MARIA ISABELLA 

EXPERIENCE

Isabella Communications (2008-Present)

Principal/Freelance Writer

- Manage a wide variety of writing, editing, advertising, web, and political projects

- Clients include Optiem, Adcom,  KCH Design, University Hospitals, Plastic Extrusion Technologies, Terra

  Community College, City Visitor, Carolina Visitor, Tim McGinty for County Prosecutor, and Tom Jordan for County Council

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Marketing & PR Director/Consultant

- Oversee successful marketing, public relations, publicity, and promotional coverage

- Clients include Anna Mia Jewelry, Italian Tours by Diana, and The Good Fork

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Website Creator & Content Manager

- Developed new websites for composer and film scorer William Staab, St. Peter Parish, Jerome & Associates Law Firm,

   J. Noel, Inc., Isabella Law Office, and Dr. Monica Isabella

- Regularly update web content, ensure SEO, and conduct website assessments for clients

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Blogger & Online Journalist

- Write blog posts for Maria's Bits & Pieces, Les Dames d'Escoffier, and CreativePlayPlus

- Wrote regular monthly online feature articles as the Cleveland Dessert Examiner

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Contributing Writer

- Conceptualize, research, and write special interest articles for Edible Cleveland magazine

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Book Author

- Wrote  two books:

• Chefs & Company, published by Page Street Publishing

• In the Kitchen with Cleveland's Favorite Chefs, published by Kent State University Press and currently in its 9th printing

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Book Editor

- Edit book manuscripts, including the novel Faking Corporate by Cinda Dietrich

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Kichler Lighting (2019-2020)

eCommerce Writer

- Created A+ content for SKUs of major lighting collections to populate various online channels

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Step2 Toy Company (2018-2019)

Content Strategist/Consultant

- Assisted VP, Digital Marketing & eCommerce, with developing a revamped digital content marketing strategy

- Responsible for building wider and deeper blog content on corporate website

- Created product, A+, and video copy highlighting major features for new-to-market consumer goods

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Vitamix (2014-2018)

Editor

- Undertook special projects that involved editing, proofreading, and stylizing product recipe books

- Projects included foreign-edition books in French, German, Chinese, and British English

- Integrated SEO keywords into every online recipe and headnote

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American Greetings (2013-2017)

Part-time Editor, Content/Engagement Marketing & Social Media

- Developed and executed consumer-facing marketing assets, including monthly emails to 4 million combined recipients,

  that targeted key strategic areas of customer acquisition while championing the brand voice of American Greetings, Blue

  Mountain, justWink, and Cardstore

- Developed content for online campaigns that increased social engagement

- Created concepts and copy that aligned with business objectives and drove purchases

- Wrote original blog posts for AmericanGreetings.com and BlueMountain.com

- Assisted with all areas of social media

- Served as the editorial representative on cross-functional teams

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McCann Worldgroup/Nationwide Advertising Service (1992-2008)

Assistant Copy Director/Senior Copywriter

- Helped supervise and guide a team of 10+ copywriters and freelance writers

- Wrote and art-directed ads, collateral, and web pages for such major clients as Wendy’s, Toys R Us, Mayo Clinic, Verizon

  Wireless, Busch Gardens, Mellon Bank, and Dow Corning

- Wrote e-blasts, qtags, microsites, online greeting cards, radio and phone scripts, billboards, airport signage, trade booth

  displays, and employee referral programs

- Presented brand concepts to clients for new business development

- Prepared executive speeches, press releases, RFP proposals, and newsletter feature stories

- Won numerous industry awards for creative work

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Rocky River Board of Education (1990-1992)

Interim PR Director

- Created newsletters, annual report, internal publications/handbooks, press releases, and community-wide events

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Advanstar Communications (formerly Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) (1987-1992)

Medical Editor/Proofreader

- Edited and proofread biomedical abstracts approved for submission to Neurology journal

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EDUCATION

Cleveland State University

Bachelor of Arts degree

Dual Majors: Mass Media Communication and Interpersonal Communication

Minor: International Marketing

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PERSONAL

• Quadlingual fluency in Italian, Serbian, French, and English

• Dual American and Italian citizenship

• Member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP)

• Member of the James Beard Foundation

• Member of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI)

• Board Member of LDEI's Cleveland Chapter

• Liaison Member-at-Large of LDEI's Cleveland Chapter

• Social Media Committee Member of LDEI's Cleveland Chapter

• Recurring judge on the IACP Cookbook Awards Committee for both print and digital media

• Judge for recipe contests sponsored by Sugardale Bacon and the Tri-County Beekeepers Association

• Reviewer of new cookbooks released by Penguin Random House and The Crown Publishing Group

• Focus group member/recipe tester for Bon Appétit, America’s Test Kitchen, General Mills, Pillsbury, and Betty Crocker Kitchens

• Recipe tester for numerous cookbooks, including The Yellow Table by Anna Watson and One Pan Two Plates, One Pan Two Plates Vegetables, One Pan Whole Family, and Sweet Tart, all by James Beard Award-nominated author, Carla Snyder

• Cooking and baking instructor at Solari’s and Laurel Run Cooking School

• TV and radio talk show guest on WKYC Channel 3 and WKSU 98.7FM

• Board member of Il Cenacolo Italian Cultural Club

• Board member of St. Peter Parish Council

• Member of St. Peter Parish Communications Committee

• Computer literacy in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, Access, Outlook, and Lotus Notes

• SEO proficiency