Greg Willette

9876 Connecticut Street, Bonita Springs - 239.682.0855 - greg.willette1@gmail.com

Jake Milstein, I am writing to express how very interested I am in joining the digital team at KIRO in Seattle. With my experience and background in the coupling of broadcast and online news, I am positive I can be an asset. I currently hold the title of senior online news producer for the NBC and ABC news duopoly in Fort Myers and I have been with the company for over seven years. With 100-percent of my professional career spent working both inside a newsroom and within the online medium, I have invaluable experience that makes me a unique candidate for employment. I am accustomed to working long days and odd hours in an extremely fast-paced, distracting and deadline-driven environment - but one that still requires the utmost focus. With thousands of people reading my work on a daily basis, its also an environment where even the smallest error is not an option. But perhaps the most important quality that working in a newsroom has instilled is the ability to effectively communicate with others in order to reach a common goal. On any given day, I work with multiple departments to help bring the public a cohesive and synergistic news product both on-air and online. I am very well-versed in what it takes to keep local residents informed of any and all news via website, social media, blogs, email newsletters and text message alerts. I hope that I hear back from someone soon so that we can get start to get a better feel for each other and then move forward from there. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Greg Willette

Greg Willette
9876 Connecticut Street, Bonita Springs - 239.682.0855 - greg.willette1@gmail.com

Professional experience
Waterman Broadcasting Internet News Producer WBBH & WZVN Fort Myers, FL 2/2006 to Present

Created fresh, attention-grabbing headlines for two websites on a daily basis. Supervised and trained newsroom staff on the use of web publishing programs and provided guidance on how to prepare newsworthy information as online articles. Utilized social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter to attract a new demographic and to jumpstart viewer participation. Experience with non-linear editing. Produced and sent daily email newsletters as well as breaking news text message alerts. Coordinated synergistic news coverage for both the web and broadcast TV. Analyzed page view data for NBC-2.com and ABC-7.com to help pinpoint our audience. Modified breaking news information and press releases into compelling articles. Spotted factual and grammatical errors in reporters scripts before broadcast. Optimized reporter scripts into AP style articles for the web. Set and met multiple posting deadlines throughout the day.

Skills

Accustomed to working in a fast-paced environment and juggling multiple tasks. Effectively communicate complex issues both verbally and in writing. Experienced in various content management systems and programs, some of which include Word, Excel, Outlook, FrontPage, Fireworks and Photoshop, Constant Contact, TextMark and the WorldNow Producer Tool.

Achievements and awards

Since joining Waterman Broadcasting, NBC-2.com has become the number one online news source in Southwest Florida. Recipient of Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding electronic journalism. Finalist for the Associated Press Award for Best Local News Website.

Education

Michigan State University, School of Communication Arts and Sciences

References

Sean Brown - Press Secretary for Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) - 239.272.2656 Sam Aldrich WBBH & WZVN Managing Assignment Editor - 239.878.7879 Lindsey Mayfield Producer for WOAI-TV San Antonio 214.533.5501

December 1, 2012 To Whom It May Concern: My name is Matthew Bernaldo and I am the Director of New Media for Waterman Broadcasting in Fort Myers, Florida. I've been with the company for 12 years, and for seven of those years Greg Willette has worked for me as an internet news producer. Greg came into our newsroom with no journalism or web background, but quickly adapted to the environment. He picks up new technologies and new concepts quickly, and is not afraid to try things that he has never done before. He is highly reliable. Given some of the sensitive topics and issues that we deal with in journalism, we've been fortunate to have someone who is as concerned with getting the facts right as he is with being a conservative steward of our brand and company image. I can always trust Greg to make the right decision on content matters for our sites. Greg is an employee I would highly recommend, and should the opportunity every present itself, an employee that I would certainly hire again. If you have any further questions about Greg and his time here, I'm more than happy to talk with you - please don't hesitate to call. Sincerely, Matthew Bernaldo Director of New Media Waterman Broadcasting 3719 Central Avenue Fort Myers, Florida 33901