Christopher Simpson

• Excellent journalism skills: editing, writing to both word and deadline; interviewing; researching; and fact checking.
• Knowledge of computers includes systems software analyses, troubleshooting, and support, web design languages and software, including HTML, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Flash, FTP, web architecture, and Internet research, using both Netscape and Internet Explorer.
• Strong communication, leadership, interpersonal and organizational skills cultivated through managing corporate, community and campus offices, webmastering, coordinating volunteers and chairing meetings.
• Technical computer skills include systems software diagnostics and salvaging and cleaning computer hardware.
• Technical writing skills include computer manuals and documentation.
• Administrative skills include office management, desktop publishing, transferable software skills, maintaining databases, data entry, keyboarding at 70wpm, and business communications, procedures and equipment.

EXPERIENCE

• As Webmaster, I designed and maintained Circa 2000, an on-line magazine publicizing the Circa 2000 Project, a three year project to capture image and text samples of the Web for a Virtual Time Capsule.

• I researched, wrote and edited for various community and campus publications in Toronto, including Beaches Town Crier, Toronto Irish News, The Independent, The Innis Herald, The Mike and The Strand.

• As co-creator of a quarterly journal, I planned issues, wrote editorials, assigned, wrote and edited articles, supervised production, circulation and promotions, attended various functions and chaired meetings. I also attended the annual Canadian Booksellers Association trade show in Toronto where I assessed the season's new books and interviewed internationally renowned authors.

• As Senior Staff Writer, I researched and wrote special features and regular columns, such as "Bookstores On Queen" and "Queen Street History," interviewed Queen Street artists and reviewed their works.

• As Associate Editor, I helped launch the new Books section of a bi-weekly student newspaper, wrote reviews, interviews and features, edited copy, did layout using Pagemaker and PhotoShop, and assisted the Editor-In-Chief with paste-up & proofreading of flats.

• As a news reporter for a biweekly college newspaper, I covered college, provincial and national news, particularly educational issues.

• As co-editor of the Celtic Society newsletter, I played a key role in redesigning, re-launching and transforming the monthly publication into a popular student zine with a campus, community following and international subscribers.

• Responsible for assigning and editing articles for a biweekly community newspaper. Apprenticed under Rod Goodman, editor and ombudsman of the Toronto Star (now retired), and Jan Hayes, news copy editor of the Globe & Mail.

• Wrote a media commentary column for a Toronto community newspaper that focussed on advertising, television and public affairs, sometimes as political satire.

• Several contracts, including program analyst of a new tracking program for DeBeers, and manual writer for Command Data's computerized in-house storage and retrieval program.

• Daily support for J. Walter Thompson's 170 PC stations across Canada and application designer of special programs, such as the computerized catalogue for their in-house TV commercial video library.

• Several years as full-time mural artist with Mice In The Night.
• Numerous contract positions writing and designing small print ads, brochures, business cards and the like.

• Researched and wrote a weekly column on local history.
  

Back to top

Back to Home Page

EDUCATION

Honours BA

Major:
English Literature Specialist.

Minors:
Cinema, Religion, Philosophy.

Commercial Art Certificate, 1977.

Awards

The Myrtle V. McCulloch Award in Semiotics

Memberships

Celtic Underground
Victoria College
1996-2000

Celtic Society
St. Michael's College,
1994-96