Vern Westgate

Current

• Copy Editor - Writer at Strategic Book Publishing & Westgate Communications

Past

• Senior Sales Engineer at All Word Diesel Generator Inc.
• Source Researcher at First Index
• Writer - Editor - Business Coach at Westgate Communications (Sole Proprietorship)

• Contract engineer at COMFORCE & ECA
• Corporate Course Developer/Trainer at Johnson Matthey Electronics (now Honeywell)
• Publications Manager at ISC Systems Corporation
• Publications Manager at ISC-Bunker Ramo, Inc.
• Owner at Northwest Honda (Sole Proprietorship)
• Project Engineer/Field Engineer/Technical Writer at Hughes Aircraft Company
• Publications Engineer at North American Aviation (Boeing now)

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7 more...

Education

• Orange Coast College
• West Coast University

Recommended

4 people have recommended Vern

Connections

44 connections

Industry

Writing and Editing

Websites

• My Website

Vern Westgate’s Summary

I do a lot of copyediting. If you have a book or any other written matter that you want made far better...clear, concise and readable..call me. I do books regularly, 1 or 2 per week, for www.StrategicBookGroup.com.

I think like a systems engineer and project manager as I worked as both.

I'll communicate clearly and concisely to your audience.

I write and edit technical, business and other non-fiction documents. (Some of the resumes I did for folks may have been fiction...I wrote what they told me).

I learned Proposal management at Hughes Aircraft. I learned the STOP technique from Jim Tracey, who orignated it. It's a hands down winner for most proposals.

I've written professionally since 1960 or so. My best gig was writing Apollo Spacecraft Operating Procedures and working daily with the astronauts.

I've written for large companies...North American Aviation, Boeing, Hughes Aircraft, Nissan...and a wide range of mid-size and small businesses.

I'm particularly good at solving productivity, production and quality problems, then documenting the solution so the problem doesn't come up again...

I presented seminars for Fred Pryor Seminars for a year, have spoken to large and small conferences, business groups, companies and church groups.

I developed and delivered a significant number of training programs for technical, management and business skills.

Check out my website: www.vernwrites.com

Vern Westgate’s Specialties:

ISO 9000 procedure, project management, business skills training, technical training, training course development, seminar leader, government liaison, field engineering, speech writing, business coaching, management training, communications skills trainin, communications consulting

Vern Westgate’s Experience

• Copy Editor - Writer

  Strategic Book Publishing & Westgate Communications

  (Writing and Editing industry)

  September 2007 — Present (2 years 3 months)

  Freelance editor. Edit books and other pre-published writing.
  Website: www.StrategicBookGroup.com
  Freelance writer. Write sales letters, promotional copy, technical and general business writing and editing.
  Website: www.vernwrites.com

• Senior Sales Engineer

  All Word Diesel Generator Inc.

  (Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing industry)

  July 2006 — September 2007 (1 year 3 months)

  Consulted with clients. Sold diesel and other types of generators of all sizes nationally and internationally via Internet. Developed sales literature and brochures. Strong participation on business and new product development.

• Source Researcher

  First Index

  (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Outsourcing/Offshoring industry)

  July 2002 — July 2006 (4 years 1 month)

  Primary job was contact with OEM Purchasing decision makers to solicit work they were outsourcing for our Member shops to bid on.
  As freelancer, did complete rewrite of the company brochure used to enlist and promote sales to suppliers to OEMs.

• Writer - Editor - Business Coach

  Westgate Communications (Sole Proprietorship)

  (Sole Proprietorship; Myself Only; Management Consulting industry)

  February 1999 — June 2002 (3 years 5 months)

  Freelance writer and editor. Business & personal coaching. Taught successful series of business startup classes for disadvantaged.
  Developed and wrote brocures, sales letters, promotional copy, technical and general business writng and editing.
  Developed winning proposals for software company, towing company and others.
  Website: www.vernwrites.com

• Contract engineer

  COMFORCE & ECA

  (Public Company; 201-500 employees; Staffing and Recruiting industry)

  January 1998 — February 1999 (1 year 2 months)

  Worked 3 contract engineering gigs at Boeing- 2 at Everett and 1 at Renton. Total time in Boeing about 5 1/2 years.

