Gail Balfour

414-2495 Dundas St. W. ׀ Toronto ׀ M6P 1X4

Phone: 416-763-4437 ׀ E-mail: gbalfour@rogers.com

Web: www.balfourcreative.com

PROFILE:

More than 12 years experience as a journalist and editor - with a particular focus on health, technology, business, lifestyle and science. Several years experience as a communications specialist and web editor.

Journalism program honours graduate.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS:

• Extensive magazine editorial experience - consumer, trade and custom
• Have managed and mentored both teams and individuals
• Presentation and panel discussion participation
• Capable researcher and trend watcher
• Have developed multiple contacts in the high-tech and health-care sectors
• Layout, design, online, prepress and copy-editing skills
• Comfortable working with translators, freelancers, artists, photographers, budgets
• Several years' promotional, media relations and marketing experience
• Basic knowledge of written French
• Website launching/planning experience
• Experience in both not-for-profit and commercial sectors
• Live television experience as camera operator, on-air graphics and stage-hand
• Proficient in digital and SLR photography (including darkroom skills)

COMPUTER SKILLS:

• Proficient in: Microsoft Office, HTML, Dreamweaver
• Web editing, web programming, digital photo editing
• Power user of technology and the Internet for research and contacts
• Basic skills in: QuarkXPress, Photoshop, Illustrator, Cold Fusion
• Comfortable in both PC and Mac environments

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

Oct. 2002 - present

Communications Specialist/Web Editor

Womenshealthmatters.ca (a consumer website at Women’s College Hospital)

Job Summary: Manage a non-profit, bilingual women's consumer health website for an Ontario hospital

• Write, edit, research, source, assign and aggregate news and feature content
• Compose press releases and promotional materials
• Maintain editorial elements and ‘voice’ of the site
• Post/upload daily content using HTML/Dreamweaver/Cold Fusion
• Compile, create and send e-newsletters to subscribers
• Work closely with translators, freelancers and team members
• Co-coordinate promotional campaigns and attend industry events
• Generate story ideas and identify content gaps
• Serve as webmaster/content editor for Women’s College Hospital corporate website (www.womenscollegehospital.ca)

Sept. 1994 - present

Freelance Writer/Editor/Photographer

For various publications including:
Backbone (technology/business magazine in the Globe and Mail), Computer Dealer News, Canadian Smart Living, Business on the Go (for Bell Mobility), The Medical Post, Business b2b, The Bottom Line Magazine, Modern Purchasing, Canadian Foodservice Magazine, Hospital News, Computing Canada

Dec. 1997 - May 2002 ComputerWorld Canada (magazine)

Editor (March 2000 - May 2002)

Job Summary: Overseeing entire bi-weekly publication

• Supervising and mentoring staff of six journalists
• Managing freelancers, artists/photographers, design and budgets
• Responsible for editorial direction, assigning, editing, researching and
  writing tech industry news stories, features and op-ed pieces
• Traveling extensively to industry events on behalf of publication

Department Editor/Staff Writer (Dec. 1997 - March 2000)

Job Summary: Interviewing, writing, researching, editing, copy-editing

1995 - 1997

CAD Systems (Technology/design magazine)
News/Product Editor (part-time)
Job Summary: Writing/editing news and product entries and features

The Shopping Channel (Rogers Cable)

Production Crew (various positions)
Job Summary: Camera operator, on-air graphics (chyron), visual merchandizing (staging) and floor-directing

EDUCATION:

1992 - 1995: Journalism Program - News Writing (Print); Humber College School of Media Studies
(Honours Graduate - three-year program)

1990 -1992: Television Operations and Production; Humber College

(Honours Graduate - Certificate course)

OTHER ACOMPLISHMENTS:

2006 - Developed content for brand new website (www.womenscollegehospital.ca)

2005 – Planning committee member for independent governance
2004 - Co-wrote proposal that won a $750,000 federal government grant

2004 - Reviewed websites and books for a provincial women's health database project
2003 - Completed a training course in Macromedia Dreamweaver
1995 - Won Rogers Cantel Award, for best technology article
1994 - Won Tina Ivany Award, for best feature article
1995 - Awarded President's Letter (for highest grade point average)
1990 - Creative Photography Award

PERSONAL FACTS ABOUT ME:

• I am a voracious reader, and have at least 2 or 3 books on the go at once
• I adore travel, music, photography, art and architecture. And old graveyards
• I worked for Maclean Hunter Television while still in high-school
• I was the photo editor for my college newspaper
• I have a passion for any kind of design: from mosaics to web pages
• I am a bit of a self-confessed computer geek
• At age 15, my best friend and I had our own cable TV show
• I am the youngest of 7 children
• My parents are my personal heroes
• My mother once met the Queen of England (when she was still a princess)
• My father served in WWII as a navigator in the Air Force
• My grandfather was an Alderman – there is a park named for him in Rosedale
• I have a great love of all animals (but my own cat is particularly spoiled)