Through my 20-year career in publishing, I have developed critically acclaimed, curriculum-focused products for grades K-12. At the director level, I have led the editorial strategy for organizations to align content development with the strategic plan and mission. For a full resume, please see my LinkedIn profile.
Career Highlights
Director of Digital Programs, Poetry Foundation
March 2015-February 2019
As director of digital programs, I led the editorial strategy for poetryfoundation.org, which averaged 4 million monthly unique visitors and saw a 20 percent year-over-year increase in traffic during my tenure. I provided editorial direction for editors, producers, and consultants for site content, including weekly feature articles, blog posts, podcasts, educational materials, and videos. I also managed the team responsible for the Foundation’s digital infrastructure.
A key initiative during my tenure was the redesign of poetryfoundation.org, which I oversaw from discovery through design and development. Working directly with a UX agency and Foundation staff, I established project goals and prioritized new features and site hierarchy. I also worked with the design firm Pentagram and coordinated efforts among their team, the UX agency, and our developers to integrate the Poetry Foundation’s rebrand with the website launch. In 2019, poetryfoundation.org earned a Webby Award for best website in the nonprofit/charitable organization category.
Associate Director, World Book, Inc.
January 2008-March 2015
After successive promotions at World Book, I transitioned from print- to digital-focused content development. As associate director of the digital products department, I reported directly to the editor in chief and oversaw the strategic, tactical, and technological aspects of World Book’s suite of websites and mobile apps for the domestic and global institutional marketplace.
Prior to my promotion to the digital products department, I edited more than 100 nonfiction science and social studies books for grades K-12, including the critically acclaimed series Building Blocks of Science and Building Blocks of Mathematics.
Senior Editor, Heinemann-Raintree
December 2004-December 2008
At Heinemann-Raintree, I managed book series for the early elementary years and oversaw the launch of the Acorn brand for grades PreK-1. Working with editors in our UK office, I established the inaugural list of titles and ensured all books published within a 10-month production schedule. As part of this effort, I worked with a designer to set the brand’s look and feel, authored more than 50 books, and hired experts in the fields of science, social studies, and early childhood literacy to ensure accuracy and readability for each title.
References
“Cassie performed excellent work for the Poetry Foundation. She led her team with clarity and efficiency and worked well with staff, media, outside vendors, and collaborators.” -Henry Bienen, President, Poetry Foundation
“Cassie has an artful eye for content that will resonate on digital platforms. We worked together as peers at the Poetry Foundation, collaborating on projects to promote poetryfoundation.org’s rich resources, and editorial content was thoughtfully curated under her leadership.” -Sarah Whitcher, Media and Marketing Director, Poetry Foundation
“I relied on Cassie’s intelligence and specialized technical knowledge to help move World Book farther along in its strategy of transformation…” -Paul Kobasa, Vice President and Editor in Chief, World Book, Inc. (retired)
“At World Book, we gave Cassie the really challenging tasks, the ones that everyone was struggling with, and she always got them done! No matter how complex the problem is, she will always come up with a brilliant, elegant, and cost-effective solution.” -Sean Lockwood, Senior Vice President of Sales, Junior Library Guild
“Cassie is a supremely talented writer, editor, and product developer for both digital and print content.” –Jennifer Parello, Senior Manager, Online Content, American Academy of Dermatology