Stephen Blakely

STEPHEN B. BLAKELY

E-mail: blakesbb@yahoo.com 703/516-2185

Experienced editor, writer, and communications professional based in Washington, DC

Strengths in media and communications strategic planning, media relations, staff management, meeting deadlines and budgets, covering legislative, regulatory, and trade association issues. Experienced public speaker

Consultant/Freelance Writer and Editor (current)

Media/communications strategy consulting, business/personal finance/travel writing, editing and photography. Samples of recently published articles and older hard-news/investigative articles and editorials/op-eds are online here.

Employee Benefit Research Institute

Editor and Communications Director. Nonpartisan, nonprofit institute conducts original research and analysis of health, retirement, and economic security issues. Target audiences are federal policy makers (Congress and executive agencies), national news media, benefits professionals, and public. Unique data on 401(k)s, IRAs, HSAs.

Edited, produced and distributed all EBRI publications (research periodicals, national surveys, fact sheets, news releases, congressional testimony, board reports). Managed heavy flow of copy and complex data.

Created and maintained EBRI social media sites (Twitter, Wikipedia, blog). Posted and maintained all publications pages on EBRI website.

Established program of EBRI briefings on retirement and health issues for reporters in partnership with National Press Foundation.

Edited and produced 6th edition EBRI 530-page textbook, Fundamentals of Employee Benefit Programs.

Nation’sBusiness

Senior Assistant Editor. National news magazine serving small-business owners and managers, with paid circulation of about 860,000.

Researched, wrote and edited business articles aimed at providing practical, hands-on advice to small-business owners, focusing on business trends, changing federal laws, and new regulations. Beats included insurance, pensions, retirement, and environment. Cover stories included “Workers Comp Fraud,” “The Managed Care Backlash,” and “Small-Business Retirement Plans.”

Farm Credit Council

Vice President, Public Affairs. National trade association representing the Farm Credit System, a $123 billion financial cooperative for agriculture, consisting of regional FCS banks and local lending institutions.

Wrote, produced or supervised all communications products, publications and speechwriting for senior staff. Managed annual budget of about $200,000.
Worked closely with association’s legal and legislative staff on regulatory and congressional initiatives, dealing directly with members of Congress and staff, regulatory executives, and news media.
Represented association and FCS with news media and agricultural groups.

U.S. House of Representatives

Press Secretary to U.S. Rep. Dick Durbin (D-IL). Managed national and local news media contacts and press operations including TV and radio production, press releases, press conferences, newsletters and op-eds. Handled media and constituent inquiries. Led media campaign promoting Durbin airline smoking ban legislation.

Congressional Quarterly

Reporter and Editor. Covered legislative and political developments in Congress for multiple CQ publications.

Handled banking, housing and science beats for CQ Weekly Report, CQ’s flagship magazine. Major stories included 1980s savings and loan crisis, Challenger space shuttle disaster, and the space program. Also covered budget, tax, and institutional stories as needed. Executive editor of CQ Newsletters, supervising three reporters. Major contributor to Politics In America, CQ’s reference book on Congress. Contributor to Congressional Insight, CQ News Service, Editorial Research Reports, Congressional Monitor.

Ottaway Newspapers

Reporter and Correspondent. Subsidiary of Dow Jones, Inc., publishing two dozen daily newspapers in small- to mid-sized markets across the country. Began as a general assignment reporter, promoted to statehouse correspondent in Harrisburg, PA, and then to national correspondent in Washington, DC.

Education/Awards

B.A. (Journalism), Pennsylvania State University. Foreign study semester at University of Manchester in Great Britain. Served news internships with BBC Radio Stoke-on-Trent, UK, and with WDAU-TV in Scranton, PA. National Press Foundation Fellowship to cover insurance issues.
Several writing awards or honorable mentions from Boating Writers International. Group award for investigative journalism from New York Newspaper Publishers Association for coverage of organizational problems at 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.