Scott Abel

Current

Vice President at Horse Rescue Relief, Inc.
Advisory Board Member at MetaContext, Inc.
Program Manager, Web Content Conferences (Chicago, Tampa Bay and more in 2009) at Duo Consulting

President at The Content Wrangler
Social Media Marketing Program Manager - Content Management Strategist at The Rockley Group

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2 more...

Past

Program Manager, DocTrain Conference Series (West, East, and Life Sciences) at PUBSNET
Web Content Strategist, Indiana STC at Society for Technical Communication (STC)
Executive Director at Content Management Professionals

Vice President at Content Management Professionals
Contract Content Manager at Precisely Write, Inc.
Contract Technical Writer at Bright Path Solutions
Marketing Director at Content Management Professionals
Contract Instructional Designer - Technical Writer at State Farm Insurance
Contract Web Content Strategist - Microsoft Business Solutions Team at Babcock and Jenkins
Contract Technical Writer - Project Manager at Roche Diagnostics, Global Marketing, Diabetes Care
Contract Technical Writer - Content Management Evangelist at Eli Lilly and Company
Contract Technical Writer - Web Content Management Strategist at Babcock and Jenkins - Connected Strategies
Contract Technical Writer - Web Content at CinCom Systems
Contract Technical Writer - Documentation Manager at Cybertek

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11 more...

Education

Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis

Recommended

30 people have recommended Scott

Connections

500+ connections

Industry

Writing and Editing

Websites

Scott Abel’s Summary

Scott Abel is a content management strategist and social media choreographer whose strengths lie in helping organizations improve the way they author, maintain, publish and archive their information assets. Scott assists his clients in determining the best ways to efficiently manage their content lifecycles, including leveraging social media and networking technologies.

Scott is a presenter at content industry conferences and a founding member / former executive director of Content Management Professionals (http://www.cmpros.org).

He co-produces several industry events including the Documentation and Training conference series (www.doctrain.com) held several times each year, and Web Content Chicago (www.webcontentconferences.com), Intelligent Content (www.intelligentcontent2010.com), and others.

His blog, TheContentWrangler.com, is a popular destination for communication professionals seeking information about content management. Scott’s social networking site, The Content Wrangler Community (http://thecontentwrangler.ning.com), is a global network of content professionals that attracts thousands of members from around the world.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/scottabel
Brightkite: brightkite.com/people/scottabel
Tripit www.tripit.com/people/thecontentwrangler

Scott has considerable experience in XML-based enterprise content management strategy, high tech marketing communications, business process analysis, technical writing and editing, usability, content localization, and designing single source solutions. Scott’s formal journalism education, combined with 10 years as a technical writer, make him a natural fit in organizations seeking to assure the content they provide to their customers is accurate and consistent everywhere it is used (write content once, use it often).

Scott is an editor of technical, medical and scientific documents and books, and a frequent contributor to a variety of trade publications.

Scott Abel’s Specialties:

technical writing, editing, content management, single source publishing, structured authoring, social media marketing, social networks, location-aware mobile applications, online help creation, web content creation, documentation, processes and procedures, web blogs, web publishing, marketing communications, software documentation, usability, enterprise content management, strategy, white paper, speaking engagements, presentations, instructional design

Scott Abel’s Experience

Vice President

Horse Rescue Relief, Inc.

(Philanthropy industry)

August 2009 — Present (4 months)

Assist Executive Director and individual Board of Directors in implementing project plans, coordinating marketing and public relations activities, accomplishing tasks, and setting strategic vision for the organization.

Horse Rescue Relief exists to raise funds on behalf of not-for-profit horse rescue agencies. It also aims to help coordinate public education efforts designed to both draw attention to the enormity of the problem, and to provide guidance on how individuals and organizations can help be part of the solution.

The organization mobilizes resources to support the efforts of not-for-profit animal rescues by coordinating in-kind donations and organized volunteer services and labor. Horse Rescue Relief rescues horses and helps horse rescue facilities find homes for displaced and neglected horses. It also organizes volunteers, holds charity fundraising functions, and manages an in-kind gift network, including a "services for goods" barter program.

Funds raised by Horse Rescue Relief activities will be used to provide goods and services directly to those qualifying organizations in need of help caring for and/or boarding the horses they rescue or foster.
Advisory Board Member

MetaContext, Inc.

