VerbAlley, Principal

Introduction

My 20-plus years of experience working at large companies (for example, seven years with Digital Equipment Corporation), as well as small ones, has provided me with a rich and varied business background. My specialty, while I worked for these companies, was electronic publishing. Over the years, I performed virtually every job in high-tech, including writing, training, programming, troubleshooting, customer support, and project management. Over the last three years, however, I have strictly concentrated on writing, editing, and training under the auspices of VerbAlley. VerbAlley's mission is to write well and teach effectively.

Writing

My depth of experience has given me a unique perspective on the demands of business communications. When writing in this arena, it is important to communicate crisply and clearly; this is no place for flowery language or long, drawn-out arguments. It is also often necessary to sell an idea or persuade people to take some action. My expertise lies in the use of these principles to write, edit, and proofread all kinds of business-related documents, including proposals, needs assessments, sales letters, and marketing communications.

Association membership: Rocky Mountain Publishing Professionals Guild (www.rmppg.org)

Training

I have developed a workshop for corporations and non-profits called "Writing Persuasively." This course teaches basic writing principles and applies them to business communications; it can take place over two days (preferred) or one. Please send a request to info@verballey.com for further information. A course outline can be made available upon request.

As a part-time instructor with Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning in Denver, I teach a course called "Workstyles," which is designed to help refugees learn the skills of finding and keeping a job. Having recently obtained a certificate in the teaching of English as a Second Language, I am equipped to handle all levels of English in a classroom.

Association membership: Colorado Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (www.colorado.edu/iec/cotesol)

Personal Characteristics

As language is my passion, I am fortunate to be able to work in editing, writing, and teaching, all of which take advantage of my verbal abilities and proclivities. My interests are word-related, too, including reading books on language, doing crossword puzzles, and playing Scrabble.