One of my major duties for this company was to proactively manage and continuously maintain the layout process for two weekly newspapers, producing 52 editions per year. This involved designing new ads, formatting and preparing public notices, and gathering content from editors to assemble a complete edition each press day. I coordinated with sales, county auditors, and clients throughout the week to ensure all ads and paid content were correctly recorded, tracked in Excel spreadsheets, and verified through proofing and email communication with the sales team.

On Mondays, I collaborated with the editors of one newspaper, collected their stories and photos, and laid out a 12–16 page paper. I proofed the edition with the editors and ensured all files were sent to press by a 7:00 p.m. deadline. Tuesdays followed the same workflow with a different editorial team; I assembled and produced an 18-page newspaper, also meeting a same-day deadline.

This role demanded a high level of discipline and dedication to keep operations running smoothly. It required constant clear communication, well-established workflows, flexibility in design layouts, and advanced proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Twice a week I was challenged to take a large volume of unfamiliar content and, using my design skills and Adobe experience, produce print-ready files quickly and accurately, leveraging the full capabilities of the creative apps.

When time permitted, I repurposed editors’ content to create social media reels for each edition, producing short promotional videos between printing and delivery. We posted these reels the day before the e-edition and physical paper were released to boost engagement and awareness.

The position also involved working with Ad-Pro and managing a WordPress website, where I uploaded e-editions and ads. During my time at Mid-America Publishing, I was responsible for creating the Clear Lake Mirror-Reporter, Buffalo Center Newspaper, and the Garner Leader papers in Iowa.