Aaron Passman Email & Phone Number

Kansas City, MO, US

* Launched journalism platform for community bank executives underserved by existing options within the marketplace* Conducted extensive outreach calls to community bankers and industry stakeholders in advance of our launch to raise awareness and survey audience wants/needs* Produce daily newsletter comprised of original reporting and aggregated content*.

Remote Office

• Revamped editorial strategy to improve overall output, better aligning Credit Union Journal with our sister publications through a focus on in-depth, analytical coverage of credit union issues and how they dovetail.
• Led Credit Union Journal through a merger into American Banker, the banking industry’s premier daily news source
• Oversee small staff of reporters and editors, assisting with story ideas and assignments, editing copy and more
• Work closely with editors and reporters from other publications to coordinate coverage and ensure copy works across multiple brands
• Comfortable bouncing back and forth between reporting and editing
• Deal with staffing and HR issues as they arise, frequently looping in mid-level management and senior executives where necessary

Remote Office

• Assigned and edited copy from staff writers, freelancers and guest contributors
• Oversaw daily web operations including posting new content, updating home page, creating listicles, setting up email blasts and more
• Assisted with production of monthly and quarterly print issues, including mapping out each issue, editing copy, pitching in with InCopy layout and more
• Represented the publication at multiple industry conferences as a speaker and for online coverage
• Social media administrator posting directly across multiple platforms, as well as within SocialFlow
• Utilized MS Office Suite, Adobe InCopy, PhotoShop Elements, Brightspot CMS, SocialFlow, Parsely and more

Lansing, MI

• Edited trade group’s quarterly magazine, Contact, driving transformation away from an emphasis on sales and toward a redesigned, streamlined news publication focused on Michigan’s credit union community
• Regularly wrote news stories for mcul.org
• Wrote speeches for executive team, including public presentations, video updates and more
• Provided web maintenance inside custom-built CMS
• Edited and proofread publications and projects for MCUL and its sister company

Remote Office

• Covered financial performance, lending and growth strategies, law and regulation, marketing and more.
• Administrator for multiple social media profiles, posting new content, engaging with readers and increasing brand awareness.
• Proofread print edition before going to press.
• Regularly traveled to represent the publication at industry conferences.

Provided arts and entertainment coverage for daily, weekly and online outlets across the country, including the Miami Herald, Philadelphia Weekly, Lawrence Journal-World, Under the Radar, Blurt! Online, Spectrum Culture and others.

Miami, FL

• Wrote PR pieces for Federation's website and other publications
• Wrote speeches for Federation functions
• Edited coworkers’ writing
• Provided web updates as needed

Philadelphia, PA

• General assignment reporter covering all aspects of community news with a mix of briefs, features and longer enterprise pieces
• Covered 2008 election, including interview with then-U.S. Sen. Joe Biden and provided onsite inauguration coverage
• Took photos to accompany select stories
• Updated website as needed
• Won a 2009 Philadelphia Press Award, a 2010 Keystone Press Award and was named to the 2009 Gralla Journalism Fellowship at Brandeis University