John Becker 821 Ralph McGill Blvd., #3149, Atlanta, Georgia 30306

(404) 775-6966 (mobile) jnbecker@me.com

Occupational Objective

I’m an experienced, creative professional looking for the right organization where I can contribute as a communications/public relations specialist. My areas of expertise include copywriting, editing, photography, photojournalism and social media. Copywriting deliverables include website content, e-newsletter production/distrib-ution, news articles, interviews, case studies, press releases, white papers, and brochure/flyer copy. Areas of photography/photojournalism expertise include short/medium form articles with text and photos, event photography (festivals/parties, family/group gatherings, weddings, charity or sporting events), animals/pets, nature/wildlife, and travel. I'm an effective written and oral communicator who spent 20+ years as a sales and mar-keting professional in the pharmacy automation field. I'd like to leverage that experience in my next career as a communications professional for a small to medium sized company or organization, or as a copywriter, photojournalist or photographer.

Professional Experience

Self-Employed Freelance Copywriter/Photographer, Atlanta, GA (February 2012 - Present) Work with clients by providing writing or photography services as required. Copywriting deliverables include website content, e-newsletter production/distribution, news articles, interviews, case studies, press releases, white papers, and brochure/flyer copy. Additionally provide photography services to clients as appropriate: event photography, family/group gatherings, nature/wildlife photography, travel and pet photography. Writing/photography samples can be provided on request.

Virginia-Highland Civic Association (VHCA), Atlanta, GA (November 2006 – May 2015) Editor/Website Administrator (February 2012 to May 2015) Responsible for developing and maintaining all content (articles and pictures) for the VHCA website (VaHi.org), and have also served as Editor and Business Manager for The Voice e-newsletter. Have become proficient in the use of WordPress to maintain web content and Mailchimp for e-newsletter production and distribution. Typically create 4-5 new articles per week that are uploaded to the website. The Voice e-newsletter is distributed twice each month (1st and 15th) to 3,100 e-mail addresses and includes all articles posted to the website since the last issue was published. Also responsible for securing advertisers for the e-newsletter, focusing primarily on local businesses. This is an unpaid volunteer position.

Chair, Communications Committee (September 2012 - May 2015) Elected to the VHCA Board of Directors, currently serve as chair of the Communications Committee (unpaid volunteer position). Have overall responsibility for defining and promoting the VaHi brand, and for raising awareness of the association’s and neighborhood’s goals and activities through use of various print and digital media. Work with external media representatives regarding VHCA issues, maintaining and growing our email database, and working with other neighborhood association communication chairs to create improved sharing of information and

John Becker (404) 775-6966 Page Two

best practices between groups. Serve as admin for three separate Virginia-Highland Facebook pages and the neighborhood’s Twitter account. Have a blog on Virginia-Highland/Druid Hills Patch and regularly post neighborhood-related content to it as well as to several neighborhood message boards.

Editor (November 2006 – November 2010) Served as editor of The Voice, a quarterly hard copy newsletter (12 or 16 pages) published by the VHCA (unpaid volunteer position). Wrote or edited all articles, took all photos, worked with a graphic designer to lay-out the newsletter and with a local printer to produce and distribute it via bulk mail top 7,000 addresses. Have served as Virginia-Highland’s “unofficial neighborhood photographer” since late 2006.

Atlanta Journal Constitution, Atlanta, GA (May 2007 – November 2010) Reporter/Columnist (freelance, part-time) Wrote Take to Task, a regular MWF Friday column in the Metro section. Readers reported infrastructure problems around the city via phone or email; I’d interview the person, take pictures, write an initial story, then follow-up with the appropriate government agency or utility to get the problem fixed and write a follow-up story when the issue was resolved. Received Golden Shoe Award from PEDS (pedestrian advocacy group) in 2009 for pedestrian-friendly journalism. Also wrote other feature and human interest articles for the AJC during this period.

ComputerTalk for the Pharmacist, Blue Bell, PA (July 2009 – February 2013) Contributor (freelance) Regular contributor to a bimonthly publication focusing on the use of automation and technology in various pharmacy settings. Have written nine case studies focusing on pharmacy owners’ creative application of technology in their practices, plus two in-depth interviews of industry figures and one recap of an industry conference.

ScriptPro, Mission, KS (November 2010 – February 2012) Senior Product Specialist Responsible for sales of the company’s line of robotics and other retail pharmacy technology to independent pharmacies in the southeast United States (GA, AL and MS). Sold eight robots in 2011 generating $1.4 million in revenue.

Apple, Inc., Cupertino, CA (March – October 2010) Specialist (part-time), Lenox Mall store, Atlanta, GA Primary facilitator of customer experience at Apple’s retail store selling Mac computers, iPhones, iPads, iPods and other Apple products and services. Worked with customers to understand needs and recommend Apple products and services to address those needs. Focused on generating customer excitement and enthusiasm about Apple products and services and ensuring that customers understood the unique value Apple provides. Completed Apple Core Retail Training and Development course. Worked in store during launch of iPhone 4 and original iPad.

NDCHealth, Atlanta, GA (August 1988 – January 2005, two most recent positions listed below, additional information on experience at NDCHealth prior to 1998 can be provided on request) Director, Strategic Relationships, Pharmacy Systems and Services (2001 – 2005) Developed and maintained distribution channel relationships with key business partners to deliver technology and data processing solutions to the retail pharmacy market. Solutions included a complete retail pharmacy management system and related third party claims management services.

John Becker (404) 775-6966 Page Three

Sales Director, Pharmacy Network Services (1998 – 2001) Developed and implemented company’s distribution channel strategy in the independent buying group market. Duties included negotiating endorsement agreements and designing coordinated sales programs. Additionally managed company’s existing in-house sales and client management team. Assumed management of company's software vendor sales executives during time in this position.

Education

Bachelor of Arts (German), Auburn University, Auburn, AL, (3.7 GPA in major)

Additional Accomplishments

• In 2009 I won a Golden Shoe award from the pedestrian advocacy group PEDS for “pedestrian-friendly journalism” for my work on the AJC’s Take to Task column.

• From 2011-2015 I’ve served as part of the leadership team for Summerfest, Virginia-High-land’s largest annual fund-raiser. For the past three years I’ve served as volunteer coordi-nator, successfully recruiting and managing over 250 volunteers each year. This past year I also served as festival co-chair and have agreed to do so again in 2016.

• Since 2011 I’ve served on board of directors of the Atlanta Auburn Club. • During high school football seasons since 2006 I’ve been the voice of Adams Stadium

(DeKalb County), serving as public address announcer for games with attendance ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand.

• During the 2012 season I wrote a blog on high school football in DeKalb County for Patch.