Justin Bell

I organize engagement and wellness activities and feedback for my division. I liaise with staff and organize major events such as Division Day. I work with Occupational Health and Safety Committees throughout the division to ensure all staff have access to resources and are aware of the OHS program within government.

I review information products including briefings, correspondence, inquiry responses, presentations and divisional communication and reporting products, making sure they move smoothly through the division.

I organize a stable of contract editors and writers for Online Initiatives and Informations Supports in the Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour Ministry at the Government of Alberta.

I oversaw the tendering of design and print, shepherding publications from the Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour ministry through their final steps before being released to the public.

I have an extensive background as a freelance writer and reporter. I work from a pitch through to a finished product, working with editors to ensure the content fits the style of the publication and that any questions are addressed before publication. I have written for a variety of publications, including the Edmonton Sun, Edmonton Journal, Alberta Oil, Alberta Venture, Avenue Edmonton and Canadian Aviator, as well as writing work for various departments at the University of Alberta and MacEwan University.

I oversee the entire operation of the student newspaper at MacEwan University, from hiring and managing seven editors to overseeing the paper's budget. I help with copy editing and work with the staff to determine the overall direction of the newspaper.

As the Managing Editor at The Gateway, I was the second in command of one of the largest student newspapers in Canada. I helped oversee a staff of eight other editors, ensuring content was up to par. I also oversaw the features section of the paper, working with volunteer writers and other editors to produce a single piece of long-form journalism every week. In 2011 I organized two regional conferences for Canadian University Press. Both conferences included scheduling 20 guest speakers from the local journalism field for almost 100 delegates.

I oversaw a lot of day-to-day functions of a communications staff at the Office of Sustainability, which included a lot of writing as well as some small design work. I helped the office transition from an old content management system to the new Sitecore system being used at the University of Alberta. I also worked to develop a new section for the website called "Faces of Sustainability," where staff and projects on campus could be profiled, highlighting the institution's commitment to sustainability.

In my first stint at the student newspaper at MacEwan University (at that time known as Intercamp, and would be renamed the griff in 2011), I grew volunteer participation at the paper and saw overall advertising revenue grow. I was in charge of a staff of five editors and a volunteer base of 15.