• Corporate Course Developer/Trainer

  Johnson Matthey Electronics (now Honeywell)

  (Public Company; 501-1000 employees; Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing industry)

  March 1995 — September 1996 (1 year 7 months)

  Developed and delivered management, business skills, production skills & technical training programs. Worked with SMEs in course development and recruited some to deliver specialized courses.
  Rationalized training/seminar attendance and selection for 50% increase in effectivity and 50% (or more) coast savings.

• Publications Manager

  ISC Systems Corporation

  (Public Company; 501-1000 employees; Computer Networking industry)

  February 1981 — April 1987 (6 years 3 months)

  Started and managed Hardware Publications, Software Publications, Corporate Communications, Customer Software/Technical Library, Corporate Graphics and Audio-Visual Departmens.

• Publications Manager

  ISC-Bunker Ramo, Inc.

  (Writing and Editing industry)

  1981 — 1987 (6 years )

  The information here is above. The company changed names when they went through a variety of merger and acquisiton activity.

• Owner

  Northwest Honda (Sole Proprietorship)

  (Sole Proprietorship; 1-10 employees; Sporting Goods industry)

  June 1977 — July 1981 (4 years 2 months)

  Bought and turned around failing Honda motorcycle, snowmobile and power products dealership in Silver Valley of Idaho. Built and expanded business, then lost it all when silver mines closed and valley went into long-term recession. Good education...learned to expand markets, provide service and how to start over...

• Project Engineer/Field Engineer/Technical Writer

  Hughes Aircraft Company

  (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; GMH; Defense & Space industry)

  November 1967 — June 1977 (9 years 8 months)

  Field Service...managed publications efforts including sell-off to DOD, worked field engineering projects worldwide on air traffic control systems and satellite communications systems. Worked a number of other defense contracts. Strengths were working with U.S and foreign government contract folks, military technicians on the ground and project management.
  Learned STOP proposal development and management process.

• Publications Engineer

  North American Aviation (Boeing now)

  (Public Company; 5001-10,000 employees; Aviation & Aerospace industry)

  January 1959 — March 1967 (8 years 3 months)

  Hired as systems technician, moved up to systems engineer and publictions engineer (senior technical writer). Worked on guidance and navigation systems for missiles, submarines and finally wrote Apollo Spacecraft Operating Procedures.

Vern Westgate’s Education

• Orange Coast College

  Certificate , Management , 1968 — 1976

  Activities and Societies:

  Stayed on Dean's List while working full-time,

• West Coast University

  BSEE , 1967 — 1976

  This school was designed and operated for those of us who found ourselves doing engineering, traveling and needing to complete our education.

Additional Information

Vern Westgate’s Websites:

• My Website

Vern Westgate’s Interests:

Writing, editing (to make your writng better but still your writing), ghostwriting, training, teaching, speaking (to groups), track new tech, reading non-fiction

Vern Westgate’s Groups:

In the past: International Society of Technical Communicators, National Speakers Association, American Society of Training and Development, IEEE, Toastmasters and a few that are in the dim distant past...

•    Christian Professionals Worldwide
•    Professional Speakers and Seminar Leaders
•    Olivetti Alumni
•    Machine Design
•    American Society of Business Publication Editors
•    About.com Job Search and Careers
•    LinkedSPOKANE
•    Authors, Writers, Publishers, Editors, and other Professionals
•    Books and Writers
•    NEW AUTHORS NEED MARKETING IDEAS
•    First Time Authors

Vern Westgate’s Honors:

Employee of the Month, Boeing, Everett, Facilities Division - 1991 (along with 2 co-workers...rare for a contract engineer to receive this award)
Outstanding Work - Gold Award - Boeing, Renton, 1998
Won a bunch of Area, Regional and Division speaking awards with Toastmasters.

Vern Westgate’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch