Resume

STORYTELLER • WRITER • CREATIVE

David Dean Menzies is a published author of three fiction books, with two more on the way in 2023. His love of writing is reflected in a vibrant career of crafting marketing, PR, advertising, and SEO copy for corporations, startups, nonprofits, government agencies and educational institutions. His many successes are highlighted by his leadership of an award-winning global public relations campaign for the Duke University iPod First-Year Experience, garnering international coverage of the university's ground-breaking introduction of digital audio and video into the classroom.  

Leveraging an innate ability to connect with and engage targeted B2B and B2C audiences, Menzies has developed a talent for creating and disseminating strategic messaging via press releases, blog posts, newsletters, email marketing, op-ed pieces, website copy, white papers, video scripts, and brochures in addition to other marketing collateral to help his employers and clients achieve specific organizational goals whether they be sales, education, advocacy or other actions.

He has a unique combination of additional experience editing two weekly newspapers; managing eight student law journals; and writing articles for numerous regional and national news outlets and trade publications.

>>CLICK HERE TO READ LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM SUPERVISOR


Copywriter - CastleBranch, Wilmington, NC

June 2020 - Present

Write, edit, and proof impactful marketing, public relations, and SEO copy to promote industry-leading nursing education and healthcare HR solutions.

  • Main focus on video scripts, press releases, marketing collateral, email marketing, social media and website copy.

  • Editor of client newsletter (circ. 11,727) and internal company newsletter (circ. 410).

>>CLICK HERE TO READ KUDOS FROM COMPANY PRESIDENT


Copywriter - Eight Oh Two Marketing, Wilmington, NC

January – April 2020

Write, edit, proof informative "how-to" and lifestyle articles for national online retailer and service provider clients.

  • Utilize SEO best practices for disseminating keywords within 1,200 - 2,500 word content pieces.

  • B2B and B2C audiences in travel; event planning; retail; software; and home decor industry sectors.


Content Marketing Editor (P/T) - SAJ Media, Wilmington, NC

Apr 2019 – Jan 2020

Write, edit, and proof online and print marketing content for SAJ Media publications including Greater Wilmington Business Journal, WILMA Magazine and WilmingtonBiz Magazine (combined circ. 31k+).

  • Manage distribution of articles via 11 weekly emails, multiple websites and social media channels, track analytics.

  • Conduct interviews, write scripts, and manage shoots for video features.


President - Innovative Public Relations, Apex, NC/Wilmington, NC

Aug 2007 – April 2019

Deliver strategic messaging on behalf of clients via content creation and public relations/media relations efforts focusing on audiences in healthcare; medical devices; pharmaceutical; legal; datacenter; software; and automotive industry sectors.

  • Develop content-rich PR, marketing, and social media pieces as well as SEO-friendly website content.

  • Build media relationships in targeted news outlets, solicit speaking engagements at major industry events, provide media training, act as spokesperson, manage crisis communication situations.


Education

State University of New York College at Geneseo, Geneseo, NY

1985 – 1989

BA, Communication (English Writing Minor)


Additional Professional Experience

Account Manager - ClearImage Public Relations (2006 – 2007)

News & Information Manager - Duke University Office of Information Technology (2003 – 2006)

Director of Publications - Duke University School of Law (2000 – 2003)

Editor-in-Chief - Addison Eagle (circ. 35k) (2000)

Editor - Williston Whistle (circ. 11k) (1997 – 2000)

Freelance Writer - various publications (1994 – 2020)


Volunteer Experience

Business Mentor Dec 2017 - Dec 2019

UNCW Center for Innovation Wilmington, NC

and Entrepreneurship

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Door Stops and Traffic Jams

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By David Dean Menzies I saw something new at work that I have never seen before. Anywhere. Someone had taken one of those little wooden door stops and wedged it in between a door frame and inside of the door, almost at about eye-level. Prior to this I had only ever seen them used between the bottom of a door and the floor. Taking a step back and looking at this particular situation, it made perfect sense – the floor underneath the door, when open, is made of some type of marble. The door stop didn’t have any type of rubber on it, just pure wood, so it would slide on the marble and prove ineffective, hence the jerry-rigged solution. Brilliant, right? Or maybe you don’t think it’s brilliant. Perhaps your thinking has you going in a different direction, like why not just use a rubber-soled door stop, or I bet that looks silly. Who knows. Your perspective is your own, and the solution itself is open to interpretation. At the end of the day, the result is that the door is propped
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Accuracy Nudging in the Age of Chicken Little

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By David Dean Menzies This past weekend my wife and I were enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon, watching an ABC News 20/20 program. The story was about a young man incarcerated for shooting someone, and by all accounts he certainly seemed railroaded. Toward the end of the program, a few seconds of video showed a high-ranking state official going on the record at a highly visible press conference about the case, doubling-down on the jury’s guilty verdict, claiming that celebrities and other individuals advocating for the young man’s innocence were being fed inaccurate information. Soon after, the program wrapped-up, with the young man still in prison and his case gaining notoriety. For some reason, the press conference shown toward the end of the program – for lack of a better term – bothered me. It just seemed out of place for a high-ranking official to take the extreme measure of holding a press conference and putting forth such a bold statement, in the face of the information I had abso
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Finding A Career Path Without Looking

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Published on LinkedIn May 21, 2020 by David Dean Menzies The other day my wife and I were going for a walk on the beach. It had just “reopened” to the general public due to COVID-19 restrictions. There weren’t a lot of people around, nor had there been the usual crowds in quite some time. That said, the beach was littered with shells. We’d never seen so many in that particular stretch. As we walked, taking in the warm air and sunshine, we weren’t focusing on anything in particular. Just enjoying the moment. Suddenly, my wife stopped and looked down. A perfect seashell. Seashells like this one are hard to come by in our neck of the woods, primarily since there are a lot of avid shell collectors—locals as well as tourists—who are on the sand at the crack of dawn. By the time most beachgoers are roaming around, it’s slim pickings. We collect seashells; well in reality, “sea specimens” to quote Charlie Day in ”The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore” episode of the TV series It’s
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