Mark Simonson
Freelance writer, researcher, publisher and radio producer
CAST member since 2001
What does your company do?
My business involves freelance writing and research, self-publishing and radio production work.
What’s your role in the company?
I write mostly about local history. I’m the Oneonta city historian, and I write a column on local history for the Oneonta Daily Star. These columns also appear in six collections, Reminiscing Across the Valleys, Volumes 1-6, which I published and market myself. In addition, I write copy for Web sites, local foundation newsletters and other publications. Some of my work includes design and layout as well as writing. I also help one client research and produce a radio program for Oneonta’s new public radio station, WUOW.
Tell us about the special challenges you face in your job.
Multiple deadlines and time management are major challenges. I write two columns per week for the Daily Star, and for most of my other clients, I turn in my assignments either on or before deadline. Although this can be pretty challenging at times, it’s also rewarding: I never have any boring days, as I used to have when I worked at one location for a single employer.
What training and prior experience led you to this point in your career?
I have an A.A.S. in broadcast management from Onondaga Community College and a B.S. in business administration, with an emphasis on marketing, from SUNY Oswego. I’ve been an on-air radio personality and news director at WKXZ/WCHN in Norwich and WMRV/WENE in Binghamton. Following my time in radio, I did marketing and public relations work for nonprofit organizations such as the South Central New York Chapter of the March of Dimes, the American Heart Association, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society-Massachusetts Chapter and the West Kortright Centre and Hanford Mills Museum. These days I “relax” on weekends as a museum interpreter at the Farmers Museum in Cooperstown, working mainly in their 1840s print shop.
Why do you belong to CAST?
While working in a marketing/public relations job in Binghamton in 1995, I joined one of CAST’s predecessors, the Public Relations Society of the Southern Tier. It provided good networking opportunities. I returned to Oneonta, my home town, in 1997. But I still belong to CAST because there’s nothing like this association in the Oneonta area. Also, Greater Binghamton still feels like a second home, because I spent so much of my early career there and I still have a lot of friends there.
How have you benefited from your membership in CAST?
As a writer, I’ve gotten to network with many talented people in the association. As a self-publisher of books, I’ve connected with an outstanding proof reader who also is a member, and with some printing organizations. I enjoy the luncheon programs when I can make the trip. I use those visits as a chance to come over to the “big city” for the day, to run errands or do research for future columns at the Broome County Public Library.
To learn more about Mark Simonson, call Mark at 607-432-3902 or visit the Oneonta City Historian Web site, http://www.oneontahistorian.com/index.html .
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