(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

February 2007 — Present (2 years 10 months)

As a member of the company’s Advisory Board, Scott provides consultation on general company strategy, new business development, potential acquisitions and provides advice to the CEO and Board of Directors.
Program Manager, Web Content Conferences (Chicago, Tampa Bay and more in 2009)

Duo Consulting

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Internet industry)

February 2007 — Present (2 years 10 months)

Responsible for developing the theme, selecting roster of presenters, selling sponsorship packages, and marketing Web Content Conferences (three events each year).

Additional duties include: overseeing website and printed program development, coordinating advertising efforts, and implementing pre- and post- email marketing campaigns.
President

The Content Wrangler

(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Online Media industry)

January 2003 — Present (6 years 11 months)

Owner of The Content Wrangler, a popular online resource for those interested in learning about content management related news, events, training and more.
Social Media Marketing Program Manager - Content Management Strategist

The Rockley Group

(Privately Held; Management Consulting industry)

January 2002 — Present (7 years 11 months)

Responsible for designing and implementing social media marketing strategy for content management consultancy aimed at various vertical markets (life sciences/medical devices/pharmaceutical/high tech). Duties include content creation (presentations, proposals, white papers, articles, posts to blogs and social networks), conducting viral marketing campaigns aimed at publicizing the company and its services and positioning the firm as an expert in the market. Responsible for aggregating content from various authors, managing publication schedules, editing and publication of final content. Implement strategic competitive analysis of other firms in the same vertical market. Coordinate article placements in various industry and trade publications, web sites, email newsletters.
Program Manager, DocTrain Conference Series (West, East, and Life Sciences)

PUBSNET

(Events Services industry)

November 2006 — May 2009 (2 years 7 months)

Responsible for developing the theme, selecting roster of presenters, development of pre- and post-conference half-day workshops, selling exhibition/sponsorship packages, and marketing the Documentation and Training Conference Series: DocTrain West, May 6-9, 2008 (Vancouver, BC); DocTrain Life Sciences, June 23-26, 2008 (Indianapolis); and, DocTrain East, October 2008 (Boston).

Additional duties include: overseeing website and printed program development, coordinating advertising efforts, and implementing pre- and post- email marketing campaigns. Also developed time-saving processes and procedures, automated existing manual tasks, and oversaw the single sourcing of content from the website into the printed program.
Web Content Strategist, Indiana STC

Society for Technical Communication (STC)

(Non-Profit; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

2006 — October 2008 (2 years )
Executive Director

Content Management Professionals

(Educational Institution; 501-1000 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

February 2007 — November 2007 (10 months)

Executive Director of international trade association, Content Management Professionals (CM Pros). www.cmpros.org
Vice President

Content Management Professionals

(Non-Profit; 501-1000 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

December 2005 — February 2007 (1 year 3 months)

Serve as vice president of the organization and a board of directors member.
Contract Content Manager

Precisely Write, Inc.

(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Writing and Editing industry)

January 2003 — May 2006 (3 years 5 months)

Contract technical writing specialist and content management strategiest working on projects in the manfacturing, medical devices and life sciences industries.
Contract Technical Writer

Bright Path Solutions

(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Writing and Editing industry)

January 2004 — February 2006 (2 years 2 months)

Responsible for writing/editing content, creating marketing campaigns, providing conference organization and marketing services.
Marketing Director

Content Management Professionals

(Non-Profit; 501-1000 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

April 2005 — December 2005 (9 months)

Responsible for promoting Content Management Professionals (CM Pros) and its events, activities, and members. Responsibilties include creating and distributing press releases, managing marketing materials, creating viral, cooperative, direct, and internet marketing strategies and implementing them with the assistance of volunteer staff.
Contract Instructional Designer - Technical Writer

State Farm Insurance

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Writing and Editing industry)

August 2003 — January 2004 (6 months)

Responsible for designing and creating instructor-lead training presentations covering .NET, Java, and Object-Oriented Programming, software testing, test case design, and related content. Project goal: Teach State Farm software developers to follow established corporate procedures and industry best practices for testing web-based applications.
Authored learning activities, learning objectives, quizzes and other materials for use by instructors and students. Additional responsibilities included: aggregating content from various authors, managing workflow, change/version control, scheduling, editing and preparation of final content for publication.
Contract Web Content Strategist - Microsoft Business Solutions Team

Babcock and Jenkins

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Writing and Editing industry)

