer and desktop publisher for business, journalism, advertising and entertainment. Specialized in making the familiar fascinating.
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Senior Editorial Associate
Young Presidents' Organization (YPO)
(Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Civic & Social Organization industry)
1989 — 1991 (2 years )
Marketed international conferences, seminars and leadership activities to 7,000 CEOs worldwide. Wrote and edited members' magazine, annual reports and collateral materials; provided desktop publishing design; produced daily, on-site newsletters for conferences in Sydney, Buenos Aires, Palo Alto and Acapulco.
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food writer, copy editor
Dallas Times Herald
(Newspapers industry)
1986 — 1991 (5 years )
wrote about chefs and food, reviewed restaurants, reviewed books, wrote feature essays; later worked on the features copy desk
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entertainment and food writer
Dallas Observer
(Public Company; Newspapers industry)
1985 — 1988 (3 years )
wrote about food, movies, books, people, and other (ann) random stuff for this alternative weekly
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CSR
Blockbuster Videos
(Public Company; Retail industry)
1985 — 1986 (1 year )
Worked at the very first Blockbuster (Medallion Center, Dallas TX) ... back when it was a very cool job, they offered health insurance and other benefits to their CSRs, and the employees were mostly writers and actors. Was required to yammer on at length about movies for a living, which made up for having to wear a blue oxford and khaki skirt to work every day.
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disk jockey
KZEW-FM
(Broadcast Media industry)
1978 — 1979 (1 year )
Played deep album cuts and talked between songs all night long. Stared into Michael McDonald's blue blue eyes backstage after a Doobie Brothers concert, etc.
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disk jockey
KLIF-AM
(Broadcast Media industry)
1978 — 1978 (less than a year)
Betsy Thaggard’s Education
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Southern Methodist University
Bachelors , Communications
- Activities and Societies:
- Kappa Kappa Gamma
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Southern Methodist University - Cox School of Business
MBA Marketing & Finance
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Stephens College
Liberal Arts / Communications
- Activities and Societies:
- KWWC-FM, floor RA
Additional Information
Betsy Thaggard’s Websites:
Betsy Thaggard’s Interests:
@betsyibm
Betsy Thaggard’s Groups:
Her Domain, STC
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The Greater IBM Connection: IBM's alumni program for past and present IBM employees -
SMU COX MBA Alumni -
HerDomain
Betsy Thaggard’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- expertise requests
- getting back in touch