March 2003 — May 2003 (3 months)

Responsible for adding metadata to existing Microsoft bCentral web content in order for a dynamic content engine to serve up personalized content to newsletter subscribers. Designed translation matrix database to assist Microsoft in translating relevant content for users who speak languages other than English. Marketing campaign aims to draw 1 million new subscribers to the Microsoft Business Solutions newsletter, serving small- to mid-size businesses around the globe.
Contract Technical Writer - Project Manager

Roche Diagnostics, Global Marketing, Diabetes Care

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Writing and Editing industry)

August 2002 — February 2003 (7 months)

Responsible for assisting the Global Marketing Team in strategizing new content management strategies, policies, procedures and guidelines necessary to accomplish a shortened time frame for getting documentation products to market. Challenged the status quo and fought for the introduction and inclusion of strategic writing, writing for reuse, single-source publishing. Built information product models for new writing templates in Adobe FrameMaker, responsible for knowledge transfer to others. Created updated documentation for two diabetes care software packages. Helped avoid duplication by creating reusable text objects, reducing translation effort and expense.
Contract Technical Writer - Content Management Evangelist

Eli Lilly and Company

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Writing and Editing industry)

January 2001 — September 2002 (1 year 9 months)

Worked to establish pilot content management program designed to drastically reduce final Investigational New Drug Application preparation and publishing from 150 days to fewer than 30. Efforts estimated to save the company between $1 and $40 million per day, per product (once fully implemented). Assisted in radically rethinking/redesigning the company’s document creation and submission system using Extensible Markup Language (XML), single-sourcing, structured writing and related technologies. Worked as a change agent, evangelizing the importance of paradigm-shifting change, explaining the benefits verbally, in writing and through various in-person and web presentations. Acted as gatekeeper between external software vendors, consultants, integrators and the project team. Coordinated sales calls and presentations, educated vendors, etc.
Contract Technical Writer - Web Content Management Strategist

Babcock and Jenkins - Connected Strategies

(Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Writing and Editing industry)

June 2000 — August 2002 (2 years 3 months)

Responsible for weekly creation, coordination, management and presentation of all written Web content, both technical and non-technical. Prepared customizable original content for use throughout the site, in personalized newsletters, white papers, training material, online help, advertising, and in both email and direct mail marketing pieces. Characterized all content (by adding metadata) to allow personalized delivery of dynamic content based on user-defined preferences.
Developed, deployed, and managed style guide and content standards. Assured content met or exceeded such standards. Managed relationships with both existing and potential content providers, sponsors, Web conference presenters and users. Provided usability guidance to project team, site developers and management. Worked closely with Customer Support Team to improve Web content made available on extranet site. Transferred Web usability, structured writing, template design and navigational knowledge to existing staff.
Contract Technical Writer - Web Content

CinCom Systems

(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Writing and Editing industry)

May 2000 — January 2001 (9 months)

Responsible for developing content for new product web site. Interviewed subject matter experts, wrote copy, edited text, specified fonts, backgrounds and navigational clues. Evangelized the importance of ease-of-use and adoption of defacto Internet usability standards. Provided usability guidance to Web project team. Recommended strategies designed to enhance customer relationship management efforts.
Contract Technical Writer - Documentation Manager

Cybertek

(Public Company; 51-200 employees; Writing and Editing industry)

February 1998 — May 2000 (2 years 4 months)

Acting manager of documentation department. Directed 17,000-page Microsoft Word-based documentation conversion to Adobe FrameMaker, Adobe Acrobat (PDF), HTML, and online help formats. Developed single-source FrameMaker templates allowing efficient conversion from FrameMaker to HTML, PDF and online help format. Reduced costs and significantly increased productivity. Integrated third-party productivity utilities designed to automate time-consuming procedures.

Scott Abel’s Education

Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis

Journalism 1986 — 1991

Activities and Societies:

Editor, The Sagamore (Campus Newspaper), Winner Indiana Collegiate Press Association (several awards in several years).

Additional Information

Scott Abel’s Websites:

Scott Abel’s Groups:

Founding member Content Management Professionals (CM Pros - www.cmpros.org), current member Society for Technical Communication (STC - www.stc.org), participating member in many content-related organizations. Content manager for OASIS XML.org Content Management Focus Area. Co-host of weekly internet radio show "Content Management Live!" (www.mytechnologylawyer.com/radio).